Birthday Weekend:

We actually started the birthday weekend on Thursday night, when our friends, Kenny and Shelly took Dwayne, me, April and Mike to the Vichy Wye to celebrate April's 25th Birthday and Nathan's 1st Birthday. We had a great time visiting and watching the cute expressions on Nathan's face as him and his big brother, Blake opened his presents.



Friday:
TGIF!!! Thank goodness for the end of the work week!! This week had been extra long and stressful at work.
I picked Zach up at basketball practice and he spent the weekend with us.
Saturday:
Dwayne and Zach got up early to start stripping cane for the molasses making next weekend. Zach loves helping his Uncle Dwayne and I think Dwayne misses our boys being that age and going with him to the fields. When Zach was around four, he would ask Uncle Dwayne if he had any man's work to do. It was so cute and we used to always refer to any work involved with Zach around as man's work.
I spent the day cleaning to get ready for the birthday dinner on Sunday. I washed my much needed washing-windows. I'm not very good at washing windows but they looked better than before I started.
Later in the day I went to Rolla to buy April's birthday present at Penney's. Then I went to the Lion's Club park to the McCormack Family Reunion. It was nice to see friends I hadn't seen in quite some time.
After the fun, I did the much dreaded grocery shopping at Wal-Mart's! It seems such a chore to buy groceries, load groceries, unload groceries, put away groceries.......
Dwayne had called and said they needed something to eat so I pulled through Wendy's and got him, Todd and Zach some sandwiches. I had just finished putting away the groceries when Zach called and asked where I was, they were waiting in the field for the sandwiches. I assumed they were at the Emge Place stripping cane so off I do down there. Desmon was standing by the road at his house so I picked him up to go with me to see Mister Dwayne. I get to the field (the one I got stuck in a couple weeks ago) and cannot find them. I call Dwayne and he says they're on the other side of the field. I told him I had been on that side and didn't see them and didn't want to pull in any further as I didn't want to get stuck again. Then he goes, "Where Are You?" I'm like, the cane field, duh! Well, duh! They were at the can field across from Mom and Dad's. Mixed signals!!
Desmon and I stopped to see Chad for a few minutes and then I took him home with the promise that Chad (Chadley) would bring him to our house the next day for April's party. By that time it was dark and Dwayne, Todd and Zach were at the house.
While they watched TV, I baked April's birthday cake and chocolate chip brownies.
Sunday:
Even though I'm much younger than my Mom, I can't seem to go to church and get Sunday dinner ready the way she has all through the years (and still does). I stayed home from church and April and Mike went.
Dwayne had got up early to put two turkeys on to smoke in the smoker. I spent the morning cooking and getting ready for everyone to get there. We had a wonderful day, not as many of the family came that I was hoping for, but none-the-less, we had a great day.
It has been a tradition since April was born one day later than my Mom's birthday to celebrate together at our house with a big dinner. Mom turned 81 on the 18th and April turned 25 on the 19th.
Chad and Todd both adore their sister and Todd always finds a special sister card for her. Chad is more apt to pick her up and turn her upside down! He didn't do that this year, probably didn't think about it or he would have. He did remember to buy her a gift this year. He's more like Dwayne on remembering (which translates to NOT REMEMBERING) birthdays, holidays, etc. Todd always remembers and puts a lot of thought into the cards he buys. April, well what can I say? She's a girl and there is just something about the female that ALWAYS remembers birthdays, anniversary's, etc. I think God must have put in an extra molecule or something in females that remember and have more maternal instincts. lol
Todd stayed all day and Chad came back later for supper. We had a nice family day with all of our children present.

I am so grateful to still have my Mom with me and I love her very much. Family-the most important part of your life.