Such a wonderful full life

I woke up this morning and realized that the shower cake, for last weekend, had been decorated and eaten.

The wedding cake had been decorated and displayed. It didn't collapse before the wedding, and almost all of it got eaten.

I had decorated my very last wedding cake and the kitchen was all cleaned up.

So what did I do this morning? I decorated another cake! This one was for the celebration of Walt's mother's 95th birthday. It was a rare occasion to celebrate with both branches of the Sykes family, the east coast (Ernie & Lucille, Stacie and son Hazen, Jeri and Phil [who is looking like the cat who caught the canary today!]), and the west coast--the southern contingent (Gerald and Melissa, Tom and Laurel, Alice Nan and Joe), and the northern contingent (Walt and I, Norm and Olivia) plus Jeri's godmother Jeri and her two sons and Phil's mother, sister, nephews, and uncle. I had thought I would make a small layer cake, but ultimately made a huge sheet cake and there is almost none left over.

We wondered how Grandma was going to be today, after her big day at the beach yesterday, at the wedding, but she was in great spirits! I haven't seen her so animated in a long time.

We had reserved the clubhouse at Maravilla, where she lives, and the room was decorated with the displays of pictures of her life, which Norm and Olivia had made up when we celebrated her 90th. Included are some cut out posterboard figures of her at various ages and we compared "Baby Alice" with "Baby Bri."

Bri was actually in good spirits for most of the evening.

with Aunt Lucille

Ernie and Lucille had brought her some gifts, one of which was a book, which Bri devoured hungrily.

She's either going to be a voracious reader, or a goat.

Young Hazen and his Mom arrived a bit late, and brought Grandma a birthday crown and a bouquet of Tootsie Pops.

Her kids (and ours) sang the song they made up for her 90th birthday, updated to today. It goes on for many verses, but the chorus goes

Grandma, Grandma Sykes
Tomorrow she'll turn 95
Have you ever seen the like
Of such a wonderful full life.

She smiled throughout and clapped at the end. It was really very special. (Yes, I have video.)

It was just a lovely chance to spend some family time, all together. When it was time to take her back to her apartment, she waved like a Grand Diva waving to her adoring fans as she was slowly wheeled, backwards, toward the door.

It was time to leave, we knew, because Bri had hit the wall. Even Phil couldn't charm her when she got tired.

It was very special for us all to be here to celebrate another milestone birthday. We all promised to be here in 5 years for her 100th.