Melethwen's Memories: Birthday Weekend

Sept 2, 2018: Me and my sister, Karla, the day after my 64th birthday.

For roughly half of my 64 years of life, my Sept 1st birthday has fallen on Labor Day weekend. This year, it fell on Saturday, giving me a full three days to celebrate with family, food, and fun times!

Jacob drove up from Mesa on Friday, so I got to enjoy my special day with all of my children. He brought with him his newest roommate, Antonio, who used to be one of Jacob's roommates in Utah and recently decided to check out life in Arizona.

Other than requesting that Jacob make some of his delicious green-chili-and-chicken enchiladas for my birthday dinner, I had planned a weekend of quick and simple meals. Then Jacob sent me a text outlining all the dishes he'd been telling Antonio about, and asking if we could have those meals while they were here. Change of plans...

Thus, after Jacob's arrival on Friday, we went shopping to provide for feeding all eight of us for four days, including frequent snacks. Walking through Walmart, we placed our bets on what the total cost of the groceries would be. I predicted $200. Antonio predicted $150, so Jacob countered with $151 ("Are we on Price is Right?" I asked). When we checked out--ka-ching!--the bill was $197 and some change. I'm still not sure if that means I won...or lost.

So Friday night's dinner was chili-cheese meatloaf, accompanied by asparagus with chipotle aioli and a big green salad that Sarah put together for us. Everyone came over for dinner and we had a great family visit. The kids played some Skip-Bo and then we finished up with a big chocolate cake that Jacob said he was craving. It was waaaaaaaay too sweet!

This year's birthday cards.

Then came Saturday. I had to get up at 5:30, as I do every Saturday, to drive Mark to work. I spent a large part of my birthday morning washing up all the dishes from the previous night's meal. But then Sarah came over and got breakfast started. Jacob joined her in helping to finish it up. Our Saturday breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs mixed into fried potatoes (if you've never tried them fried in the pan together, I highly recommend it). We also had fresh sausage links on the side.

After breakfast, Jacob prepared and baked the homemade cheesecake for my party later that evening, which was a nice change since I usually bake my own birthday cheesecakes! Dylan came over for lunch and a visit on his lunch hour, around 11:00.

We didn't get to have everyone together throughout the day, since Dylan, Jake, and Mark were all scheduled to work, but since everyone would be off work by 4:00, we knew we had the rest of the day to look forward to.

Jacob and Antonio went out to explore the area during the afternoon, but they returned in plenty of time for Jacob to prep two-and-a-half pans of his yummy chicken enchiladas and get them into the oven. While he worked on that, Sarah and I made another run to Walmart to get supplies for the side dishes: Spanish rice and refried beans with melty cheese on top.

It was 6:30 when Jacob presented us with the completed three-course meal, and we were all happy to dig in!

My gifts and cards await me after dinner.

After dinner, Mark and I got the homemade ice cream going in the ice cream freezer, and then it was time to open presents. It's always fun to see what my kids come up with. Admittedly, I am difficult to buy for. I'm at that age where I already have pretty much everything I want, and I can afford to get those things for myself, so why wait until a birthday or Christmas?

However, over the years, I have made suggestions. First of all, never buy me appliances, Walmart gift cards, or clothes. I'm hard-to-fit, so I prefer to choose my own clothing. And I'm not against gift cards, just choose something specific. I'm always happy to get gift cards for movie theaters and restaurants, two of my favorite pastimes. Simple, inexpensive jewelry that's chosen with me in mind always touches my heart. Knickknacks can be tricky, because that involves finding space for them and then extra time spent dusting when I clean. However, there are some items I can always find room for. They know my interests include fantasy/magic (think Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter) and the black-bear decor in my living room.

Honestly, I don't need gifts at all. A card with a personal message inside means more to me than almost anything else. I've never been a high maintenance gal, so spending money on me is a nonissue. Just remind me that I matter to you!

Sarah added a new Willow Tree figurine to my collection; Mark gave me the

eagle candle holder; the honey-bears snow globe is from my friend Debbie.

As always, my family came through. Sarah and Chris gave me a gorgeous new Willow Tree figurine for my collection. This one is called "Vigil." Mark wanted to get me something for my car, but when it turned out to be ridiculously expensive, he found the eagle candle holder instead. It's beautiful.

My boys were a little more challenged, but they got creative. Dylan and Jake presented me with a "coupon" (on a paper plate) promising me dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Chalet. They have wonderful seafood, especially lobster and crab and my personal favorite, halibut.

Jacob followed suit with the paper plate "coupon," although I think it was more of a joke than a serious offer (which I believe was suggested to Jacob by his friend Antonio). Well, the joke's on him. I'll be back in Mesa at the end of this month to (hopefully) finalize the last big expenditures on the Mesa house. On the Tuesday night of the week I'm in town, I will present Jacob with the coupon and demand that he take me somewhere festive (but probably not his house)!

"Coupons" from my boys.

We wound up the evening with a raucous, hour-long game of IMAGINiff, in which we discovered that everyone believes Chris has "road rage," Dylan is "angry," and I look like "what the cat dragged in." Around 10:30, we called it quits and enjoyed our dessert of chocolate-chip cheesecake and homemade strawberry ice cream (both sugar-free, of course).

