Party hearty!

January 15, 2012—It was quite a party. And for me to say that (because I hate parties) means that it really was a great party

Mom and her birthday cake

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The primary purpose for us to come to McKinney, Texas, was to celebrate mom’s 90^th birthday, which will officially occur January 20. We also celebrated the birthday of my niece Pam, whose birthday really was yesterday, as well as my birthday, which will be January 29.

We planned for this occasion months in advance. We had gone back and forth: restaurant or rented room with a caterer? We even considered just having it at Judy’s house. The rented room with catered Texas barbeque won out.

Nancy with the quilt she made for mom.

Thanks to the efforts of Judy and Dawn, who did most of the preliminary planning, and Nancy, who came early and acted as hostess for Judy (who was in Surinam and returned the day before the party), everything came off great. Judy had baked and frozen quiches prior to her vacation; she also accumulated soda, wine, water, and beer. Nancy cooked and entertained as people came in; and siblings who were available pitched in to decorate the clubhouse where the party took place.

It was actually a first for the Jefferson clan: In the past, we have only reunions at funerals. This time everyone was still breathing and upright!

Mom and dad were responsible for quite a progeny: Seven children (who each currently have a spouse), 11 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. If everyone (including spouses—all seven of us are currently married) had been able to attend, there would have been 39 people. Unfortunately, not everyone could attend—Rob and his family, Sally’s husband and two children, Dawn’s son, and Scott’s daughter. (Scott couldn’t come to the party, but he was at brunch today.) As it was, we still had a crowd. We had a total of 30 who feasted on Texas barbeque and birthday cake. There was enough food left over to feed us again the next today at Judy’s house.

I felt for a few people at the party—the “newcomers” to the family who had never met anyone else, as well as for the somewhat “newbies” like Jim, who knew most everyone, but still became confused concerning who belonged to whom. (Jim: Let me explain again…Lisa and Laura are Nancy’s kids, and the little redheaded girls belonged to Laura and Bill. Derrick was the bearded young man, who is Jessica’s significant other, and Jessica herself is Dawn and Glenn’s daughter. And the skinny young man was Michael—John and Anne’s son—who was with the nice young lady, Suzanne. Get it?)

Laura and Bill and their kids left this afternoon to visit with his mother in Tyler (Bill’s a real Texan). Dawn and Glenn left, because they are leaving Tuesday for Australia. (I’m not sure if Jessica and Derrick left with them.) The rest of us will have one more meal together tonight at a Mexican restaurant, and then everyone will go home tomorrow. Except us. We’re heading further out west.

And that’s where I’ll pick up this blog again.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda