It was a great weekend.
Darian and Jared came home Friday night and we celebrated Darian's birthday with chicken pot pie (minus chicken plus "vegetarian" chicken) and cheesecake (a "cheater' recipe that doesn't have a lick of cream cheese) with strawberries. And since, of course, I forgot to buy candles--and I threw away the #8 candle I used on Savana's cake...well, we happened upon a little fake candle that has this tiny flickering light and operates on a battery. But it was fun and we took lots of pictures and laughed a lot and just enjoyed the fact that Darian turned 20 and she was home and Jare was home and we were all gathered around the table together.
Sunday was Roy's birthday and so I made a Dutch apple pie that really was as good as the reviews said. Roy bar-b-qued burgers and I made potato salad that always reminds me of my Aunt Lois as it's her recipe and it's, at least to us, the best potato salad ever. We were going to take the whole clan out to a movie as the grand finale but...everybody between the ages of 19-22 had to study and so Roy and I opted for Walmart instead. We rarely shop Walmart these days but...there are some things that one can purchase there that are so much cheaper than Food Lion. So off we went for a birthday celebration a.k.a. grocery shopping. But it was genuinely fun and relaxed and it took us an unusually long time.
By the time we finally pulled into the driveway, Drew was at the house as he'd come over with Guerin and so they helped us haul everything in one load. Shortly thereafter, Darian and Jared loaded up and away they went, waving until they drove around the bend.
I hate it when they leave, Mom, Jace said. But he wouldn't have had to say a word because his face said it all.
Last night, just before Darian left I was sitting on the living room floor folding clothes and I looked up at Darian who was standing next to me and said, "Next year? We are simplifying birthdays. I think we'll just combine all three into one celebration."
She laughed. "Right, Mom. I was just telling Rachell how you always say we're going to simplify and we never do. Next year won't be any different."
And she's probably right.
And that's okay...because soon enough, all of these birthday celebrations will just be memories, pictures in a "birthdays" album on my computer. Before too long these girls are going to fly the coop, leaving me picking up the phone for a birthday conversation and saying I'm so sorry I didn't mail a card! as mailing cards is definitely not my strong point despite my good intentions. And then I'll smile at Roy and say Remember when we had to cram all of those birthday celebrations together? Gosh those were fun days...
And so, most likely I'll continue the tradition, one year at a time, for as long as I can, until time does its thing and leaves me smiling wistfully...Those were the days.
And most likely? I won't have to say a word because my face will say it all.
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