... celebrating dads ...
... and a very dear son!
So today we celebrated, not only Father's Day, but also Bookworm's upcoming 17th birthday! Unsurprisingly, I took a bajillion pictures so I have many to share with you all - though a few were actually taken by my father-in-law on his *beautiful* new Nikon. I bet you can spot the difference. ;D
So, ready to roll?
We were very fortunate that the day was not only sunny, but cool. Or at least, not at all hot. To encourage outdoor seating, we set up our canopy in the yard, with a table and chairs underneath. It felt a little bit Emma. :)
(Just a wee bit ... there was no tea service or archery.)
But I must give credit where credit's due ... Crackerjack did the hydrangeas in the pitcher. And Bookworm brought these pink spirea blooms in for my favorite little vases ...
:)
As guests arrived, the front window filled with gifts ...
And Earlybird was all smiles ...
While Bill got the grill ready ...
And I set things up inside ...
My mum made the cake, by Bookworm's request: a yellow cake with chocolate fudge frosting.
And I made a grasshopper pie, my dad's favorite ...
(This was a new recipe for me - I crossed my fingers it tasted OK!)
After some cocktails and appetizers, the main meal was ready ...
We did kabobs - both chicken and beef. On the beef, I used a homemade garlic-rosemary oil blend, while the chicken was marinated in a store-bought sauce called "Texas Turbano." This was a bourbon-molasses style marinade.
After the meal, it was time to open gifts!
Here I am with the older two boys ...
And here's my Bill opening his gifts.
Earlybird found a front row seat on Papa's lap. :)
Everyone gathered 'round while the men of the day opened cards and presents ...
And then there was cake!
(Earlybird always makes himself scarce during cake-time .. even though we assure him there will be NO singing. He won't take any chances!)
Bookworm got many nice, thoughtful gifts but I think he was especially touched by the "Luigi" statue his brother Crackerjack made for him.
Here we have Papa, checking on his races ...
And here's my mum ...
I really love this picture of her!
The boys made all their cards, so in this picture, CJ is "explaining" his verse to Daddy.
This is my sister-in-law Ami and her boyfriend, Eric. It's always a pleasure to spend time with them. :)
Eric actually brought our cats some fresh catnip ...
They were quite enthralled.
At the end of the day, after our guests went home, we just relaxed and hung out. I like this shot because it has all my guys (save for Ollie) ...
I think it was a very nice day had by all. :)
I hope, dear readers, that you too had a nice day ... and I wish all the dads out there a very Happy Father's Day. Especially my own dad, Bill's dad, and my dear husband himself ... I am so very blessed to have all these great men in my life. Their love and support mean so much!
❤
Have a great night, everyone ... I'll see you here again very soon!