The cheesecake began to disappear quickly.

Mark, Dylan, and Jake had to work the next morning, but it was still after 11:00 when everyone finally headed home. Mark had already put himself to bed an hour and a half earlier.

Diego found a cup with a bit of homemade ice cream left inside,

and he made up his mind he was taking it home to snack on later!

Around 10:30 on Saturday morning, I had gotten a surprise phone call. My sister Karla, her husband Steve, and Karla's two youngest kids, Gabrielle and Addison, were actually on their way up the mountain from Mesa, planning to spend the three-day weekend in Snowflake (a small town about thirty minutes north of us). Friends of theirs had invited them to stay the weekend at their getaway place in Snowflake with them.

They'd already made plans for Saturday in the Snowflake area with their friends, but they wanted to get together with us on Sunday. It's not like I didn't have plenty of food in the house, so I gladly invited them to join us for Sunday dinner. How exciting to have more family in town for my birthday weekend!

Board games are serious business for Chris, Jake, and Dylan.

Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, Jacob made us a breakfast feast of scrambled eggs and diced chilies, bacon, and homemade hash browns. We didn't do much else that afternoon. I think we were all carb-crashed and tired of being so busy, although I did get Jacob, Chris, and Antonio to clean off my front porch. Jacob and Antonio also helped me hang a shelf in my bedroom that I'd been meaning to put up for more than a month.

Dylan, Antonio, and Jacob wait for their turn in IMAGINiff.

Sarah reads the scenario card while Chris chooses which vote to cast.

Karla's husband Steve had never been to this part of Arizona before, so he was dazzled by the beauty of the forests and the Mogollon Rim and other features of the White Mountains as they drove up from Mesa on Saturday. Snowflake is a little less impressive scenically, being located in the windswept high desert, but as they drew closer to our area on Sunday the lush greenery began to surround them again.

They stopped to visit our mom's grave in Show Low on their way to my house, and then Karla's crew arrived by around 4:00. It was so great to have them here! We enjoyed getting caught up, and then my dad and stepmom, Myron and Kathy, joined us. They'd been further up the mountain at Big Lake for a get-together with Kathy's family before coming to spend the rest of the evening with us.

Two pans of Sarah's Mexican chicken at left, two pans of green beans supreme

in the center, and an extra pan of Jacob's green-chili-chicken enchiladas at right.

I love being able to relax and visit when family comes to town. Usually, when you're the host, you're too busy to visit as much as you'd like, but I owe my daughter Sarah a huge debt of gratitude for completely preparing dinner for sixteen people without a bit of help from anyone, allowing me to focus on being with my dad and my sister's family.

Enjoying dinner: Kathy, Myron (my dad), Steve, and Karla (my sister).

It was a big job. She had already agreed to Jacob's request for her famous Mexican cream-cheese chicken casserole, so she made two big pans of that, along with reheating a third full pan of Jacob's green-chili-and-chicken enchiladas left over from the previous night. She also made two 8x8 pans of green beans supreme (with sour cream and cheddar) and a big pan of rice pilaf. (Later, I reheated the refried beans from Saturday, too.)

Karla's two youngest (of ten children), Gabby and Addison, with Chris.

I know Sarah doesn't care much for cooking; it's more Chris's thing. But she was totally un-frazzled as she moved quietly from task to task, enjoying listening to us talking and preparing each item on the menu. She did an awesome job and we all appreciated her so much! The food was both great and plentiful!

Addison, Gabby, Kylah, Elsie, Jacob, Chris, Dylan, Jake, and Antonio

after using up their energy playing Ghosts in the Graveyard after dark.

We were also blessed with a visit from my niece Elsie and her girlfriend, Kylah. That brought us up to a group of sixteen, which I love, love, love. I only wish my house were bigger to accommodate so much love!

A spookier version of the kids-in-the-dark photo.

After dinner, all the young'uns went out in the dark yard to play Ghosts in the Graveyard. From inside the kitchen, we could hear their shouting and their yelps as some ran into trees and other objects they couldn't see. It was fun to hear their good times, but we oldsters were happy not to be out in the midst of it. We recall those youthful games fondly, but we just aren't up to it anymore. Even the kids were commenting on how quickly they got tired, compared to when they were younger kids who could play for hours, often until after midnight!

Getting the fire pit lit up for s'mores.

Eventually, Dad and Kathy decided it was time to call it a night. Elsie, Kylah, Dylan, and Jake headed home since they had to work the next morning. Then Sarah insisted we needed to light up the fire pit and make s'mores, so the rest of us moved outdoors while Jacob and Antonio got the fire going. A few people opted to make homemade Blizzards instead, but we all got to enjoy the crispy night air and the warmth of the fire and an extended visit. It was 10:30 before the party finally broke up.

Visiting around the fire with Addison, Karla, Steve, Gabby, Chris, and Jacob.

We had such a wonderful day, filled with time spent enjoying the company of those we love, but the good times didn't end there! We were able to extend the family togetherness right up until dark on Labor Day. But the end of this tale will have to wait until another time...