Jan. 14, 2007 - 21:14 MST

BUMPER TO BUMPER

We celebrate Fourth of July and many of our birthdays through the year, of course. But this time of year is special to our family, those of us who can get together.

Big gathering for Thanksgiving, then Christmas the same, middle daughter's birthday on December 28, New Years around the TV watching football and visiting. Then the almost main event, a triple birthday party.

Wife Heather's birthday is January 15, as one of our grandson's, also one of our great grandchildren was born on 15 January too.

I have coffee, a banana and an old man's prescription pills this morning. I know better than to eat lunch.

Our family began to gather around 3:30 PM and began to swell to bursting about 4:00 PM or so. There was much good natured visiting and teasing of the little kids. Soon dinner was on the table and the visiting continued between forkfuls.

Then a moratorium was declared on eating and we went back to full time visiting and remembering.

All this time I was taking photos which I will e-mail our daughter in Eugene, Oregon, so that she can take part from a distance.

The presents were assembled and passed out to the receivers, oohing and aahing took place. There wasn't a huge amount of them but it did take time to unwrap and moon over them. Eventually they were stowed away by the individual receivers and the grand parade of birthday cakes took place.

That was one, and then:

The second one. Then came the third one with Heather proudly displaying it, her face a picture of happiness:

Then the placing and lighting of candles, the gale of candle extinguishing and the "birthday song," in the part where a name should go, I sang "everybody," why not ?

It was a super grand day for us, very enjoyable, much more so than several years ago when the party was populated with a bunch of littles, screaming, wriggling and running wild making the most awful noise, creating a mind numbing feeling. That was then, we got over it and in retrospect and peace enjoyed it. Today the littles are in early teen age, calmed down a bit and it was super grand.

I know not why I should be so lucky, but it was wonderful for me to witness grandma Heather midst grandchildren and children who were doing their best to see that she had a good time.

It was interesting to see that great granddaughter got one of those fancy archery bows, one of those with pulleys and stuff, state-of-the-art powerful thingy. I didn't even know she was interested in that stuff, but she was delighted. She got plenty of girly stuff as well.

Our family treat Heather and I so well. About two inches of snow fell last night, below zero weather too. Our son-in-law came after us and took us to their house, and on the return he went out and warmed up his truck to bring us back.

Seems to me as if our New Year begins right after the combination birthday party BUMPER TO BUMPER . . . . . . . . . . .

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