Birthday celebration
My oh my, we’ve had quite a week with both kids visiting us here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I hardly know where to begin.
Let’s begin with the 5K my daughter and I walked faster than lightning last Thursday during the 4th of July celebration in Baraga. I thought we’d be lazily meandering through the route, but no. She egged me on. She’d eye the people walking in front of us and say, “Mom, we can pass them.”
So we’d walk fast, really fast, until our shoes smoked hot, passing by the people in front of us. Then she’d point to the next victims walkers and say, “Mom, we can pass them, too!”
Chris and Barry grill salmon and roast corn
So we’d walk even faster until this heart beat furiously and the shoes steamed and sweat poured down and mosquitoes bit our faces and it seemed we couldn’t continue.
Yet we did. We made some good time, I tell ya. Except we forgot to put on those little ankle straps that measure your time and provide awards and accolades at the end.
So we’re just imagining we did well. We did walk our personal best–we did! And I am so thankful to my daughter that we decided to test our limits and get competitive. (I never get competitive sports-wise, so this was a first. K really didn’t think we were getting competitive. She just thought we were pushing ourselves.) I was on a runner’s speed-walker’s high all day.
We won’t talk about the aches and pains the next two days. All you could hear were moans and whimpers from the mama.
Me and my son
Besides our 5K fun, what else did we do?
We attended a wedding.
Christopher’s friend Aron tied the proverbial wedding knot with his fiance, Jess.
We had a great time at the reception. I especially liked seeing some of the kid’s friends, and got to meet a brand new baby or two. We also reconnected with some friends we hadn’t seen in a coon’s age.
Nice time!
Sweet birthday gifties!
The kids hiked the Silver River one day and I’ll show you those photos soon. (Most of these pics were taken on K’s phone.) However, we did celebrate Yours Truly’s birthday on Sunday night.
It really wasn’t my birthday, but no one–not a single familial soul–will be around for my birthday in a couple of weeks, so I enjoyed basking in the light of my family’s love for an entire day.
Kids at the wedding reception last weekend
Chris helped his dad split the firewood. Kiah stacked the wood. Then she made healthy carrot cake. The guys grilled salmon and corn. Then I opened lots of gifties (including a purse that Chris’ wife Seunghye bought during their honeymoon in Italy and little cups that she made herself, isn’t that cool?)
It was the best of birthdays, even though the birthday has not yet arrived.
The roaring foaming Silver River waterfalls
I will let you look at river hiking and swimming photos now.
Looks like they had fun, doesn’t it? I thought it was great they enjoyed some brother-sister time together out in nature’s glorious playground.
One child is flying back toward San Diego as I type (it took him two days to leave the fog-enshrouded peninsula) but the other still remains for another few days. Perhaps she and I will attempt another river adventure before she leaves.
Thanks for stopping by to enjoy our family time together!
Daughter doing a little river rock climbing
Son by the river
Oh look who’s swimming in the river!
River exultation! Can you imagine how cold that must have felt?
Lake Superior Spirit 
Happy Early Birthday Kathy!
, so I’m speaking this response to Siri on my iPhone. So if there are any typos, please blame them on Siri. I absolutely love this post and the photos! And Chris must have been freezing in that river swim.
Kathy, what was supposed to come at the beginning of the previous comment is: my laptop is in the Mac hospital
Sounds like another terrific week! Your tea cups are my favorite. I just told Tony the other day that I think I’d like to take a pottery class to make something like that 🙂
I love this slice of your life–your kids are beautiful and handsome–your daughter has your beautiful smile. You had fun that was clear to see even if you have some aches and pains. Happy Birthday soon!
Sounds like wonderful, precious family time. Congrats on the 5K and happy early birthday. Thanks for this post full of life giving fun.
It’s great you got to spend some time with the family. I got to have a visit with my parents and my sister. Karina came up with Orion and I and that was truly a treat. Happy early birthday.
The best birthday present ever is to have your family home. How wonderful. I just grinned when I opened this and saw the first photo of you and yours. Really sweet.
Yay! Happy pre-birthday, Kathy. You must fall near the Cancer-Leo cusp. I am an early Cancer, on the Gemini-Cancer cusp. 🙂 Great to see you spending time with your family, and all the best on your special day in a few weeks.
Happy Un-Birthday as the Mad Hatter would say. What a lovely time you had/having with your kids. One of mine was back in town over the last week. She keep me and her Mama busy, too.
