A Very Family Weekend

Last weekend, there was a birthday in our extended family.  A big one!  So we had out of state relatives coming fairly close to us.  It was wonderful to go and see people I hadn't seen in 10 years or more.

I'm sorry this shot of Luke is really back lit.  They had a great playroom.  They even had some of the same toys we have at home!

That's Katie with my step mom, who the kids call Buddy.  And on the left in the background is my baby sister, who's obviously not a baby any more.

The birthday girl!

And it happened to be Jack's birthday that weekend, too.  Grandma generously shared her special day, and we had a cake for him, too.

There were decorate your own cupcakes.  Brianna helped Hannah and Katie make theirs.

That's me with my Daddy.  Brianna snapped this for me, and I'm so glad she did!

The birthday boy ate rather a lot prior to cake.

The following day, we were honored with a visit from my dad & step mom and their 3 kids before they headed back to Nevada.  Zach and Brayden were able to come and get a chance to hang out with them for a bit, too.

This was Buddy and Grandpa Gino's first time meeting Brayden, and it made me smile to see them take to each other.

And they brought Elsa, the grandpuppy!

My smile muscles got a good workout having my family here, and my cheeks were sore when they left.

Poor Grandpa Gino.  It's a shame nobody likes him, right?  Brayden on his lap, Katie around his neck, and Elsa in his face.

Since we had everybody here except Annaliese (who is still in Australia) and Heather (who was at work), I asked my dad to take a picture for me before they left.  Family pictures are really hard to manage with a family as large as ours, and out of 4 shots, this one was the best.  Hannah's turning around, and Brayden is covering his face, but you get the general idea.  He even almost got Elsa in there!  My goodness, I love this crazy crew.

After our Nevada peeps took off down the road, the big boys were restless, so we went out.  I took Zach, Josiah, Sam, and Eli, and we went to Target and out to lunch.  Can I just say I felt very safe walking in this cluster of tall man children I've spawned??  It's like having a private group of bodyguards.

Brayden knows there's usually something interesting to play with in the school room, and this time was no exception.  He's got the rice tray full of penguins.

All the kids like Elsa, although one is a little afraid of her, and it's not one of the little ones.  But Josiah seems to have really taken to her.

I know Greatly Blessed may seem like just a blog name, but it's times like these when I bask in the glow of my family and think, "You know, I really am greatly blessed!"


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