Enjoying Family

Gary's off to work and the kids are upstairs sleeping.  Rob will be home from work in a couple of hours and I'll have all my kids home.  Other people look forward to holidays, for me it's these two weeks in the summer when my family is all together again.  I'm enjoying having everyone together ... cooking dinners and gathering around the dining table to eat and talk and laugh.  Making memories.  Watching movies together.  Gary got out a box of old pictures last night for him and Phoenix to look through.  Some of those pictures I haven't seen in years.  I am so happy for the digital age LOL.  

Yesterday was our lazy day, Rachel worked on "school stuff" and Phoenix and Rob played games before Rob had to sleep before work.  Phoenix went up to his room and did his thing.  I cooked most of the day and we watched some Project Runway.  It was a nice day to just relax a little.  Today we'll bring out the sewing machines and get some of the projects we need to get done .. done.  Maybe this evening Phoenix and I'll take a walk and do a bit of photography.  

Tomorrow we plan to go to OKC to Shakespeare in the Park to see Midsummer Night's Dream.  It'll be me, Rachel, Rob and Phoenix.  It'll be a lot of fun.  This is the birthday weekend.  Saturday evening we'll go see The Drunkard and the Olio in Tulsa and Gary will join us for that.  We haven't been there for several years and Phoenix wanted to see it again.   (I've included the links to both places in case you want to check them out).  Sunday we'll celebrate Rob and Phoenix's birthdays with cake and ice cream to round off the weekend.  

This week is all about favorite recipes in our family.  For Rachel is was the No-Bake cookies.  She has been craving those so I got those made up for her and while I was at it I went ahead and made Oatmeal Cookies with cranberries for Gary.  Last night's dessert was banana pudding.  We haven't had that in years.  The favorite birthday cake is the Wacky Cake every year for every one.  I've been making it for gosh I don't know almost 50 years.  They feel deprived if I don't make the Wacky Cake for their birthday day.  I've included some of the recipes in this blog post.  My oatmeal cookies recipe I'll write up another time.  I'll get some pictures up soon.  We're having a wonderful time.  Even the cats are enjoying the visit.  Bandit manages to get herself locked into one room or the other every night.  Our ninja cat sneaks in ... you would think one big fat cat could be seen but she manages to sneak past you every time.  I'm not sure how she does it but she wakes you up in the middle of the night wanting out of the room.  

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your week.  I'll post more later on this week.