We're so buff...

Each Fast Sunday my brother Pete and my cousin Aaron and their families gather with ours to share a delicious meal together and celebrate any nearby birthdays. With a dozen kids between us boisterousness and noise are never in short supply

This summer we'd gotten a little off-schedule due to conflicting vacation plans, so we held our get-together yesterday celebrating all of the summer birthdays at once. Since my Uncle Bobby and his family were in town from Oklahoma they also got to join in the festivities, bringing our guest total to an impressive 23 people.
There literally were people everywhere in our house, including this picnic of cousins eating my version of Cafe Rio taco salad. Yum!


Then, as per our tradition, we had the five summer babies (Cami, Aunt Mary, baby Jakob, cousin Aaron, and Glen) blow out the candles on the gorgeous four-layered multicolored cake that Trish created.

Last time such a large group of Crains gathered together we ended up with a giant leg wrestling tournament--which was quite as entertaining as you might imagine.

This time it was arm wrestling. Glen gave a formidable performance--losing to Aaron, but eventually beating out my cousin Ryan after a five minute grueling match of endurance.

Then, don't ask me how it happened, but I somehow got talked into challenging Aaron's wife, Trish. The first match between us ended in a draw after Trish's son, JD walked into the room and seeing his Mom's strain, came to her rescue by pushing my arm down on her side. But after a rematch where all children were required to retain more passive roles in the contest I finally ended victorious! I'm still suffering from a weak, sore arm, but I can't help but to feel a little more buffed now. ;)

Our laughing and cheering proved contagious to the younger set, with each of my five children challenging someone to a duel of strength!