Today, we celebrated Nick's eleventh birthday. Since he was four, we've been having his parties at the Red Barn at Tolt MacDonald park. It's a lot of work, but we've got a groove and it goes easier than it used to. When he was little, we set up booths for prizes, activities to keep the kids busy, party favors, and we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. It was all very complicated. These days, we leave the entertainment to Adrenaline Sports. They set up a complicated laser tag course and planned a variety of games, even slowing things down when it got too hot in the afternoon. We didn't plan party favors. The laser tag was the party favor.
We also set things up so that we can cook the day before and put the food out and leave it for people to serve themselves. We still have a lot to bring over, but it goes easier if I work from the list I keep on my computer from year to year. Why make a new list every year?
The thing is that we weren't sure we had enough energy for the party at the Red Barn this year. We put it off, hoping that Nick would agree to an easy party at the trampolines at Sky High. He would have, except it really wasn't what he wanted. He likes the family-style party, parents, little sisters, big brothers. He likes being able to invite 25 of his closest friends. We like that too. It's actually a very casual party once we get everything set up. So we ended up at the Red Barn yet again.
This year, we were stuck in a Thursday afternoon slot because we were so late making the reservations. Fewer parents stayed to play, so I had a TON of meatballs leftover and more Hoagy rolls than I knew what to do with. I managed to give away some and freeze the rest. Thankfully, we have friends in from out of town and they agreed to eat some meatballs in the next couple of days.
But the good news was that we all had fun. Most of Nick's friends came and played hard, ate meatball subs, ate cake, and didn't want to go home. We found a geocache and got two girls wanting to find another.
My favorite part was at the end, when a bunch of us walked over the bridge to where they had watched Mike and I get married nineteen years ago. These friends from out of town are our oldest friends. Only their kids have changed since we saw them last. It was a sweet memory to go to the Eagle Scout altar, where we had held our ceremony. Then we walked to the shelter where we had our reception. It had been rebuilt and looked like a beautiful place to serve food and have a band.
We had hired a bluegrass band and they had played all day, providing background music for us. Every time I walk in that park, especially when I cross the swaying bridge, I think, "We got married here." Sometimes I say it out loud, especially to Mike or Nick. As if they didn't know. Today, I didn't say it out loud, but thought it as I remembered how I walked between rows of rented chairs to where Mike stood waiting for me with the justice of the peace. We've come a long way together. It's nice to have some friends here to have seen that.
Thank you for listening, jb
We also set things up so that we can cook the day before and put the food out and leave it for people to serve themselves. We still have a lot to bring over, but it goes easier if I work from the list I keep on my computer from year to year. Why make a new list every year?
The thing is that we weren't sure we had enough energy for the party at the Red Barn this year. We put it off, hoping that Nick would agree to an easy party at the trampolines at Sky High. He would have, except it really wasn't what he wanted. He likes the family-style party, parents, little sisters, big brothers. He likes being able to invite 25 of his closest friends. We like that too. It's actually a very casual party once we get everything set up. So we ended up at the Red Barn yet again.
This year, we were stuck in a Thursday afternoon slot because we were so late making the reservations. Fewer parents stayed to play, so I had a TON of meatballs leftover and more Hoagy rolls than I knew what to do with. I managed to give away some and freeze the rest. Thankfully, we have friends in from out of town and they agreed to eat some meatballs in the next couple of days.
But the good news was that we all had fun. Most of Nick's friends came and played hard, ate meatball subs, ate cake, and didn't want to go home. We found a geocache and got two girls wanting to find another.
My favorite part was at the end, when a bunch of us walked over the bridge to where they had watched Mike and I get married nineteen years ago. These friends from out of town are our oldest friends. Only their kids have changed since we saw them last. It was a sweet memory to go to the Eagle Scout altar, where we had held our ceremony. Then we walked to the shelter where we had our reception. It had been rebuilt and looked like a beautiful place to serve food and have a band.
We had hired a bluegrass band and they had played all day, providing background music for us. Every time I walk in that park, especially when I cross the swaying bridge, I think, "We got married here." Sometimes I say it out loud, especially to Mike or Nick. As if they didn't know. Today, I didn't say it out loud, but thought it as I remembered how I walked between rows of rented chairs to where Mike stood waiting for me with the justice of the peace. We've come a long way together. It's nice to have some friends here to have seen that.
Thank you for listening, jb
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