This Month is Such a Special One {Birthday Bowling}

Saturday, June 8th was our annual Birthday Bowling Bash to celebrate both Gregg's and Callie's birthdays with friends and family.  We took advantage of the Fat Cats 99 cent summer deal again, and luckily got three of our four lanes next to each other on a busier-than-last-year Saturday afternoon at the bowling alley.  We had Paul and Kim, Swaze and Shenel, Peggy and Richard, Kylie and Michael, Heather and Terrell and Grace and Suls, Laura, Ryker and Kara join us for bowling.  The Nances met up with us for dinner at our house afterward.  We had our usual (as of the last couple years) spread of make-you-own deli sandwich plus salads and sides generously brought and shared by everyone else:  yummy fruit platter, Swaze Surprise, chips, potato salad, seven layer bean dip, hummus dip, and cheeseball!  And of course we have cake and presents.  This year it was chilly enough that I thought we might be picnicking inside, but everyone braved the chilly temps for dinner and presents on our lush green lawn.  Eventually, by the time it was time for cake, though, the breeze had picked up and we moved it in to the living room.  I'm always so happy we have such a big room when we have people over! It was a great party, as always!

Love that smile!

Poser(s?).

(I tried to do her hair before we left
to no avail!)

He did this a lot during his turns.

Steeeriiiiike!

Good game for all of us on our lane!

Swaze, Suls and Steve - USU roomies, but not
all at the same time.

Present time!  (She was SO excited
for this part of the party.)

Treats from Auntie Heather (Wihongi)
(they couldn't come because of a
wedding, but they sent their love
with Paul and Kim).

An art kit from Gma and Gpa Elwood.

And a new outfit!  Also a cute fingerprint
art kit.  She was in heaven!

Stickers and a sand art kit from Ky and Mike
(and Gregg is opening a shirt from my parents).

A sticker book and Ramona book (plus swedish
fish) from Swaze.  Also, that psychedelic
rainbow owl stuffy at the bottom of the pic
is her new favorite friend (maybe even higher
up the totem pole than Minnie nowadays) is from
the Nances.

Treats and card and harbor freight
gift card from the Wihongis.

Cake time!  She told me she wanted
a big number six with green frosting
and nature things.  This is what we came
up with and I was quite pleased.

Gregg's is a lemon white chocolate
cheesecake (of course it's a Mel recipe!
and I must say it was my most perfect
cheesecake to date, I think - silky
texture and no cracks or sinkage!)

Happy birthday to you!

Grandma sandwich!

Grandma sandwich plus Sam.  :D

And I just had to take a pic of this wad of
saran wrap (which wasn't even all of what we
had at the end of the evening) to send to Heatha
after she told me she hasn't bought saran wrap
in a very long time.  I was hanging my head
in shame at this mass of plastic waste!