Birthday weekend - April 28th

I am way behind on my blogging partly because blogger and I have not gotten along and partly because of the utter chaos of the past couple of weeks!  My birthday weekend started on Friday night when I had a fabulous group of women over to my house to enjoy some good food, wine, and friendship.  Despite children breaking down, clutching on to them, and even pulling their hair as they left to come over, everyone still made it!  We talked about the usual things... what camp our kids are going to this summer,  our mama bear instinct coming out when our kids are hurt, our own experiences in our youth.  Except, it was a LOT funnier than it all sounds written above.  I mean, A LOT!!  These wonderful women stayed until midnight just to sing "Happy Birthday" to me!  While the gathering wasn't meant as a birthday celebration, they stayed up past their bedtime to do something special. I went to bed utterly content and happy!

We got up early the next morning to walk with our friend Alyssa and support her fight with cancer.  It was overcast when we got there but cleared up for the walk and dancing and then started to rain again.  A lot of money was raised and a lot of love was felt.  There was a balloon release in remembrance of children who have lost their battle.  Always an emotional event, even more so when you are close with someone who is fighting the fight now.  Alyssa and Sierra are in the same class and Alyssa's sister, Lexie, and my Laurel are the same age, so it makes for an awesome time when they are all together... a playmate for everyone (they all adore Cadence and want to play with her).  After the walk the girls all enjoyed dancing on stage and just being silly!

Alyssa wanted her head painted blue before the walk

The balloon release

Alyssa on stage with the other warriors

Leading the walk

Sierra helped Alyssa part of the way

But this... this is why we do it!

Laurel and Lexie

Doing the Macarena

With some help from Lynn, Alyssa's mom!

Impromptu congo line

In the hustle and bustle of trying to leave in the rain we invited Alyssa and her family to come over for dinner that night.  It was just a small birthday celebration for Cadence and me.  The girls then talked us in to letting Sierra and Laurel go home with Alyssa and Lexie for the day and then just come home when they all came for dinner that night.  A morning walk turned into a 12 hour playdate!  That evening my parents, Brad's parents, the Hennings, and the Divers all came over.  Things were fairly calm for a house with 8 kids and 10 adults when poor Will got sick.  Bummer to have a puking kid.  Double bummer to have a puking kid around a neutropenic kid.  Unfortunately the Hennings had to make a quick exit after that.  These things are bound to happen sometimes.  The Diver and Williams girls spent the evening dancing some more and just having fun.  Cadence and I opened some gifts, we all ate cake and kept the kids up past bedtime. 

It was a wonderful birthday weekend and I still had Cadence's birthday to gear up for!

Cadence practicing her sorority girl photo pose

Yummy... Chandler's cake!

Make a wish!

 I know what mine was (it's almost always the same!)

I think Cadence wished for M&M's!