The Birthday Grad Party!

Michelle had a combination Graduation party and 19th birthday celebration all rolled up into one big event!  We had a wonderful time!  The weather was perfect.  It was about 73 and sunny by the time the party started.  We had worked hard the last week or so to get everything ready.  There was still lots to get done at the last minute though.

My DH's Mom is staying with us and she got all the candy and treats in the bowls to go on the ice cream bar.  Elizabeth worked with her.  There were a number of kinds of candies and nuts and other treats and sauces to go on top of the ice cream.  We had fresh strawberries too.

My children had decided that they would redo the back hall bathroom for me for Mother's Day.  Somewhere along the line the project got stalled.  It was the day of the big party and here is what it looked like.  Paul had repaired the walls so that there were no big holes or anything, but it wasn't painted, and the bathroom itself still needs a lot of work.  We decided that the way it looked really fit the party motif of 'shabby chic'.  It even had a lot of the matching shades of blue.  No sweat!!!

Michelle was blessed to have her good friend Josie be able to fly up from Virginia for the long weekend.  They worked together really well on the food and decorating.  They really enjoyed their time together.  

The Boss strode around fixing things and getting things ready to show for the guests.  He really enjoyed giving tours of the farm and the house.  He even gave tours of the garden.  

Michelle worked hard on getting all her accents ready.  This was an old metal table she found in the barn.  She painted it and then overpainted it with lace curtains to give it the appearance of lace.  I thought it looked very cool!

We were ready for the party about the time the guests showed up.

Here is what the guests saw as they pulled in.  The yard was freshly mowed and everything was green from all the recent rain.  It was dry enough to be able to park on the grass though.  That was a blessing!

T-Bob is back and rested from his trip to the Philippines.  He was given the job of limeade maker.  He  and Thomas kept the beverages flowing.

Someone asked me how we got everything ready on time.  Here is part of our secret answer.  Have a large family with lots of hard working children come about an hour early to help.  The Stauffers helped get the food ready to be put out, set up the chairs, pick flowers for the arrangements, put on the table covers, and help set up the swingset and volleyball net.  There were other jobs that they helped with that I am probably forgetting right now.  They were such a blessing to us!!!

Chalkboard paint has become a staple here.  We even used it on the back of our 'shabby chic' bathroom door. It is a lot of fun!  Very useful stuff.

Josie and Michelle dressed up for the party and were soon ready to greet the guests.  

One of the projects we accomplished on Saturday morning was to get the swing set from the other house set up.  It was used by the kids almost the whole day!  So glad it was accomplished! 

We set up the tables under the trees for those who wanted to stay cool and also had some set up in the sun, for those who wanted to be warm.  There was plenty of room for all!

For the food we had Burrito Bowls, or as the Amish call them 'haystack'.  There was white and brown rice, with ground beef or pulled pork to go on top.  There was all kinds of toppings.  We had fresh tomatoes, lettuce, two types of salsa, sour cream, pinto beans and chips.  We also had watermelon out.

There was also an ice cream bar with brownies and all different kinds of toppings.  It was super yummy!  Michelle had done a lot of work making fabric streamers to decorate with.  I think she may try and sell them now that the party is over.

There was a nice group of relatives from my Dad's side.  It was really good to see them.  One was my Dad's cousin from Oregon.  My Dad's Sister and  a niece were also there. It is always a blessing to have family around!

Michelle used pallets to set up her board.  She had lots of pictures from her bow business as well as pictures of many of her amazing baking projects.  There were the usual pictures of her growing up.

During the day there were several soccer games that were played, some volleyball, and come croquet.  There was even some frog hunting in the evening.  One was cooked over the camp fire.  They decided that they didn't taste like chicken, but rather more like scallops.  Hmmmmm! Go figure.

My DH's sister Debbie came for the weekend and had a lovely time visiting with Mom.  She was spying out the land to see what there would be for her kids to do when they come for the Memorial weekend for Dad.

My DH had the wonderful idea of pulling the cool toys out of my office waiting room and letting the children play with them on the little piece of driveway.  They had a wonderful time and it seemed to keep them occupied for quite awhile without any squabbles.

Miss Pres was wanting her picture taken.  She was making lots of silly faces.  My brother requested that I take and save a number of such pictures for her graduation and wedding.  Not just the cute photogenic ones.  Here ya go bro!  She is still terribly cute.  I love her freckles!

Whatever Miss Pres does, Sally does also.  Here is Sally's attempt at a silly face.  I have such fun nieces.

The girl's were babysitting for one of the little ones.  They decided she was a 'good baby' since she didn't cry when they dropped her.  Of course, they are small so it wasn't much of a drop.

Everyone left by 10:15.  We had quite a bit of clean up to do.  DH's sister was a real help with that.  Once the majority was at a stopping point, Michelle opened up her gifts.  She was really blessed by people's thoughtfulness!  Thank-you all!!!  

It was a wonderful day and a wonderful party!  It was something we will remember for a long time.  Thank-you for helping us make such fantastic memories!