A Group Birthday Celebration

We had a small get-together here at the house this past weekend.  We had only nine people here but it seemed like a yard-full of people.  During the first six months of this pandemic, we missed six birthdays in the family.  Things in Vermont had settled down for a short bit as related to the virus so we made plans for a small gathering while keeping within recommended guidelines.  That was Saturday.

Since we exposed ourselves to each other again, we are now back to checking temperatures everyday again for two weeks though.  Both Sheila and I already had this virus but we don't believe that this will make us completely immune to future infection so we're trying to play it as safely as possible.  Of course, we don't want anyone else to get infected either.  The first five months of this year were miserable for me because of this virus and I don't have any desire to go through that again.  This virus wiped me out and I am still recovering.  (Perhaps I'll write more about that in another blog entry sometime soon...  if I can find the energy.)

So, we had a group birthday celebration this past Saturday.  The kids got to see the newly renovated playhouse and the adults got to see the newly finished outdoor kitchen.  The weather was quite nice, we had a fire, we had a barbeque and we had s'mores.  The yard was surrounded in flowers, our planters were colorful, our window boxes were colorful and the grass was a lush green.  It was a nice day!

I'll start the photos with a few from the playhouse...

Lukey and I played "Ring Toss" for a single game.  We both were terrible at it so this one game seemed to take forever!  For the most part, however, Lukey was kicking my butt...  

While Lukey and I were playing Ring Toss, a biplane flew overhead.  We both waved and the pilot clearly looked down and saw us waving.  He circled around one more time with a quick wing wag to say hello and give us another look at his biplane...  

This was Ellie's first visit into the playhouse.  She seemed a little uncertain at first... like maybe we put here in a people-aquarium...  but she warmed up to it quickly.  Before long, she was dancing and drawing on the blackboard...

Beginning to open birthday gifts...  

Lukey and Kenzie enjoy shooting photos with my cameras and, as they get older, they are getting better.  We're beginning to see more and more photos of Papa now!

Either Lukey or Kenzie shot this photo but I'm not sure which one of them...  it is a nice shot though!

The girls spent some time in the playhouse.  Actually, they spent a lot of time in the playhouse!

Ellie really seemed to enjoy drawing on the blackboard with the watercolor chalk....

Lukey helped to introduce Ellie to the world of sailing something which he enjoys quite a bit...  Lukey, Kenzie and Ellie spent a good deal of time playing on the sailboat...  

This one appears to be in Kenzie's style of shooting so I would guess she shot this one of Nan and Pop...  

I think Lukey shot this one of me enjoying some BBQ ribs...  although...  it does have that Kenzie intentional tilt to it...  

An ultra-wide angle lens (bordering on a fisheye lens) showing the backyard... 

Time for S'mores... 

This appears to be more like Lukey's style of shooting so I think the next two of the playhouse were shot by Lukey...  he really seemed to be taken by these watercolor images of local wildlife...  

Kenzie and Ellie opening some birthday gifts...

Lukey had asked for a train for his birthday.  He wasn't specific but I knew he didn't have a steam locomotive so I purchased one for him in his favorite road name...  Boston & Maine...  he appears excited!

Ellie received a princess dress to match Kenzie's...  

After presents were opened, Lukey and I went inside to run his new steam locomotive.  The sound seems to be working just fine and it runs very smoothly.  I'll need to spend a little bit of time programming the sound but everything was working as it should and Lukey seemed to like it...  I think his only complaint is that he was the only one indoors so he was playing with his trains by himself. 

"Wait... did Papa say the port side was left or right?"...

Nan and Pop again...  this time they are relaxing under the canopy...

Kenzie the photographer...  

Birthday cake time... 

Lukey seemed to spend a lot of time refreshing his memory on sailing.  It has been a couple of years since he has sailed so he was a little rusty on everything.  He asked me a few questions and then practiced, over and over...  

Kenzie has always been very reluctant to get into the sailboat when it is in the water.  When I asked Kenzie when she is finally going to go sailing with me she said, "I don't ever want to go sailing!"  

I laughed and told her, "You know...  you should be careful what you say...  I think you just jinxed yourself...  you do know that now that you said you will never go sailing, you will fall in love with a good-looking boy who happens to love sailing!"  She just smiled and I could see she was thinking about it.

Sue, Sheila and Will...  I think this is more in Lukey's style of shooting so he might have shot this photo but...  I'm not positive on this one because it could have been Kenzie without her usual tilt...  I'm going to guess that Lukey shot this one...  

PS:  I've since learned that Kenzie shot this one so she deserves the credit for this photo!  Nice shot!  Her shooting style is evolving...

Another two exceptionally rare photos of Papa.  Usually, I am behind the camera so you don't see me.  Lukey and Kenzie seemed to seek me out on this day...

This one was shot later in the evening shortly before my health crashed.  I made a quick exit to indoors, took a bunch of emergency medications...  eventually stabilized... then came back out to explain my dilemma to everyone and say goodnight...  then I passed out in bed.  

It was great seeing everyone again and we look forward to the next time we can get together!  I know I enjoyed the day and I'm seeing a lot of smiling faces in these photos!