We love Paris in the springtime. We love to Pawty all the time.

I have been troubled more than once lately by the fact of my own delinquency in sharing with you the highlights of a certain special family occasion.

Of which we have so many.

Cheryl -- whom, together with her husband Alan and son Chad, TG and I were able to meet and get to know recently, and of whose boundless hospitality we were the grateful and humbled recipients -- remarked not long ago: It seems like all you folks do is Pawty! 

And in the post on which that comment appeared, I had promised to tell you about Dagny's third birthday party.

But I have yet to make good on the promise. Until today.

First let me say, I agree with Cheryl that it seems as though all we do is Pawty but honestly, is an alternative course open to us?

(The question is rhetorical; I know there isn't. It is painfully clear that we are too hedonistic -- or enthusiastic -- for our own collective good.)

I thought purposefully back on the year thus far. You barely sweep up the last few pine needles and bits of stray tinsel from Christmas, stash the strings of lights, and it's TG's birthday. End of January.

But a few days before that, this year we celebrated the Inauguration of President Trump. With a party.

Two weeks into February? Valentine's Day. Oh yes! We celebrated. Gifts. Cards. Dinner. Candy. The whole blah blah.

A week later, it was grandson Andrew's birthday. Two weeks after that fell my birthday (cause for much jollity). Two weeks later and we were psyched for Audrey's birthday, and one week (exactly) later, it was time to celebrate the day our son Andrew originally arrived into the world.

Mere days after that, it was our duty and delight to fête Allissa on her birthday. Then (immediately) it was Easter. I recall partying around a massive ham although we know full well, the point of Easter is our Lord's resurrection and not simply another excuse to eat ham. And be hams.

Two weeks after Allissa's day and Easter, son-in-law Joel's birthday occurred, right on schedule. We were up to May first.

Count on both hands the days that went by until Mother's Day. I will wait because it won't take long, only, trust me: There was a huge party.

A few weeks later, we celebrated both Memorial Day and Erica's birthday. I'm pretty sure Erica's birthday was the bigger party, judging by the cake, but we did the patriotic thing too.

Forward through time two more weeks and it was Dagny's birthday, followed by TG's and my anniversary. Not many days hence, it was Chad's birthday and my mother's birthday, one day apart. Then it was time to celebrate Stephanie and Joel's anniversary.

We failed to mount an actual bash for their anniversary. But don't forget that Father's Day also fell in mid-June. Party? Yes please, and thank you. It's only natural.

Next up? The Fourth of July! An occasion on which we definitely pawty. As I recall, it was a cookout at Andrew's house, with all the sides and trimmings. A few weeks later, we went on our trip to Atlanta, to see the Chicago Cubs play at brand-new SunTrust Park. We partied at Mary Mac's Tea Room.

As August dawned, we celebrated Henry's birthday. Then it was time to go on vacation, which we did, and I haven't even told you anything about that. MUCH pawtying occurred, allow me to assure you.

Then there was the Total Solar Eclipse. It felt like a party to me. A wing-ding for the senses, especially those of sight and wonder. We may also have had ice cream.

That brings us up to now. Just this past weekend, Brittany visited. We all got together and had a couple of party-like outings. In a few days Andrew will be home from Afghanistan and we will celebrate that with another purposefully happiness-filled get-together. Food; laughter; general hilarity. The whole nine.

Then it will be time to organize festivities marking Stephanie's birthday. A few weeks later, TG and I along with Chad and Erica, Andrew and Brittany, and Audrey, will travel back to Atlanta for yet another weekend baseball getaway.

Atlanta Braves versus Philadelphia Phillies this time.

We get a wee break then, to enjoy October, until Brittany's birthday later on in that beautiful month. Surely some sort of soiree will be in the offing.

Then it will be time to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. You know what that means: shindigs galore and getting/giving presents and elaborate decorating and endless consumption of party treats. After which we will start all over again.

Oh wait! Don't forget Melanie's birthday, on the shortest day of the year. There will be revelry.

And you'll recall, each of my grandchildren came to our house for a week this summer, and that a great deal of merrymaking ensued on and around those occasions. 

Do you realize, each and every one of these milestones mentioned, requires meal and event planning, schedule coordination, communication with many varying factions and -- more to the point -- gift-giving?

Let that sink in. It may become necesssary to initiate a crowdfunding site. Bankroll the Webers' out-of-control partying habit!

So yes: Pawty is what we are called to do and yes, we make a fuss over every little thing. So there's that.

Even so, I feel sure I've forgotten some peripheral shenanigans in which we may or may not have indulged thus far in Twenty Seventeen. The mind shrinks from the effort of remembering the sheer volume of our flagrant celebratory activity.

We also work, and go to church, and find time for all the mundane non-partylike things everybody is obliged to do in this workaday world. We go to the dentist; we shop for groceries and walk the dog and fill the car with gasoline. All this and more.

Although I'll never know where we find the time.

But back to the subject at hand: Dagny turned three on June fourteenth.

It wasn't even technically summer but still, it was famously hot here in Columbia and I wanted most of the pawtying to be done indoors (although many did sit out by the pool), and especially the picture-taking part.

So I established a photo booth of sorts in the front room studio, set up the lights, assembled the props, affixed one of the Nikons atop the tripod, and told everyone to use the clicker. 

You've likely divined by now that our theme was Paris. As in, the Western European City of Lights. Thanks to Oriental Trading, it was the easy way. Audrey went click click click, and I did some clicking of my own (Amazon), and we were there.

The chicks in our family are all jazzed all the time about black and white (noir blanc) for fashion's sake, and when you add pink, the magic really happens. We were suitably impressed with our own achievements in this instance.

Now you must excuse me for I must go and plan the next pawty, which is in the drawing-board stages.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Monday

Comments

[Mari]

Ha! You know I loved this one! You Webers are party animals of the finest variety!
I love all the pictures, showing that you all have the very best sense of humor.
Happy Birthday to Dagny, and all the others who have been celebrated. Party on!

[Luna Crone]

Me'thinks there is something, about Southern women.... And pawtiesssssss! Perhaps it's in the water. Or simply, in their genes. Entertaining is as natural to them, as breathing. Whereas other women, from other sections of our big Beautiful Country, have work harder at it.... Southern women just DO it! Annnnnnd, have-a-ball doing it!!!!

Yes, it must be in the genes!

And so, the men enjoy it, as part of their lives. And the women grow up, watching their Mamas entertain and pawwwwty.... And the next generation goes merrily on...

Lucky!!!!!!!!!!!

Luna Crone

[Jennifer]

@Mari ... or we are just crazy, haaahaha xoxo

@Luna ... I bet northern women can throw down on some parties too. In my case it's just unavoidable so we go with it! Too many players! But thanks for the compliment! xoxo

[sally]

Oh, Jenny! This post is wonderful, seeing y'all so happy and filled with love for each other! The photos are awesome!

Little Dagny three already, she's such a cute little thing. And, I do believe she enjoys the parties as much, if not more, than anyone.

Andrew will soon be home. :)

xoxo

[Jennifer]

@Sally ... Yes Dagny has been reared on pawwwties! And she does love them because it means being with all her peeps. And thanks for understanding how much it means to me for Andrew to come HOME!!! Can't wait. xoxo

[Judy]

Might we not have a Labor Day pawty????
I love that your family is together all the time!!!
Just the way it should be!
XX OO

[Jennifer]

@Judy ... the jury's still out on the Labor Day Pawty but we'll sure be here eating and likely swimming and celebrating in a variety of ways, haaaha

xoxo