Visit from grandmas, annual summer pool party and a D&D kid party

Grandma and great-grandma came for a visit last week. They arrived Wednesday late afternoon and left early Thursday morning. Liana also used her sewing machine for the first time in forever and made a cute little makeup bag.

Bag + photobomb dog

Vegan contents

Chilly day

Great grandma cuddles

Grandma cuddles

Friday was spent prepping for our annual summer pool party. I've really been enjoying the food aspect of hosting parties lately. Here was the menu Liana and I came up with:

Drinks:
Strawberry lemonade punch
Raspberry delight smoothie pitcher
Cucumber water
Coronas with lime

Salads:
Spinach salad
Raspberry apple salad
Caprese salad

Barbecue:
Chicken wings
Hot dogs

Sides:
Pulled pork and buns
Kale chips
Roasted potato mix
Jalapeno poppers
Veggies with (the most garlicky) baba ghanouj
Cheese assortment with crackers and grapes

Desserts:
Chocolate tofu pie
Vegan peach cobbler
Melon balls
Cake pops
Cream puffs
Rice pudding

This was the first time I attempted making jalapeno poppers. My lack of expertise led me to not only deseed the peppers gloveless but to try to get the smell and taste out by taking a hot bath (if it's possible that anyone's as clueless as I was: cold water alleviates symptoms while hot water intensifies them). I must have touched my face because I had red spots on it, of course my fingers burned, but, worst of all, I was unable to touch Evelyn. As embarrassing as it was Darcy had to leave work early to help with the baby, and Liana watched her until then (Darcy arrived just as Liana was heading out to a babysitting interview). Darcy brought me aloe vera and gloves so I was able to feed her. No harm done in the end and the rest of the food prep was fun to do.

How to get stuff done with an eight week old

These were good but not worth the trouble nor the pain

This was a major calorie cheat day for me and cheese was the highlight

Salad table - unfortunately we didn't photograph the dessert table

Mom took over the barbecuing once she arrived

Baby Isaac

Maya

Julia

Eddie

Lucien

Willow

 

Audrey

 

Libertalia

Harmony

Lucien, Eddie and Adrian

 

Caleb and River (who no longer like to be called boyfriend and girlfriend!)

Melissa and Evelyn

Becka and Ange

 

Grandma cuddles

Anita, Odin and Orion

Daddy cuddles

Liana

Yesterday Caleb went to "the most funnest birthday party ever." It was Dungeons & Dragons themed. He dressed up in his knight costume and apparently followed a map, sought for dragon eggs and even took part in an epic ogre battle. Thieved a few pictures from the birthday girl's mom: