A 90th Birthday Party

Well, what a winter it has been.  And not because of weather.  There was the pneumonia in December and the government shutdown in January.  Then in February all hell broke loose.  My brother had a heart attack that resulted in quadruple bypass surgery.  The day after he got home from the hospital, my mother fell in the bathroom and fractured her femur, resulting in a hip replacement and a stint in rehab.  Good grief.

I was beginning to feel as though I should hide behind a tree, as well

I had been planning to visit for my mother’s 90th birthday on March 11.  My nephew was also looking to celebrate her birthday, persuaded my niece to come from New York City, and enlisted his mother in acquiring and making food.  He brought his family down to central Illinois from north of Milwaukee.

I flew in on a Friday and Mom wasn’t out of the rehab center yet, but that allowed me to go spring her along with my niece.  I had thought we’d get her out in time to settle in a bit, but the party was already starting when we brought her home.

Vicky really laid on the luncheon.

There is always something interesting on the fridge.

It lasted into the evening and then started again at breakfast on Sunday.

Mom, with her grandson and youngest great grandchild.

We had not all been together at once as a family in quite some time. And for some of the newer family members, we had not been together ever.  It was nice to catch up with my nephew’s wife Beth, and she and Elisa were catching up as well, with a blur of children around them.

My mother was surrounded by great grandchildren for the opening of her gifts.

And she got to enjoy having all of us around including some of the youngest members of the family.

My brother was looking pretty darn happy to have all those grandkids running around, too.

Some of the grandkids felt others had taken their chairs.

Elisa did a lot of communing with her nieces.

There was multi-tasking, and

we did manage to take one big family picture because Elisa knew how to use the timer on my iPad.

The food was fabulous, and of course, there was enough to nosh on for a couple days.  We’re hoping we can get together like this again, but maybe without health issues preceding it.

I’m itching to get into the garden.  It was a lovely day today and I had lunch with my friend Paul, then we went to Dumbarton Oaks.  The snowdrops were out, but not the flowering quince, though it’s budding.  The Yoshino cherries look to be about two weeks away. Spring will come, and more family visits, as well as gardening.