Can it really be true?

Three other big events have happened in the last couple of weeks, amid the happy pumpkin patching and trick or treating (each deserves a blog post on its own - and will).  The first - and happy occasions -  (tinged with a sweet melancholy for this mama) - my oldest babies turned 16 and 18. Can it really be true???

I couldn't be more proud of the two of them. They make parenting teens look easy. (Truthfully, it has not been easy - parenting just isn't -  a lot of time, love, nurturing, holding on and letting go, and prayer, and God's grace, have made them the wonderful teenagers that they are). Thank you Lord for entrusting these two precious people to John and I. They make me smile and teary...if you know me, I get teary a lot...it's what I do...

Drew's b'day was first and we had all his favorite foods, John made him a really cool guitar speaker, and he got lots of money from family that went toward an amazing vintage guitar. We took the whole family out to an old favorite (a place that, since our family has grown, we don't get to go to these days). Sakura is a "fancy cooking" place (that was what Drew called it way back when he was a toddler - the name has kinda stuck with our family). We took along his girl-friend and our family took up a whole table. It was so fun. It's been years since we have been (the little girls had never been) and the cool thing is that everyone likes the food now! There were years before when the kids only ate the chicken, or one kid only ate white rice. Luckily for us, the little girls split a dish, so did Kate and Zoe. It was totally fun - and no one but John and Kate caught the tossed shrimps!

 Both Drew and Kate decided on a shared party. So cool. Many years ago they shared a few b'day parties. So sweet that they are such good friends that they want to share again at this age. Truthfully, they have many of the same friends. So we picked a night between their birthdays and went for it. They decorated the back yard (you can see the lights on the back porch through the window) with little lights and chairs all around our NEW FIRE PIT!! (more about that later). Here's the set up before everyone got here. There is a large cake on the table (hard to see). The kids (about 25-30) hung out around the food, out at the fire pit, down in our basement with the music, and surprisingly, in our family room playing Just Dance on the x-box. Hilarious game...Have I mentioned that I just love their friends? They all had a great time and we were all partied out and cleaned up by midnight. Good times...Happy Birthday guys!

The invisible man??

Singing "Happy Birthday" outside

I realized as I wrote this post that I never got a clear birthday photo of Kate. We had the cake outside and all my pictures from the cake and firepit s'mores-making didn't come out so well - too dark. Her birthday gifts were the freedom and supplies to redecorate her entire room - I think I will need to do a post to show her amazing decorating skills.  She got a pilates class (which started earlier this semester), some other fun things too, and money :) We also shared a yummy Chinese meal with her - a buffet that we all love! Here is a photo from this past summer that shows Kate's beauty and funny spirit. Love this girl...