I have to admit that there was a point when I didn't think the party would go on. There were some hitches in the road. Thankfully, we were able to prep early for what we needed....well, let me rephrase...Thankfully, Colleen has the foresight and ability to plan and initiate a party properly. She was constantly thinking of the many intricacies and idiosyncrasies that such events require (a fantastic trait to have as I do not have this ability). I was able to fulfill my required "follow instructions" accordingly and was able to apply my time management skills on the day of, which is a forte of mine. The planning began a couple of weeks prior to the event. The location of the party determined and negotiated with Nana Marianne, the catered food was ordered, the family and our cooking menus were organized, the other food/drink/party favors/et.al. All being said, the planning period of the party went off without a hitch....aside from the cake, but I'll get into that later.
The day of the party began appropriately. We went to church and ate breakfast at The Garden of Eatin', a Sunday staple. Then the running commenced..."RELEASE THE HOUNDS!" accompanied by a bugle call went off in my head around 10:00 am. The expectation of complete frenzy did not disappoint, as Colleen and Nana Marianne got to work at the house to prepare for the get-down. I was in charge of the driving, hauling, and helping set up. Uncle Pat ran to get the catered food while Aunt Bet and Emily brought extra chairs and ice. Everyone worked very hard to get things going so that it would be all done by 2:00 pm. It was stressful for all of us, and there was some risen tension that almost came to head a few times. Calmer heads did prevail, however, and everything was in place right at 2:00! High-fives and bottles of beer should have been raised in celebration of the monumental collaboration....in my mind, they were...at least in my mind.
Guests started arriving right on time. Slowly, people started seeping in soon thereafter. Beer bottles and cans cracked, appropriate socialization commenced...introductions of people who didn't know one another, being friends to other friends or family. Things were going swimmingly until one of the guests received a phone call from a party-invitee and family informing them that their car had broken down across town stranding both parents and all three children at a gas station. Me and the phoned-friend went to get them and bring them to the party after they had arranged for a tow...and returned about an hour later to get the husband. No big deal...everything got taken care of and the family was transported home without a problem. We had arranged for a wader-pool for the kids who weren't cool with swimming in the big pool...it progressively deflated as the party went on. An intermittent thunderstorm broke out in the middle of the party, but dissipated within the hour allowing the sun to shine brightly for the remainder of the evening...only leaving crazy humidity in its wake...but that's what the pool is for, right? Those were the only hitches that occurred during the whole shindig. I think I would call that a complete success.
The food was amazing, being the catered food from Smokin' Dudes BBQ (pulled pork and chicken wings) or the food prepared and brought by family (mac-and-cheese, Italian sausages, meatballs, et.al.). There wasn't much left at the end of the party....again....win. The guests were great, reporting that they had fun and loved the food...and the impromptu games of beer pong...I think I'd call that a sweep.
Colleen did a great job on the cake (from a literal point of view, we both prepared the cake, but Colleen did the dotting...as far as I'm concerned, she prepared the cake). We had a pretty major hitch during this process as the first sheet cake broke beyond repair on the first try. The second sheet cake broke was well, but it was "fixable" with an impromptu chilled icing cast. Then the original icing wasn't working, so Colleen had to buy a different brand of icing after some google-based research. Given those circumstances, the cake was a complete success I think. I did the dying of the icing. After completion, chilling, and transport to Nana's house, the cake was put on the kitchen table for display. When we brought the cake out for Matthew's party, Christopher got jealous and pouted for about 5-minutes away from the group while the cake presentation "celebrations and singing" was being prepped, but then bucked up when the guests began singing Happy Birthday. He opted, then, to come over and be a "supportive big brother" as Matthew needed "help" blowing out his candle. He then melted down because we weren't getting a piece of cake to him fast enough. Sometimes it's the little victories that matter, right? Matthew loved the cake...smashed it as a matter of fact....not only all over himself, but also all over Nana's tablecloth, floor, and glass tabletop. Again, I think it was overall win here as well.
All-around, it was a fantastic day. We couldn't ask for better guests. The family and friends who attended were all fantastic. We got a lot of support from many family members, which we really appreciate...from Nana to Aunt Bet to Jackie K. to whoever we might have missed...we really, really appreciate everything you all did for us. We couldn't have pulled this off without your help.
