August 26

It's the day that Patrick Jerome, Jr celebrates his birthday.  Every year.  Dude just gets older and older.  And older.  And every day he just kicks more ass.  So proud and wishing him lots of birthday love!

Birthday Ponderings

Birthdays

Birthdays are often considered milestones for an individual and a time to celebrate the person who literally did NOTHING and yet he/she is the hero of the day.  Coming from a large family as we do, birthday celebrations are quite common and yet each is special in its own way.  My last birthday celebrated at home was for my, maybe I should say our, twenty-first. The celebration started the night before with absolutely no drinking with our delicious Double Jumbo Markum Burgers (RIP).  The five brothers then headed to Spirit Mountain Casino!  Upon arrival the date had already changed to August nineteenth!  We celebrated with shots and drinks that may or may not have been served out of the trunk of the Jeep.  We proceeded inside to the bar where a drunk gentleman proceeded to buy us two rounds of Jaeger Bombs (at five dollars each) when he found we were celebrating a double twenty-first birthday! We then continued onto the casino floor where I went and bought myself an expensive gift. Gambling. What a fun gift.  Throughout the night and possibly being caught on cameras in the parking lot the whole casino seemed to know who we were. We were celebrities for our charming personalities and tantalizing conversations! Haha.  Well we made it to the morning where we were to meet the rest of the family at Lincoln City.  Greg and I definitely held our alcohol like champs and we ate a champion’s breakfast before going to the beach! Ok, maybe I couldn’t eat anything and maybe Greg fell asleep at the table (my memory is a bit fuzzy).   I do recall making it to the beach where the sun was shining, well as much as Oregon allows. We then had a fun day of activities on the beach.  Before heading back I remember going to Chinook Winds with our OLD man (he is sixty!).  All in all this was an amazing twenty-first!

 After having lived overseas now for three years (give or take a month or two), I have realized how important birthdays are to me.  This is a time our family always spends together and celebrates whoever’s birthday it is.  As we get older we need and seem to want less.  For our birthday Greg and I have always celebrated together and Pat is normally nice enough to let us celebrate with him, what a nice big brother!  This has been some amazing memories of the family coming together and spending quality time together.  The last four birthdays I have had have been overseas and away from family. I am now aware of how much I don’t like celebrating my birthday.  This has been something I’ve always shared with my twin and on occasions Pat.  Celebrating my birthday is not something I have overly enjoyed.  I am excited for all the birthdays to come in our family whether it is the young or the old celebrating! Happy Birthday Greg and in a week happy birthday Pat!

Respectfully Submitted,

Sgt. Fennimore, G.J.

MSG Det. Havana, Cuba

Summer

Usually summer is the horribly sunny, dry, and hot season that I only tolerate because this season is next:

Goofy buggers.

But today I had a chance to really enjoy a summer Friday morning--picked pears, apples, prunes, and blackberries on the farm with my own family.  I forgot how much I hate grass seeds in my socks but I got over it and we have some great fruit and great memories.  Which got me thinking about other summer memories...like camping! 

Great big 'ol family camping trips.  Looking back, I am still amazed that we all made it to adulthood, limbs in tact and no one incarcerated. I mean seriously...

Crazy, right?

Crazy amount of fish!

Crazy licorice-sneaker!

Crazy amount of cheating going on here.

I mean seriously!  Who thought THAT was a good/safe/sane/legal idea?!?!?

Who gave Ken an ax?  We already know who asked Mitch to hold the wood....

Once again, good looks save the day!

How to Do a BBQ: Our Memorial Day

Yes.  I know it's July.  And yes, I'm aware that Memorial Day was in May.  If you're quick at math, and about half (okay, more than half) of the Fenns are, you'll be able to calculate I'm running a couple months behind. 

Yup. That's reality, folks.

Now onto our regularly scheduled Memorial Day.
memorial; (adj) preserving the memory of a person or thing; commemorative.

In our family we remember and honor many things.  And we like to celebrate.  A lot.  Which means that Memorial Day is a good outlet for combining our interests.  This year it was a BBQ at the farm--a first but most definitely not a last.

How does one have a farm BBQ?  Well I'm glad you asked, my friend.  Here's how:

Get some guys to set up some tables and stuff.

Lock a nephew in the dog's pen. 

Don't worry, he'll climb out when no one is watching.

Okay, next step: bring some kids, some dogs, and a snake sprinkler.

You'll need some cherries and bairs...I mean strawberries and chairs.

Throw in a boat...I mean, what's a BBQ without a boat?

Add more chairs (clean 'em off first), more people, and more food.

Careful to not get too crazy now.

And always remember those who couldn't join us today.

Come Boss!

Anyone growing up at a particular address on Cascade Highway NE, knows what that means...time to feed the cows!

The 6th for the 60th

Someone had a birthday in April.  A pretty important birthday.  Big in the fact that he's now been alive six decades.  Whew, right?

We got a pretty cool, major rainstorm right before dinner.  One of my favorite kinds where the sky is dark and yet somehow the sun still hits the rain as it pounds down.  Just awesome.

Luckily, before we ate, the weather was great for grillin' and chillin'.

But as I said before...it rained.  People had to come in and canines had to stay out.

Plenty of room for all the people!

But for some weird reason, no one wanted to sit by these guys...weird, right?

They were chill by cake time though.

And then we got to do a great big, and I do mean GREAT BIG, family photo to celebrate the announcement of a 6th grandchild.  A perfect way to celebrate 60!