The Gifts of August

What a wonderful week it’s been for the birthday boy. You’d have to really know The Man to know that he never wants many bells and whistles on his birthday. He’s a bit of a loner; bells and whistles are just not his style. So, I was delighted that we had more than usual activity at the retirement home this week.

Monday, we boarded Cloud Nine with one of his brothers, his sister, and sister-in-law, and drove to Galveston, where we met the elder brother and his wife, along with some grandkids and other family members who were already there for a few days of fun before school starts. All of The Man's siblings (and one sister-in-law) have summer birthdays, so it was time to celebrate group-style.

 Eating was on the agenda, and we consumed to our heart’s content (woe is me).

The chocolate cake that my sis-in-law brought was a big hit.

But the conversation on the seawall was priceless.

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On Wednesday, my parents drove over to visit. It's wonderful that they only live a couple hours away. Sugar plum was at our house for the day (she calls them Big Nana and Big Papa) and they had a big old time adoring their great-granddaughter. I prepared lunch for them, and invited twin sis and big sis over to join us (alas, they couldn’t make it), then said goodbye to the parents around 4:00.

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Thursday was The Man’s birthday (the dawning of a new decade, shall we say), and it was a lovely day. We met up with the daughter and Julian for lunch and enjoyed it so much.

This is my favorite photo from the day, and there’s a reason I’m laughing hysterically. Julian wanted to be the photographer and take a photo of the three of us together. So, after a brief tutorial with the camera, we backed up and struck a pose, saying, “Cheese.” And we waited for the cute little boy holding the camera to snap the button. But all he did was stand there, as still as could be, looking earnestly at us, then at the camera screen, then at us. This went on for a good two minutes.

Meanwhile, we were all growing a bit weary from smiling. The daughter kept saying, between a frozen smile, “Julian, just take the picture.” And then The Man began saying, “Che-ese,” in a very sing-song voice, right in my ear, and, well, I ended up so tickled I could hardly stand up.

Eventually, the lad got over his nerves and snapped the button, turning out two really cute shots, which goes to show you, it isn’t all in the way you pose, but how much fun you have while doing it.

In the evening, The Man and I went to Cracker Barrel (it was his favorite turkey and dressing day, after all) and enjoyed a quiet meal alone. I thank God for my husband and for him being able to celebrate another birthday in good health. I pray he lives a long and healthy life (and that he definitely lives longer than I do; can’t imagine life without him).

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On Friday, big sister and brother-in-law wanted to treat the birthday boy to an afternoon and evening of fun at Minute Maid Park. (What a sweet thing to do!) We started with an official tour of the park, getting to go behind the scenes and on the field, and a chance to sit in those ridiculously priced cushy seats behind home-plate. It was a lot of fun and very interesting, and we’ve wanted to do the tour for a long time.

Later, we drove to a nearby restaurant and had dinner, then returned for the 7:00 game, enjoying great seats and the Friday fireworks show afterwards, which is always a treat. (Love this photo, if I do say so myself.) All-in-all, a very special day, with very special people.

To top the week off, I’m expecting twin sister for supper tonight. The Man will put steaks on the grill, I’ll fix a vegetable and bake potatoes. I’m thinking we should forego dessert, but then again … you only have one birthday week out of the year, so why not?

With all the heat that August brings, it’s often a month of groanings, the yearning for fall in our hearts and on our minds. But in my world, August is filled with special gifts of its own.

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