90 Years Young

This past May, my dear maternal grandmother turned 90 years young. To celebrate this milestone, my family gathered in Brainard, Nebraska for a party over Memorial Day weekend. I know my mom was stressed about the details, but we pulled off the surprise, and the guest of honor was visibly moved. In fact, when she saw her children, grandchildren, and (most of) her great-grandchildren all gathered in one place, Grandma said that if felt like she'd "died and gone to heaven."

I only have seven first cousins. However, since my dad was an only child and my mom only has one brother, that means that all seven are siblings. I have so many fond memories of playing with "the cousins" on holidays and in the summer. Even though we didn't get to see each other often, when we did get together, it was as if no time had passed.

The same is true today. Everyone has grown up and scattered a bit (me most of all, I suppose), meaning that it is rare that we are all in the same place at the same time. In fact, I can't remember the last time all ten of us were together. So, it was very special that we all were able to be present to celebrate Grandma.

Jon, the girls, and I arrived in Nebraska the night before. We told Grandma we were coming to town because Jon had an Army course in the Midwest. This was true, but we didn't tell her that the real reason we were there was her party. It only required a small amount of sneaking around to get the cake and roses to the cafe the following day and a bit more coaxing to get Grandma there for lunch. But we did, and what a special moment it was to join the chorus of "Happy Birthday!"

It was a relatively laid-back affair, but prior to our buffet of broasted chicken (still not totally sure what that means), all of the great-grandchildren in attendance presented the Birthday Girl with a rose. The result was a beautiful bouquet...and admittedly a few tears.

When you're 90, you get two cakes

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating, drinking, playing (lots of shuffleboard), and catching up. Probably my favorite moment was when the cousins skipped out to re-create the infamous "stair photo" that hangs, appropriately enough, above the stairs in Grandma's house. The last time we took one of these pictures featuring the ten of us lined up according to age was 1995, so needless to say, some things had changed.   

Obviously that was not the only photo taken throughout the day. Jon was the unofficial group photographer and snapped lots of great shots. We even managed to get a giant group photo, which was no small feat. As we were organizing this photo, someone made the comment to Grandma that she was responsible for every person surrounding her: kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. What a legacy. Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma! We love you!

Elsa is FIVE!

Five...there is just something so significant about that age. Perhaps it is the fact that when asked how old she is, Elsa can now proudly display her entire hand. More likely, however, is that five means that kindergarten now beckons from the not-so-distant future. Whatever the reason, there was great excitement from everyone surrounding this birthday.

Elsa spent the past year in pretty much the same fashion as the year before with school, ballet, and playdates rounding out her schedule. That said, she has grown up tremendously...but in a sneaky way. It wasn't until I looked at pictures from a year ago that I realized Toddler/Preschooler Elsa has morphed into a full-on kid, right before our very eyes. Her hair is longer, yes, and she is taller of course, but she has also added some impressive skills to her repertoire, including sounding out words and riding a bike without training wheels, both of which she does with an endearing confidence.

Some things haven't changed, however, one of those being her love for all things birthday. For months, Elsa had been planning the festivities. This year's stipulations included a pink and purple butterfly cake for a butterfly birthday party. Fortunately, my homemade version of the cake was acceptable, and wearing butterfly wings with a butterfly shirt and skirt combo was enough to fulfill the theme.

A labor of love...just don't look too closely

Due to our schedules, we planned to have the requisite birthday party at the park the Sunday prior to Elsa's actual birthday. This was fine...except we spent the evening before in the ER with Lena, who had broken her collarbone on a canoe trip. (Side note: we made it almost five years without a visit to the ER, which is not too shabby.) Needless to say, it was a late night/early morning making final party preparations, but everything went off without a hitch, and the birthday girl (and her bandaged little sister) had a great time.

We had a few days to recover before the official day, and we did our best to celebrate with all of the Birthday Girl's favorites. May 10th fell on a Thursday this year, which meant that the festivities began early. Jon had to travel in the afternoon, so he took the morning off of work and was there to wake up Elsa, and more importantly, make her scrambled eggs for breakfast.

The entire crew escorted Elsa to school, where her class serenaded her with "Happy Birthday." Special occasion rules dictated that we pick her up early, and the guest of honor selected Railgarten for lunch. For those outside of Memphis, Railgarten is a restaurant/bar/ice cream parlor/playground/concert venue within walking distance from our house. It's awesome, and we promise to take you there if when you come visit. Elsa was more interested in swinging and climbing trees than eating, but when it's your birthday, you can do what you want.

Hot and sweaty, we returned home to open presents (Elsa), take a nap (Lena), and pack (Jon). After dropping Jon off at the airport, Elsa participated in the mandatory sheep photo shoot. I swear, that thing keeps shrinking; it gets smaller and smaller every year.

Yes, I know this is a more zoomed in photo, but still!

As the Birthday Girl and her sister were too busy playing at lunch, their left-overs provided dinner, which we ate picnic-style while watching a movie, per request. We rounded out the evening with more cake and a final rendition of "Happy Birthday." 

Elsa received many books for her birthday--thank you, family!--but the one we chose to read before bed was Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!, the final selection from Books from Birth. Quite possibly the best thing about Tennessee is that every child is eligible to receive one book per month through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. As this was the last book, there was a brief note from Dolly to the "graduate." As I read it, I was surprised at how emotional I got. Up until that moment, I was completely wrapped up in the excitement of all things birthday, but then I suddenly got choked up at the realization that my baby is FIVE (again, not sure why that is such a big deal...but it is!).

No doubt the year ahead will be an adventure, but for now, we'll continue to bask in the birthday glow. Happy 5th Birthday, Elsa!