Only Friends We Haven't Met Yet...

This weekend, hubby and I went to visit my parents to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday.  We also celebrated Don's "fifty-something-th" birthday.  I have to be good to him on his birthday, because exactly 2 weeks after his day I turn the same age.

Anyway, back to my mom.  Mother's request was that all of her kids and as many of the grand kids as possible get together to celebrate her birthday...Easter weekend.  This sounds fairly simple, but of course it isn't.  DJ is in California, and literally could not afford to travel. Since all of his work is on an "on-call" basis, being away from home can be costly.  My nephew Jared did not have spring break that week.  Someone had to stay at our house to tend to the dog, so Cindy volunteered to do this round.  First Don was able to get away from work, then he couldn't...but with a major last minute PUSH, he got away.

So, off we went to visit the "old people".  We got everything in our allotted carry-ons.  We got to the airport on time AND the flight took off on time.  The subway ride to mother's house was uneventful.

The day after we arrived, we got to go to Mount Vernon.  I hadn't been since I was a little girl (which was probably about the same time George lived there).  Don wanted to walk through a park or garden and I love to see historical sites, so this was the perfect combo.  We even had lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn (peanut soup--YUM)!

Don celebrated his birthday while we were there.  I make most of Don's desserts from scratch, because of food allergies.  We had decided that Don's birthday cake would be a no-bake cheesecake.  I usually make my graham cracker crust from scratch too.  I asked my mother for a rolling pin.  She doesn't have one (she doesn't cook from scratch).  So I improvised...

Since we were there during Holy Week, we had to adapt the family dining schedule.  My sister is an elementary school band teacher, who is also in demand as a flutist.  She had been hired by her church to play at all the Holy Week services.  She is also camera shy...

 

My sister warned us that Dad's "mental belts" were slipping a bit more than last year.  It's really hard to watch your parents age.  Dad has had a heart condition for the last 20 years that should not have been survivable.  The doctors would not even talk to Mother about a long term prognosis.  Fortunately, God wasn't done with my dad yet.  One of the things they did was to slow my dad's heart rate waaayyy down.  The theory at the time was along the lines of "the heart only has so many beats in it...let's not waste 'em".  Of course, for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.  Slowing the heart rate slows the blood flow to the brain, which plays havoc with your short term memory.    Fortunately, this is NOT a dementia and Dad is aware of his challenges.  But it is still hard to see the changes in my parents.  

Mother is in need of having both shoulders and both hips replaced (for one hip this would be the 3rd replacement).  Unfortunately, because of other health issues she is not a good candidate to have any of them replaced.  She also has several joints that are fusing. 

Having said all of that, my parents are still a lot of fun....once you get used to the way things are.  Aging is definitely NOT for wimps.

So, back to where I started.  On Saturday, we all went to Houlihan's at the Springfield Hilton.  Mother wanted to choose a place with a private dining room that was close to the Beltway, so it didn't take my brother too far out of his way.  His family was driving straight through from North Carolina to New York.

By the time lunch was over, our waiter Sami, had been voted into the family.  We even left him a big piece of birthday cake, as he was fasting until Easter.

My sister had seen a spot in the lobby that was "perfect for a family picture".  Never mind that we had already taken about 100 shots!  But of course, for it to be a family picture you have to find someone outside of the family to take the picture!  So my sister went up to a group in the lobby and asked them if one of them would be so kind.

A lovely gentlemen, who was wearing a WW2 baseball cap, agreed to help us out.  He told Mother that she was a "young one" at 80, since he was 87,  He also said that he was here with some friends for their Negro Baseball League reunion.  One of the players was a friend of his.  At that point, I was talking to him about his WW2 history, while my brother, nephew and sister were talking to one of the baseball players.  I believe my nephew was even given a baseball card by one of the players.  In fact, knowing my family, I probably now have some "cousins" who were in the Negro Baseball League.  My parents tend to make more friends everywhere they go...

Feeling blessed, how about you?