Fun Like a PARTY!!

We celebrated my brother in law's birthday  Friday night. It's his very last year to be in his 50's, then he can join the rest of us who are all in our 60's!

I seldom get pictures of the four of us so I took full advantage of this opportunity while we were all together. For the last few years we have made it a priority to meet up, visit, text, call, Facetime and Facebook, and yes, even PARTY together.

Here's the Birthday Boy!

The whole house was prepped and dressed to PARTY!

Lots and lots of good food.

These Italian Margaritas were delicious.

Nita had everything from peach tea to water to beer.....and on and on!

It was fun to meet people we had only heard about before.

This is Deanna who works with Nita.

She felt like she already knew us and we felt the same about her.

It was nice to put 'faces' to the stories we hear about each other.

Deeana totally felt like she knew Louis Dean and she won a friend for life when she asked him if he had brought his guitar!

Surely these were two of the coolest people at the party - my sister and Dave.

This was our first time to meet him as well as Deeana.

My brother, Lonnie (in the orange shirt) and two of his high school classmates.

First time they have seen each other in years!

Not only his friends from high school but also old friends of Mike's. Some of them worked together at Haynie's Grocery Store and recently reconnected through Facebook.

It's always nice to catch up with old friends.

My brother fully realizes what a lucky man he is.

He still refers to Michele as 'my lovely bride' and probably always will.

It was a fun evening and one we all were in need of.

Deanie was feeling some better than she has been but it will still take an entire year before she is back to her old self.

One of the entertainments was watching slide shows of old photographs.

Nita and Mike have their computer set up and linked to the TV.

I do believe every single one of us at the party showed up in one of more of these pictures including Louis Dean. He's been in the family for 11 years now.

It just makes me smile as I write this journal post tonight remembering what a good time we all had.

Mike gave everyone a tour and explained about some of his extensive collections.

You simply can't take it all in in one visit!

This is one of the most intersting homes I have ever seen.

Dinosaurs, trains, planes, so many many collections.

Fossils......books.....

cars......

Happy Birthday to Mike!!!

You guys throw a great party!!!!

Louis Dean and I spent the night in their guest room and we slept like ROCKS for nearly 11 hours!

It was nearly noon when we sat in the kitchen together over our coffee.

Nita made breakfast taquitos for us and they were soooooo good. I am going to have to make some of these! LD and I spent the better part of the afternoon doing a bit of shopping in some of our favorite Fort Worth stores - Hobby Lobby, At Home, McCart Thrift and Half Price Books.

When we got home we found fresh salads for dinner tucked into the fridge by our sweet neighbor, Stephanie. You remember her? The one Louis Dean wants to adopt? She is so special to us and has been my neighbor for nearly 30 years!

We ate and watched Suits before doing a bit of housework and picking up around here.

The guest room sheets have been changed and candles lit and the room is all ready for guests should any arrive before Mother returns for a visit next month.

'Next month' is just a few days away.

I have decided to start celebrating August instead of dreading it and wanting it over.

I am going to decorate with sunflowers and enjoy every single day.

I found books from Half Price Book Store by two of my favorite authors.....

Melody Beattie and Sarah Ban Breathnach.

The blue book on the right arrived in the mail today from my friend, Dawn, down in Florida.

That's the one I'm going to start reading just as soon as I go out and get my watering down.

In Texas, at this time of year, if you don't water a little bit nearly every day your plants will brown up, burn and die! Some years, by this point, I have already given up but THIS year we have had RAIN every single month! Nearly unheard of but we are blessed and enjoying green grass instead of the dried up brown we normally have by now. We don't  even water our grass! Just the flower beds and pots.

Ah, I hear Louis Dean going to the front without me so I better close!