Nana's Birthday

Yesterday we all gathered at my Mom's house to celebrate our grandmother's 98th birthday.   In the morning before we left, I gathered the ingredients to make an ooey, gooey, chocolate birthday cake.

You can see by my recipe cards there on the counter, that this cake has been made many, many times!
It is always a winner!

It was a very hot day yesterday, and even on the lake, there was very little breeze.  But we all had a great time.  Boating, kayaking, visiting, eating, celebrating.  It was big fun.   The star of the show, in her birthday hat!

We had a delicious meal from Blake's BBQ!  Brisket, sausages, enchilada pie, fresh fruit, jalapeno corn bread, baked beans and green salad.  It was soooo good!  Check out the line to go through the buffet.

There were people everywhere, enjoying the meal, the day, and being together to celebrate our Nana.

It was such a hot day, and everyone was commenting on how cold my Mom's downstairs bathroom was, so at any given time, you could find someone, or several, in there cooling off!  My nephew Tim picked up my camera and took this one of Gennifer and my Mom and I.

My Mom said, "oh look, if you lay your head down on this granite...it really cools you off!"

After dinner, we all gathered around to sing Happy Birthday to Nana.  When our group sings Happy Birthday, it is an awful sound.  I think we have pinpointed a couple of people who are off key.  My Uncle Johnny, Mom's little brother, is bad with a big B!!!  I said, "Johnny, we're gonna sing Happy Birthday to Nana now, can you just lip synch?"  And this is the look I got.

My little brother Tim is pretty bad too. 

Without them, we sound like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!  Okay, that may be a stretch....but we do sound better.

Make a wish.

We were also celebrating my Aunt Claylene's birthday.

I think Nana really enjoyed the day.   Everyone got to spend some special time with her.

Nana was taking a call from her nephew Pat in Colorado with little Noah on her lap.  We took Nana on an evening boat cruise, and got to enjoy the jazz concert that was taking place at the other end of the lake.

They have flotillas, where everyone connects their boats, and opens the side doors so you can visit from boat to boat.  They anchor and have appetizers and cocktails out on the lake while enjoying the concerts.  Or you can sit up at the clubhouse on land, and dance and enjoy it from there too.  So neat, this community that my Mom lives in!!!
Claire spotted a hippo out on the lake.

And Noah led the boat cruise with Capt. Dave.

It was such a beautiful night for a boat ride.

And a perfect celebration for our Nana!  Mom always entertains with such ease too.  She can have 35 people over and make it seem effortless.  But those of us who entertain, know that a lot of work goes into having a party.  She always does such a great job!!!!
We had a special guest yesterday too!  My cousin was able to come from Portland to celebrate Nana's birthday.  It has been a couple of years since we have seen her!
This is Kelly, my Uncie John's oldest daughter.  I wish that her sisters, Katie and Keri and their families could have been there too!!!!

Well, that's her profile anyway.  And the backside of my sis in law Glenda.   Sorry girls, but if  you would have just turned around when I asked you to, the picture would have been much better!!!
Kelly, how many margaritas did you have????   Just sayin'

Mom had Margarita Man come to the party too.  He as a BIG hit!!

I don't even drink, and I think I had four of those grownup slushies!  Aunt E even caught Hannah at the self serve bar with a slushie all ready to drink!!!!  GENNY!!!!  Do you know your daughter is drinking a margarita??????   Not to worry, Aunt E saved the day and explained that these were not like the Icee's she gets at Target!!!!!  (They were SO much better than those!!!!)
We wanted to get a group photo, and staging it was quite the ordeal!  Where to take a picture with 33 people, so we can all be seen?  We didn't have a tripod, so we built a makeshift one, and staged the picture in the gazebo with the lake in the background. 

There was a lot of confusion.  A lot of laughter.  But in the end, we got some good shots with the camera set on the timer.  Unfortunately, in a group as large as ours, there is sometimes a few that are missing.  Our son Drew had a bug and wasn't there, and my nephew Donavon and his wife Kaylen have recently moved to San Francisco, and weren't there.  We missed them.
The group shots are on my daughter Gennifer's and Greg's camera.  I will have to get those and share them later.  But this is how we looked getting ready.

During the chaos, Nana was trying to cup her  hand around the phone while she talked to her nephew in Colorado!
It was a great celebration, and a really fun time at my Mom's!  Thank you Mom!!!
Nana......we all love you so!!!!!!   Muuuuaaah!!!

Happy Birthday Nana!!!!
XO  Kris