Porch Party

My family likes to have get-togethers. That could be an understatement. My sister Janet and her family have a perfect place for a cook-out (whether she agrees–especially after the clean-up–is another story!). She has a nice big yard with a fabulous view (she’s hosted 2 weddings there), a back yard with a trampoline, and best of all, a wide wrap-a-round porch that is an inviting backdrop for these gatherings.

So yesterday, 47 of us gathered on her porch, in her yard, and in the house to celebrate the May birthdays, which are a few: Daisy, Grant, Big Jesse, Little Jesse, Janet, Ruth, April, and one of April’s girls, Ella–and maybe a few others I have missed. There were many, many children there, and there were a few tense minutes when Jayden and Tanner went missing but were found safely with some other adults. With woods and a nearby pond, it could be easy for a little one to slip away!

The children mostly entertained themselves with the trampoline, bubbles, and balls, and did it rather peacefully considering how many there were. Almost every adult brought some sort of bubble contraption for the little ones. (Note to parents: sword bubbles are more attractive as a sword than what is in the sword.) By late afternoon, all Janet had to do was pour some water onto the porch and mop it with plenty of soap from all of the spilled bubbles. 

The trampoline required division of the sizes and ages. No older children with the little ones, and I was assigned the task of getting Daisy off of the trampoline. The trampoline has magic powers; it can trap a child there for hours. Even when the parent has declared she wants to go home, the trampoline turns into a huge magnetic field for the children!

The food was perfect of course: grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, and trimmings, deviled eggs, baked beans, chips, fruit salad, birthday cake, cheesecake, cow paties, cupcakes, and more I can’t think of.

We usually do a porch picture, which amounts to everyone posing on the wide porch steps, and I think it was discussed, but the round-up would have been nearly impossible. I don’t think we’ve ever had that many at a cook-out.  Lots of cameras digitalized the memories, however.

There was a plethora of gifts, and I wish I had noted more of their contents. There was a victorian costume and a poop/pee doll for Daisy, a scrapbook and a sheep picture for Janet, blocks for baby Jesse, and much more I missed!

There are those we missed: Jerry; Jeff and his family; Judy’s boys and their families; Aaron; Chris; Clark and Jessica; Kerry; Stephen; and of course Mom and Dad, who would have loved the chaos!

The youngest was 5-month old Charlotte, and the oldest was 76-year-old Betty.  There were 7 grandmothers, 2 of which are great-grandmothers; 5 grandfathers, 1 of which was a great; 1 great-great aunt; and many great aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins!

May the get-togethers never end!