Breakfast Bonanza! Or, how much bacon can one family eat?

After a good deal of interesting family dynamics in action, we were invited to the folks' for a big family breakfast this morning. Grandmother and Uncle David had arrived Friday evening so they could attend a cousin's wedding on Saturday. My Sister-In-Law's mom was coming, and my cousin Lisa and her husband were expected to come as well. It was a Big Deal, and in spite of two weeks of weirdness, when the invitation was extended yesterday, my desire to see my Grandmother trumped anything else, so I said we'd attend. (We being Big Eddie, Jasper, and myself, as the big boys wouldn't be home from Omaha at 8:00am).

The food was plentiful. Oh, what a feast was prepared--a sausage, cheese, egg, and hashbrown breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, fresh berries and cantaloupe, pancakes (your choice of plain, chocolate chip, or blueberry), and ever so much bacon. I think they said they cooked three packages of bacon. That's three pounds, and there were only two pieces remaining by the time we left.


I hadn't seen my Grandmother since early spring of this year, when Jasper was only a couple of months old, so getting to visit with her was wonderful. She is both my only remaining grandparent, as well as the woman I admire pretty much more than anyone else. Grandmother is 88 years old, lives on her own, knits and crochets better than anyone I've ever met (she's the one who taught me when I was a little girl). She is a brilliant, multi-faceted, talented, and fascinating person. I'm absolutely kicking myself right now, because I didn't get any photos of her and Jasper together. She doesn't come down to visit often, as she lives 300 miles away in Valentine, Nebraska. I did, however, get my brother to snap this picture of she and I together:

She's a great lady

The breakfast was quite the to-do. It was hot in the house, noisy from everyone talking, so many pots of coffee were brewed and consumed, everyone ate and ate and ate. It was awesome.

Cathy and Dad

  

YAY! Cousin Lisa!

It was especially special for my brother and sister-in-law--with everyone gathered there, they decided it was the perfect time to announce that they're expecting their first baby, who will be born next spring. SQUEE!

The expectant parents, whose awesomeness cannot be adequately captioned.

That's my pop, and my inkybaby.

Dad was tickled because this was the first time Jasper had spent any length of time at the folks' house without crying and whining and generally being unhappy. Jasper was so awesome--he endured being passed around to everyone, ate mushed up breakfast casserole, tried juice for the first time, oohed and aahed over the light fixtures, and TRIED TO CRAWL! Now I'm kicking myself because I didn't get a picture of THAT, either.

Truly, a fine time was had by all.