Barbara Sessions (my Mom) 80th Birthday Celebration

First up, a bouquet for my Mother, who turned 80 years old today. I went up a day or two before the big Birthday Bash to celebrate quietly with them, and found these fragrant lilacs in the garden below their balcony window.

Uncle Don, Aunt Char and I

Since Peter Rugh is the Official Photograph for the event, I only have a few snapshots of the luncheon, held Friday in the Grand America hotel.

Judy Mitchell, one of mother's friends, and I

First course was a green salad, corralled by strips of cucumber.

We decided, at our table, that this was Orange Chicken. It was stuffed with proscuitto/cheese with a brilliantly colored sauce with roasted sweet red peppers as its base.

Lemony-chiffony-creamy dessert.

Scott and Eric. The glasses are props only.

My sister Susan (R) and I.

Dad and David.

Gary and Cynthia, joshing it up with Tom.

Aunt Naomi, Dad and and Aunt Charlene

Rachelle, Mom (in photo, as she looked when she married Dad) and Mom (now).

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Matthew's Built Some Bookcases

The alcove that will be transformed is to the right in this photo, and contains his BIG screen TV.

Everything open.

The full view.

Angled view. Nice work, Matthew.

When I called Matthew mid-week to see how it was going, it said he hit a snag--he had to build a workbench first. Mighty fine looking workbench. The table saw and router he borrowed from David Charon. I'm guessing he'll be asking for some of these things for the next few Father's Days.

Memorial Day "Campout" May 2008

We were all headed to the Eastmond Memorial Day campout up in Jacob's Lake. But when Chad pointed out that the high was 38 degrees, we veered another direction. Sharply.

The first event of our "campout" at Matthew's house in Phoenix was roughing it at Chipotle's for dinner.

The girls discovered a bug and followed it around like it was an alien from another planet.

Andrew liked Matt's girls' electric toothbrush.

Kim brought headbands home for her girls, especially for Emilee's short new "do" (she was at a friend's house. . . scissors. . . rush trip to Super Cuts. . . we've all been there).

Grandpa hands out his treats: little stuffed doggies. Megan named hers "Petsmart."

Kristen reads to the little cousins in their tent. None of them slept there and the next morning Peter packed up and we put it away.

The first morning Megan came downstairs to the guest room, opened the door and said "Mom and Dad said I could wake you up." This is Saturday morning, when they were all up and at 'em.

So we went to the park with a small-gauge railroad.

And the park also had a carousel.

And a fake Western Town.

Chad tries to topple Peter off the balance beam in back of the jail.

Emilee's new short hair-do. It'll be great for summer, I pointed out to her, and no tangles after shampoo time, as well.

We think she looks like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Shows our age.

We trekked up to Barbara and David's home in Flagstaff on Sunday and after dinner Peter worked out by playing swing dance/helicopter with Alex.

Saying goodbye!