18 {and 3 months}

You can always tell when I'm not feeling well - I don't post for months. There is a story behind it, so I tell it later, but the short of it is that Justin was cheated out of a timely celebration of his birthday.

Normally, his birthday is a difficult one since its near the end of all the sports seasons, end of the school year, Memorial Day weekend, beginning of summer. You just can't pick a day where someone can't come. You might now believe this, but it has happened where his birthday has been celebrated after his birthday, quite after. Before this year, the latest celebration was in June.

When we break records, we go big.

Really, we could have gone longer, but Emma's birthday was coming up and we knew we had to celebrate Justin's birthday before Emma's came around. I mean, really. If Emma had only been born later in the year, we could have kept on going in a procrastinators dream...

...but I digress.

We brought in pizza and salads for an easy dinner.

The pizza was delish

We watched Justin open his presents

And teased him mercilessly about some of his gifts

I mean, really, how could we not?

We had cakepops {handmade by Jill} and ice cream with sundae toppings.

And we sang Happy Birthday before we were really prepared with candles, but we improvised.

Its birthdays and holidays that remind me why I love living near family!

Zella and Emma

Jill and Charlie

A very serious birthday boy

Grammy and Pappy

Grammy is not shocked - she is just trying to keep her eyes opened this picture. At least she isn't counting with me...

Grams and Paul

I will now have Keith take their picture from here on out - does it look better than when they have to look down at me!

Leah and Emma.

We've really set the bar high this year. Next year, we'll have to wait until the week before Emma's birthday to celebrate Justin's if we want to top this year. We'll have to work extra hard next year to achieve our goals, but, as they say, nothing worth doing is easy.

Why is a birthday cake the only food you can blow on and spit on
and everybody rushes to get a piece?
~ Bobby Kelton