Nifty Fifty

This may look like a "nothing" picture, but I think it is my favorite from our Nifty Fifty party today.

It's just Ned chatting with Kevin and Eric and Joe (Eric an Joe are brothers) but I just got such a warm feeling about the camaraderie among them and then I looked around and Jeri was chatting with Jenny's husband Dave and other little clumps of comfortable members of the "family" were getting caught up on what had happened in their lives since we last saw them.  I got all verklempt.

Because, if you go by blood and birth certificates and all that jazz, they aren't related in any way, shape, or form, but are more "family" than some other family members who may be on the genealogy chart,

These are the Pinata People, about whom I have written before. 10 people who met at Newman Hall in the 1960s, coupled, married and among them produced 22 children and throughout all these years, we have remained close friends.  We were in each other's weddings, we are godparents to each other's children. We took vacations together-- many, many camping trips.  We nursed each other's children, they attended the same schools (at least until the middle 1960s, when we started moving in different directions). We have seen the death of three of the kids, and five of the adults.  We've been there for people's funerals and even the funerals of their parents.  

The first year we had what became an annual New Year' Day party there were five children.  And all of us were pregnant.  The next year there were ten children.  We never doubled in size again (thank goodness!) but ten years ago we had a birthday party for the five who were turning 40 and today we had a party for the five who are turning 50 this year.

Liam, Joe, Steve, Jenny, Jeri

And we had a great turnout to celebrate.  Even my goddaughter, whom I have not seen or heard from in about ten years (she lives in Kentucky) was there, with her two brothers.

Only 4 of the living original 22 were not able to be with us.

The remaining Gen 1 folks were felt very warm and fuzzy to see all of our children enjoying each other's company again..

The Gen 3 kids who came (I've lost track of how many Gen 3 kids there are now) stood and posed, but I know it didn't mean nearly as much to them as it did to us

There was a pinata, of course, but I'm disappointed in my pinata photos, so none here, 

But the kids did gather to cut the cake.  There were so many problems with my decorating of this cake, I have declared this is my very LAST decorated cake.

After dessert, and much wine having been consumed, people started being tossed into the pool.

And of course, what else to do if you're in the pool but take a selfie.

Ned says that a bad thing about cell phones is that they have eliminated the possibility of surprise pool dunkings because most people have a phone in their pocket. These guys were just lucky that Steve's was waterproof.

Several of the group ended up in the hot tub.

It was just a wonderful day and we decided it will probably be the last of its kind, since I'm not sure we're going to be in shape to pull off a party when these guys turn 60!