Milestones
We reach milestones during our lifetime...some quickly, some slowly, some out of our control. Birthdays bring milestones of a different measure. First birthday, terrible twos, school age, teenage, voting age, drinking age, 30's, etc, etc. Recently we had the pleasure of celebrating milestones with three of our four parents. A couple of years ago, my mom put together a surprise 60th party for my dad. All three of us kids came home and celebrated with him and his many friends and family members. This year, we surprised Tim's parents with a little smaller celebration with immediate family for their 70th birthdays. (They are within almost a month of each other, but Jeanette gets to hold the title of being older for a few weeks.) My mom and dad were here over the weekend, so we took advantage of celebrating her 60th birthday which is actually tomorrow.
I love birthdays. Not so much the presents or parties, but the cause for special celebration, no matter the age. I think it is fun to make someone feel special and wish that for my own extended family that I would do a better job celebrating those birthdays that aren't necessarily milestone birthdays. We say we like to extend the celebration beyond the actual day, but that developed because I'm always late with my birthday greetings. :)
Whatever the occasion, if it can be celebrated with family, it is all the sweeter.
I love birthdays. Not so much the presents or parties, but the cause for special celebration, no matter the age. I think it is fun to make someone feel special and wish that for my own extended family that I would do a better job celebrating those birthdays that aren't necessarily milestone birthdays. We say we like to extend the celebration beyond the actual day, but that developed because I'm always late with my birthday greetings. :)
Whatever the occasion, if it can be celebrated with family, it is all the sweeter.
My dad being "roasted" on his 60th b-day...
...and then just chillin' with family at home afterward.
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Doing what we do best when the Andreasen family gathers...eat! Birthday Pie instead of birthday cake. Mmmm...my mom's chocolate pie recipe and a never-before-tried coconut cream pie recipe that was a TOTAL hit and definitely a keeper!  Seventy years young!  Birthday treats..."Grandma A" loves popcorn, so she gets spoiled like this. :) |
All because two people fell in love...
Celebrating at the dining table. I've always wanted a table that will be in our family for years and years to come, that my own grandchildren will remember celebrating at. (I've never thought it was going to be THIS table, but it sure has seen it's share of celebrations!)
Hallmark has nothing on us!
Cowboy cupcakes for Cowboy Grandma. OK, so they're not my best work, but at least everyone could guess that it was a horse eating hay and a bunch of cowboy hats. My mom helped me redeem myself and we had so much fun later using the leftovers to create these:
My new favorite "any-occasion" cupcake!! Super cute and super easy! I think they're my mom's new favorite too. And with a few more leftover pieces and some more creativity, we created...
THIS! Ha ha ha ha ha! How gross is that? Perfect nasty, ugly monster cupcake. That's a smashed giant gumdrop for his tongue. So ugly, it distorted the auto focus on my camera. :)
And the end of the weekend brought Grandparents out for a football game. Grandma A with Jakob after the game. (Grandpa A has a nasty little virus keeping him home.)
Usually people drive all the way across the state for a Husker game...maybe in a few years? We're just glad they could be here to watch Lincoln Midget for now! Celebrating a birthday, creating wacky cupcakes, watching a football game...
...just making family memories even bigger and better! We love our kids' grandparents.
