The Birthday Girl.........Part 2

We thought we would show some photos of Benay's recent birthday. Somehow we allowed her to stretch it out for a few days. We didn't mind and she didn't seem to mind either.

We didn't surprise her like we did last year. We decided to do something a little smaller. We told her to invite some of her closest friends for a little churrasco (Brasilian bar-b-que)on the night before her birthday. We wanted her to just relax with some buddies.

We cooked and enjoyed lots of meat.................enjoyed fellowship.................goofed around (this is Lauro pretending, at Anderson's request, to kick an imaginary soccer ball while Anderson pretended to block it............Lauro is a big kid and our kids love him).................and celebrated another year of life (okay, so she isn't 50 but it's always fun to pick on her).The next morning we had house church. Benay was blessed to have everyone put their hands on her as Leni prayed a prayer just for Benay.

Here is Camila with Carys after house church.
Giovanni and Jorge (Leni's son).
We then told Benay to pick where she wanted to eat. She picked Applebee's. It's brand new and she was in the mood for something American but not meat after stuffing ourselves with a bar-b-que the night before. So what did she order? A hamburger.

We even got to embarrass her with the servers singing happy birthday to her and giving her a piece of cake.Anderson seemed to like that part the best.We came home and every kid gave her a present.

With a family so big and with kids wanting to savor every minute of present giving it can get a little tedious for the younger guys, especially when they have already given their presents. Some invent things to do because they can't sit still........


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
......while others just chill.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Anderson actually shopped at "Ansley's drawer store" where he raided, with Ansley's permission, Ansley's drawer. So, Benay's present from Anderson consisted of some old chapstick, a big acorn-type seed, a "jewel", some lotion, used lipstick, and a homemade key chain.She loved everything. Our kids always bless us on our birthdays.
Later she got her annual "happy birthday song" attempt from my dad who called her. It's not a pretty thing. I think I heard the dogs howling all the way from Memphis. She has been "blessed"(cough, cough) with this tradition since she came into our family.
The next morning Ansley and Carys got up to make Benay a special breakfast of blueberry pancakes. All of our girls are good cooks. They get that gift from their mom.

She had a great birthday and it was fun to honor the person who does so much and means so much to our family.