My Birthday Party!

We decided to have a few friends over last night for a little get together, but somehow it turned into a birthday party for me :-) I've never had a birthday party....ever! My dear friend Jennifer even made me a cake (and it was delish!).

Jeff started marinating the ribs Friday night and then he made his secret rub Saturday morning (with a little help from Anna Kate.)



Our friends arrived at 4:00 and the kids came ready to get in the pool.
Left to Right: Brooks (6), Brantley (3), Georgia (6), Anna Kate (4).

We let the kids swim while Jeff grilled the ribs. The kids had hot dogs and chips, while the adults had ribs, potato salad, baked beans, corn relish (recipe to follow) and bread. YUM!!! Jeff's ribs received RAVE reviews :-) Then it was time for the blow-out-the-candle-ceremony.

After the kids got all hyped up on chocolate cake they decided to have a 'dance contest'.

This would be Anna Kate & Brantley break dancing!

Then it was time for the girls to go on a road trip............on the golf cart, lol! But nothing, NOTHING beats the entertainment we were about to witness out on the back porch when we returned!!!

Duane imitating Jennifer doing the 'Cabbage Patch'...



This is Derick's reaction to Duane's performance.



Jennifer (we call her 'JMo') and Duane (affectionately called 'Hoop')


And don't forget their 18 month old daughter Jada, who joined in the dancing fun.
We had so much fun last night. Everyone left around 10:00 and I stayed up until midnight or so cleaning up the house.

Oh, before I forget here is the corn relish recipe. I wasn't crazy about it, but everyone else seemed to like it.

Creamy Corn Relish

- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 3 Fresh ears of sweet corn
- 1/3 cup sour cream (I used the fat free)
- Milk to taste (I used 1%)

Shuck and clean corn. In small bowl combine olive oil and paprika. Brush corn with oil mixture. Lightly sprinkle corn with salt & pepper. Grill corn directly over medium heat for 12-15 minutes turning once. Carefully cut kernels from cob. Transfer to bowl; stir in sour cream. Season with additional salt & pepper. Stir in milk to desired creaminess and enjoy.

Finally, thank you to our friends and to Jeff and Anna Kate for giving me a wonderful birthday weekend. I love you all!