We had a good crowd and a lot of delicious food. Katy and Travis came and brought Our Little Princesses. Bylinda's youngest son, Zack, came and brought his two children, McKinzey and Connor. Our good friends Helen and Dan Flores and their son, Danny, came too. Mack barbecued brisket and chicken. Bylinda made her world famous macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and homemade barbecue sauce. Katy made guacamole. Helen brought a lemon cake with seven-minute frosting, along with brownies and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. I took spinach dip and Granny's oatmeal cookies. Everyone had plenty to eat.
It was a gorgeous day to spend in the country. The Princesses ran all over the yard. The women sat on the back patio and watched them play while we caught up on all the latest.
A trip to the country gave Our Little Princesses a close-up view of nature which Princess E found really fascinating. There were two walking sticks on one of the patio chairs. They appeared to be "doing what comes naturally." But, while she was interested in these odd-looking creatures, she didn't ask what they were doing and we didn't enlighten her. There were butterflies everywhere. When she walked out into the yard, there were so many that they would rise up in a cloud. She tried her hardest to catch one and eventually cried in disappointment when she did not succeed in holding one in her hand.
When the neighbor's dogs saw that there was a crowd, they came over to visit. This delighted Princess J, who loves puppies more than anything else. They were very sweet and playful.
The girls and Grandad really enjoyed being outdoors outside all afternoon. With Grandad's help they checked out the bird feeders; they checked out the shooting range; they climbed on the wishing well; and they lounged on the porch steps.
Aunt B made new outfits for the Princesses. They liked them so much that they wore them the rest of the day.
After dinner, Kay opened her presents while we all watched.
We did some arts and crafts with the kids and just generally hung out together for the rest of the day.
It was good to spend some quality family time. It's been a long time since we all got together.
