Na..Na-Na-Na-Na!

We're going on vacation for a week! Going to be visiting Tennessee with Mom Mom & Pop Pop! Can't wait to get back and post all the new pictures we will be aquiring! See ya soon! 

Surprise!!!!!!!!!

We managed to keep this party a surprise...amazingly! We had Dad (Al) take Brian fishing for the whole day as we transformed Sandy's backyard into a little piece of the Islands! Weeks of planning and preparations went into making this party a success! Brian returned, and was litterly stunned by the surprise...he was shaking! I want to thank everyone who put time and money into the event, as we pulled off a great luau! I wanted this to be really special for Brian's 30th birthday- he works long hard hours week after week, and I really felt he deserved to have the spotlight on him for a day! Thanks to all our parents, Darah, Sandy & James, and anyone else who had a hand in making this day really special! 

Tiki Bar...open!

Mom and Darah were bartenders for the evening- making pitcher after pitcher of strawberry daquiris and pina coladas! We went through quite a bit of rum! (well probably more than needed due to the fact that a party guest helped herself and topped her drinks off with a few added shots- tacky if you ask me!) Was she the one who left behind some of that rum all over Sandy's bathroom? Hmmmm.....makes you wonder! I will refrain from mentioning her name, but she knows who she is! 

Hula girls!

Micayla, Dabria, and Payten do their best hula in preparing for the party! You go girls! 

Gunner eyes up the tropical fruit we served! I'm not sure if it was the fruit or the pretty umbrellas he wanted to snag! Our menu consisted of: Roasted Pig, hot dogs (for the kiddies), baked beans with bacon, pasta salad, potato salad, an assortment of cheese & hors' de voures, tropical friut salad, and of course a tiki bar & a keg of Miller light to top it off! Everything was homemade and delicious! Thanks to Dad for the awesome potato salad (who took the leftovers with him!) 

"Porky" Pig!

You can't have an authentic luau without a pig roast! I ordered it from Em-ing's barbeque, and it was delivered fully cooked and ready to eat! It was delicious! (As well as the most expensive part of the party!) We got about 25 lbs. of meat off of him, and almost all of it got eaten! 

Dabria petting our main course!

OK, so i know it's a pig...but it is fully cooked- chock full of lucious meat! Dabria still thought she had to pet his nose! It was a shock for her to find out that meat comes from real animals! She has banned all meat consumption since learning this! Everything I offer her to eat, she asks, "Does this come from a pig?" I guess she has turned vegetarian for the moment! 

We are family!

Here, Gunner, Hobie, Darah, Mom, Dad, and Micayla enjoy the festive food! 

Happy 1st birthday Jarren!

My sister, Denise, holds Jarren on her lap as he munches on fruit! He celebrated his 1st birthday a day earlier...poor guy took a back seat to the other birthday boy! I can't believe he is a year old already! He still cries when Aunt Dayna tries to hold him....I think it is my hair...it is just too much for him! He will learn to love me one day:) 

Finally!

Ha! I finally got a picture of my elusive mother-in-law (Ginny)that I can post on the blog! She is always hiding from the camera...why, I don't know! She is the good looking red head on the right! Gotch Ya! Aunt Chris is sitting beside her, and Payten, Brian and Sandy are in the background! 

Silly siblings!

I took this picture right after Brian licked Sandy's ear...she was smiling and saying eeeewwww when I captured the moment! Brian does strange things like this as his way of showing the love he has for his sis! The older they get, the more they realize what they mean to each other! He may not always know how to show it, but he really loves you San! 

My best friend!

I wa so happy when Lorrie called to say she was coming to the party! I made it a point to actually spend some time with her and catch up! Her, Greg, and Haileigh made the trip from PA- I'm so glad they did! And, i was dying to see the results of her recent boob job! They look great Lorr! 

You make me feel like a natural woman!

Grandpa & Gunner ham it up for the camera! Doesn't Dad make a gorgeous woman? I now know what picture I will be using for next years Christmas cards! Ha! 

What a cute couple!

My brother Danny, and his girl Jess! They are so photogenic! We weren't sure if they were gonna make it to the party, so it was a great surprise when they showed up! Danny is entering his last year of college to become a history teacher...and Jess graduated this year as a math teacher! 

Me and my Birthday boy!

Brian and I were so busy mingling with guests, that we didn't see each other a whole lot throughout the party...but we did get a quick minute to have our picture taken! 

Gunner and Darah enjoying the tropical atmosphere! (Well, Darah not as much as the rest of us- she couldn't have any delicious strawberry daquiris...because she is currently expecting #3!) 

Our Hawaiian Princess!

Dabria made the perfect little hula girl! She was hawaiian from head to toe complete with grass skirt and flowers on her hair! I may be biased, but isn't she the most adorable thing you ever did see?? 

Lean back!

Payten knows how to limbo...she did a great job! 

Limbo, limbo, limbo!

A luau would not be complete without a limbo competition! Dabria is about ready to test her skills to make it under the bar! I think Gunner won by default...he could still walk under the lowest point....some advantages of being 2! 

Surfer James and his beach babe Sandy!

I'm glad we got some shots of people actually posing with this! I was planning to have everyone pose as they were arriving at the party, but details just never work out the way you plan! James and Sandy were good sports! Uh....just one thing- James- don't ever go blonde! It's not your color! 

Have your cake, and eat it too!

Let me just say I owe Sue some major props for making this cake look so great! When we picked it up at the store, it was very plain....just the 3 colors and the writing. Sandy took it to Sue at The Party Corner, and she turned it into something special! Complete with raw sugar to look like sand, and handmade chocolate shells- she really did a great job! I had a hula girl to put on, but the icing was beginning to melt, and she wouldn't stand, so we just added another umbrella! What a great cake....and every last bit got eaten! 

Make a wish!

Brian was thinking hard about what to wish for before blowing out his candles! (Hopefully he wished for financial stability...after finding out what I spent on the party!) 

The kid's first trip to Knoebel's...

When I was a child, we went to Knoebel's every year, so we were so thrilled to be taking our kids to experience the same great times we spent there in our childhood! Nestled in the mountains in Elysburg, PA, it is unlike any typical amusement park! We drove to Nana and Grandpa's the night before, and woke up early on June 14th, and took the almost 2 hour drive to Knoebel's! Although some new rides have been added since I was there the last time, it still had the nostalgic feel of out times there years ago. We camped for two nights, and spent our days and evenings at the park or the pool! We are planning to do it again next year, and hopefully it will become a new family tradition that we pass on to our kids! Can't wait to get back! 

Ready, Set, Camp!

When we weren't at the park or pool, we spent our time at the campsite....our little retreat and a great way to spend time together! 

Relax...

I just love this picture of Jansen, just lazing around after the first full day...he looks so comfy!