184/365

Saturday we had two parties. We had a baby shower for Christy in the morning and the birthday party in the afternoon. Crazy right?! Doing it this way allowed our friends and family from out of town to attend both. My sister in law, Caroline, came up from Florida and prepared the food for the shower. It was all wonderful.

© Michelle Hines

183/365

Yesterday we celebrate Kate's 21st birthday with a party. After Happy Birthday was sung and everyone's attention was still on Kate Matt took a knee and asked my daughter to marry him.

She said Yes!

I am so lucky. A year ago I was afraid I wouldn't be here and now I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild and my daughter is getting married.

© Michelle Hines

182/365

This is a baby who is serious about her mac and cheese. We had lunch at Noodles and Company yesterday. Chloe ate half of a large mac and cheese and half of a parmesan crusted chicken breast.

Another butterfly photo. Lilly got her face painted at the monthly family show yesterday. It was the first time I let her do it. She had it done at 11 am and managed to not smear it until around 4 pm. Of course we couldn't take a nap because that would smear the face paint.

© Michelle Hines

181/365

More butterflies! Are they Monarchs or the look alike moth? I can't tell the difference but I have always favored this butterfly. Its colors are beautiful. I would love to live in an area that saw an abundance of Monarchs during their migration in the fall and spring. They do travel through Maryland but I think where I live is too populated for these beautiful butterflies to gather in large groups. How wonderful would it be to sit in a field while hundreds of Monarchs darted about?

© Michelle Hines

180/365

Kate is now occasionally riding on the back of Matt's motorcycle. Part of me is scared to death every time she gets on. The other part of me is proud that she has the courage to do it as I do not.

© Michelle Hines

179/365

Happy Birthday Kate!

My little girl quietly celebrated her twenty first birthday today. Next weekend we will have a birthday bash. Tonight I cooked all of her favorites for dinner, fried chicken nuggets, beer bread, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. Our family, Matt and his family, Kate's friend Erica and Grandma and Donald were all here. We will have a big cake at the birthday bash so tonight I made Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Icing. Yummy!

© Michelle Hines

178/365

Last night Ian, Christy, Kate and I went to the 102 annual Big Glen Burnie Carnival. I have been going to THE carnival at the end of July and beginning of August every year since I was eight years old with a very few exceptions. When I was younger I went with my grandparents, who were active in Civitan and work at the pizza booth. We would arrive before the carnival officially opened for the night and stay until the rides shut down. Those nights are included in my fondest memories of childhood. The first time I missed the annual event was twenty one years ago. While preparing to go walk around the carnival I went into labor. Kate has always associated the carnival with her birthday. Last night we went and bought our raffle tickets for the car they give away every year, ate pizza, fries with vinegar, funnel cakes, candied apples and lemonade. We played bingo, something I use to do with my grandmother and my mother and some of the carnival games. We came home with two goldfish. Ian and Kate both won one. Kate has named them Squishy and OISH ( Oliver's initials). I had a great time! I am hoping to go one more time this week with my baby sister and her three girls. They live in North Carolina and have not been.

© Michelle Hines