we like to party party...

This was a weekend of parties...birthday parties...young and older...elder...getting on with age...how to say it nicer...hmmm...it was so packed with parties, we had to miss one and i was so bummed about it (sorry hank...we will make it up to you...hopefully soon?) we went to my nephew Jakob (Buddy)'s birthday on saturday - his nerf gun war party. this consisted of a bunch of 8 and 9 year old boys shooting nerf guns at each other and apparantly trying to get a flag? at some point the flag ceased to matter and it became ultimately more important to shoot at each other instead. buddy was so sweet to bryson - he even picked him to be on his team - or as Big Jake stated, "I love how Buddy chose Bryson over his sister - hmmm who do i pick - a 3 year old who will be absolutely no help to our team, or my sister....Bryson you're in!" Bryson brought his double barrel shotgun, which turned out to be a disadvantage re-loading since apparantly nerf guns are now automatic weapons. it made me feel sorely outdated for my son. i am sure he will recover - at any rate i was over it before it began so if that helps him any...good.

My Aunt Corrine's surprise b-day was on Sunday - she had the best reaction i have ever seen at a surprise party...true surprise...and some tears - she thought she was going to dinner at my dad and julie's and instead showed up at their clubhouse to 80 people - friends, family, co-workers all there to celebrate her. it was good to see our family too - who are getting more and more spread out all over the country unfortunately. it is rather odd to go from living/growing up next door and down the street from relatives to only seeing some of them once maybe twice a year. i have such great cousins and am really fortunate to have such a close family - we all truly enjoy each other's company and i find that to be rare these days. to actually delight in your family. (By the way - the pic of my dad and my uncle darrol and uncle jeff is them doing "the carlee" - i thought uncle jeff -far left- nailed it!)

we spent the night at my dad's and bryan played golf today with my dad and his friend mike. i was watching a special on Martin Luther King, Jr and was realizing that less than 50 years ago our nation had a much different atmosphere of tolerance. i realized that bryan and i would not have it so easy...that bryan probably wouldn't exist...that bryan definitely would not be golfing on a gated members only golf course with a white middle aged man...golfing anyway...maybe caddy-ing...maybe. i take it for granted...call it progress, but today i was truly thankful for martin luther king, jr and those that have come before him and after him to help change our cultural thinking - we are achieving his dream and we still have a ways to go, but what an amazing time this is as far as our nation's attitude is concerned...that our nation's first african-american president is starting his term tomorrow. thanks MLK!