Corn and salmon from the grill…yum, yum!
Sounds and looks like you have had a wonderful time with your family, Kathy! I am so happy for you and want to wish you an early Happy Birthday too ♥ I love your gifts, the purse is perfect and the cups are extra special because they are handmade ♥ I love the picture of your kids—looks like it should be in a frame 🙂
Happy birthday in advance. Hope it’s great!
What a wonderful advanced birthday. I can’t imagine having my children split by the continent, so I can only dream about how glorious it is to have them both back home. Two of my three were in L’Anse for the week (along with their friends) and one told me he can’t imagine being any place else, but Baraga county on the 4th. “You can’t get more American than this”, according to Jim. This is the fourth year they staked out “their spot” at the parade which they thought this year’s edition was the best yet. When I see Kiah climbing the rocks, Chris in the river and all of you together for your advanced birthday I have a feeling they feel the same way.
You look like your daughter’s sister! I can’t believe your son went into that roaring river. It looked like it was going to sweep him away. Enjoy the rest of your visit!
Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy…….ummmmmm
birthday!
Thanks for sharing this lovely time! I hope your birthday is as joyous in its own way as the early birthday surrounded by family was for you!
I heard from Mary that it was VERY foggy there yesterday! You were spoiled by family and that’s exactly as it should be – advanced birthday wishes to you from CO! You look mighty happy!
Just think what a statement you will make with your classy Italian purse perched on the coffee shop table as you type away your next blog entry! Happy, happy birthday, dear blogging friend!
Yep, definitely has to go on the list of best birthdays ever!
Wonderful visit with family. Why am I not surprised that your gifts are wrapped in newspaper ? Love that !
That looks like an all-around fun day, Kathy. Happy early birthday. And yes, I love the Italian purse. That was really thoughtful of the kids to think of you on their honeymoon, yes? ❤
Happy Early Birthday Kathy! What a wonderful family you have – and healthy too. All that power walking and rock climbing and swimming in wild rivers. I am greatly impressed. 🙂
Looks like a wonderful time – glad you had a nice early birthday! I hope my daughters, like your daughter and son, are great friends, as my sister and I are, when they are adults. I just came home from spending a weekend with my sister – blog post coming soon! 🙂
What’s a coon’s time?
All I know is that I’m sure the time went REALLY fast for you, because celebrating and spending time with family is the BEST time in the world!
Sounds like you all had a beautiful time Kathy! And love the family photos — such a close family resemblance. Oh . . . and early happy birthday!
Thank you for all your comments! I appreciate each and every one of you stopping by to add your pre-birthday well wishes and family resemblance comments. *grin* Enjoy your summers, all of you!
It looks like you had such a lovely time while your kids visited! Glad they celebrated your early birthday with you. You certainly got some wonderful gifts. Seunghye is quite talented. I love the cups she made for you! 🙂
As for the 5K ‘walk’, good for you! I love to walk but haven’t challenged myself like that. I’m sure I’d be out of commission for more than just a couple of days!
Great post as always, and Happy Birthday whenever it is/was.
Looks like the family is having a very wonderful time! Congratulations on the 5K. How nice to participate with your daughter and have fun challenging each other. Your son is a brave swimmer and daughter is a brave rock climber. This post warms my heart. Please remind us when your birthday day is near.
What an awesome time (other than the aches and pains after the walk…)! I assume we’ll get notice of your actual birthday so we can properly wish you well then??
Happy Birthday! Looks like you are having an absolute blast with your fam. Enjoy it! The last pic looks absolutely thrilling!
Happy Birthday dearest Kathy. How are you? I wish you loads of happiness & good health. 🙂
Lucky girl you get to have two birthdays but still only get one year older. 😀
♥ I love this post, Kathy. So much fun and family and love. A great big Happy Birthday to you! That last photo looks refreshing and pretty awesome. I could use a river of cold water right about now. 🙂
Birthday or no birthday, you seemed to have had a wonderful time with the family. What lovely pictures you shared and thoughtful gifts you received ! Love this red handbag, the Italian style I enjoy. I wish you a Very Happy Birthday the D-Day will come. With many good wishes.
Thank you ALL for the lovely birthday wishes! I had a most wonderful–although quiet–day yesterday. Feeling the love from all of you.
Belatedly very belatedly – HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY!
How wonderful to spend your really-early-pre-birthday-days with your beautiful loving family. They’re awesome. And I can just imagine Kiah egging you on when you were speed-walking the 5k!