Halloweeny Birthday with my Packer Loving Family!

I have had to live for 51 years of having my birthday be on Halloween.  Over the years, since childhood, my birthday gets overshadowed by the rush and flurry of having to get to Halloween parties, or getting the kids out the door to trick or treat, or stay at home and hand out candy.  But THIS year my birthday was on Monday... and we were able to clear Sunday from everyone's schedule. Besides.. it's a "bye" week for the Packers. (for you non-football folks, that means they don't play one weekend of the season)

All of our kids and grandkids came to our house for my special day... wow.. what fun!

Little wee grandkids came in their costumes:

Jameson is "Spiderman With the Big Muscles"  (HIS words) 

Allegra is Minnie Mouse

Chelsea is a Teddy Bear

They came to the door and called out "Trick or Treat" and got candy and gifts from aunties and uncles...

The whole family showered me with gifts and cards... I got special flavored coffee and cocoas and candy and spice racks, flannel jammies, but one gift was a real "stumper" ... Erin and Mark gave me a bag with an avocado, and a little tag with the number 16 1/2.... that was it.  HUH?  I was sooo dense, I didn't get it.  

I dug down further in the bag and found two ultrasound pictures.  HUH?  

I knew our daughterinlaw Heather is having a baby (due April 6) ... but why was ERIN giving me pics of an ultrasound?  hmmmmmmmm duh!!!!

Erin is bringing grandbaby number FIVE into the fold!!!   

Due on April 12, one week after Heather!!!!  

WHEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to explain the avocado thing----  when the girls were pregnant the first time around, we had all signed up onto a website that would give us weekly updates on the fetal growth and compare the size of the baby to a particular vegetable!  It starts with kidney bean.... and goes on up from there.  So at week 16 it's the size of an avocado, next week is a turnip... all goes all of the way to WATERMELON!  

We then changed our clothes into our favorite Packer Gear for Family Photos! 

You can guess who our favorite team is?

 We will be using these photos for our Xmas cards! 

Our son Dan and his wife Heather, and little Allegra 23 months

(and expecting their new one in April)

Daughter Erin and husband Mark, with little Chelsea 22 months 

(and expecting their new one in April)

Daughter Heather and her husband Jesse, 

and Jameson is the oldest grandchild at 3 years old 

Steveio took over the cooking duties and fired up our outdoor propane burner and put on a pot of water to steam up the 8 pounds of crab legs (gift from Erin) and started up the grill for the T-bone steaks!   Some don't care for crab legs... the more for the rest of us!   Add to that some salads, scalloped potatoes and extra hot dogs for the kiddos, we were all set for a feast! 

The little kids were all excited and concerned when that Granfaddah had a FIRE going out on the deck!!! OH NO.... HOT HOT HOT!   But he had it under control and eased their fears.  

We feasted and laughed and enjoyed the wonderful food.  We had a cheesecake for my birthday cake, and all the little ones sang me Happy Birthday and helped to blow out the candles! 

Yum... with four different flavors, everyone got to choose a favorite.  

The kids wanted all the glazed strawberry... 

The kids were romping around and started up a race-course round and round and round the chairs.  Well, I kinda helped get them started.  Soon they were pulling off their socks to get better traction on the ceramic tile portion of the race-course.  We totally enjoyed having three little bealers making "vroom vrooom" sounds in between their squeals of delight and shouts of joy.  Oh my, what wonderful sounds to this Granmuddah's ears!~ 

There was some cuddle time for Granfaddah with the little girls....   and the next moment all three monkeys were up to no good --- all standing on the couch, playing with a little set of wind chimes that hangs from the lamp.  A favorite past-time for all of them since they were babies old enough to reach up for it.  It was a THREE RING CIRCUS!

They finally settled down to read a favorite book... Jameson was *reading* their most favorite book to the littler ones.  It's called "Press Here" by Herve Tullet.
ISBN-10: 0811879542  or ISBN-13: 978-0811879545  


I got a copy for each of them and one copy just to keep at my house.   It's THAT GOOD!   A wonderful book that sparks the imagination and lets you believe that anything is possible, like tilting a book will make the dots on the page move, or blowing hard on a book will make the dark background on the page blow away like dust, and let the dots be bright again.   

Or clapping your hands louder and louder will make the dots grow bigger and bigger! 

Anything is possible when you believe..... 

and who would have believed that I would have made it to age 51, 

and have three wonderful little cherubs to hug,

and two more coming soon!!!????