Lobster Fest X

Already, ten years of Lobster Fest!  Amazing that something that started out as a spur-of-the-moment way to end a summer day with family turned into one of our favorite days of the year.  Funny that only a handful of us really care for lobster...it truly is all about the family time we get.  Though, make no mistake, we do eat quite well.

This year we were missing my sister Bethany and her family who live in Texas and my cousin Johnny who was attending a wedding.  Missing people leave a hole, for sure.

We started the day on the porch drinking coffee, honoring the quiet and freshness of the new day, which is really the proper start to any day. ;)

It wasn't long before kids started tumbling out of all the nooks and crannies of the house, anxious for the day to begin.  After holding them off as long as possible, we started breakfast.

 It didn't take long before they were dressed in the day's finery and into a football game.

My aunt whipped up a couple flower arrangements using the meager offerings of my yard...so talented!

 Uncle Lee headed up the outdoor setup crew, with an assistant of course.

Quite surprisingly, no accidents resulted from this little game of 'push the rickety stroller down the hill as fast as you can'.

 The ever-popular peanut party with Uncle Peanup.

 The first casualty of the zip line.  Shaun and I always make sure all zip line activity is closely supervised by an adult.  This day there were a good half dozen adults who observed this fall and could say exactly how he landed....I even got an action shot of it.  Poor Wyatt was ok once he got a little TLC from Mom and Dad.

 Sadie's first Lobster Fest and Elizabeth found the cutest little outfit for her.  (Aunt Bonnie is an unabashed baby hogger.)

 Meet Lily, Lenny's new sidekick.  Katie was so excited to have found her at a yard sale and to introduce her to the family.

 This man.

 There are few things I love more than standing back and watching people laugh and talk and share with each other around my home.

I'm not a "fancy" hostess.  My tables and chairs are metal, folding, I'm not good with pulling together little details and I don't cook gourmet, and I usually forget an important thing.  But I do it with love and a sincere appreciation of having people filling the walls of my home.

Life. Is. Good.  So blessed to have this family.  So blessed to be an American.  So blessed by God's faithfulness.

Oh!  Almost forgot...Maddy's photo booth: