We start with the eve, 6/30, Claire’s Birthday.   These days, we have to be satisfied with a phone call and the personal rendition of “Happy Birthday”.  But we know that Isaac does a good job with blowing out the candles…he does it for ALL of us.  And with that the marathon of celebrations begins!!!  We usually remember July 3 (oh yea…Uncle Jerry’s Birthday) and July 4 (another special day, Uncle Sam’s Birthday).  And then comes July 5–Dave and Laura’s anniversary.  How could we ever forget that celebration in Alaska!  It seems like just yesterday… But we’ve only just begun.    

 We get a break on the 6th, just long enough to regroup!  And then comes 7/7  (we’re all about those numbers).   Stephen has officially “grown up”.  (He’s starting kindergarten…and you know what THAT means?  Don’t blink!!!)  Can you tell that this year’s party had a “Cars” theme?     

  Then comes our anniversary…has it really been 38 years?   I was in Texas on “the day”; but when you’re married to your best friend, everyday is a celebration!  We’ve been blessed!  Seven amazing kids (OK…we started with four and THEY picked three more!), five unbelieveable grandsons, one incredible granddaughter…yes, we’re blessed!   

And, of course, Dave’s birthday follows on 7/9.  This year, Dave got a Happy Birthday gift certificate to Home Depot.  It should come in handy with the new house.  (Oh, and they have moved in…)  

 We have a little bit of a break in the middle of the month, but we always remember Mama Krnavek’s birthday on the 15th.  It’s also the anniversary of Anna Mae’s passing.  We know they’re holding places for the rest of us…  

Happy Birthday to the King

Lauren and "Sponge Bob"

History was made this year on 7/24…Sponge Bob invaded our house on the eve of Lauren’s Birthday!!!  I never thought it would happen…but there he was.  Yes, another celebration even though the official one was on Sunday!  

And then the “king” had his day… 7/27…but he says he’s not having birthdays anymore.  I really don’t want to consider the implications there…just know he’s “aging gracefully”!  

BUT WE’RE NOT FINISHED YET!  Ah, yes, we move ever so slightly into August for JoJo’s birthday on 8/2. (He had a tractor party, but you’ll have to check with Karen for those pictures.)   We can’t believe he’s already three; but, as Karen says, it’s believeable when you realize he has two younger brothers!  

We made it to the Carey-Wilson Wedding on July 10, 2010.  Katie, Jan and the girls, plus Maw Maw and I made the trip to Plano.  We arrived on Friday night after a tense trip in Texas rain.  (That’s a story in itself!)  Following a good night’s sleep, we made our way to Christ’s Church in Plano, TX.  Out of respect, I didn’t take any pictures at the Church.  I can tell you that the Wedding Liturgy was beautiful!  This marriage started out with a beautiful blessing. 

The reception was held at South Fork and it was amazing.  I won’t detail all the special touches, there were too many.  Between the hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, candy table, picture booth, and barbecue dinner, we were able to visit so many people.  Check out the Picasa Album for more of the pictures.  http://picasaweb.google.com/krnaveks7872/07102010CareyWilsonWedding#  Thank you, Terri and Scott, for sharing this beautiful day of celebration with all of us.  It was SO MUCH FUN!

Congratulations, Kendra and Ryan!!!  God’s blessing be with you as you begin your lives together.

Everything was so beautiful, we both wanted to keep going on.  We stopped for coffee in Cooke City and went on to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone.  We made one of the loops going to Canyon, then across to Norris, and out the north gate.  We saw deer, elk, pronghorn, bison and a bear!  Everything was green and lush.  We had the pleasure of “smelling”, seeing, and traveling Yellowstone!  On the way home, we checked out the river, no rafters on it yesterday.  It was rockin’ and rollin’.  Traveling home through Paradise Valley and then on the Interstate to Billings had us both thanking God for giving us this privilege of living here.

If you’re up for a few pictures, here’s the link http://picasaweb.google.com/krnaveks7872/06222010DayTripToYellowstone#

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_838bcdd0-7cc2-11df-8fe9-001cc4c03286.html

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/96767284.html

http://www.ktvq.com/news/tornado-hits-billings/

THURSDAY:  We arrived, checked into motels, and gathered at Wes and Margie’s home.  It was great to get together with everyone who’d already arrived…yes, we crashed the Malish Reunion!  Rosalie and Philip, Elizabeth and Carl, and lots of the “kids” were there.  We got to “catch up” on a lot…and yet, it felt as if it was just the other day that we were together.  Margie had prepared a dinner for everyone there, by my count that was about 22 adults.  Sorry, no pictures.  Forgot the camera and the phone was down to 1/4 of the battery.  I know, tsk, tsk!

FRIDAY:  Six of the “Krnaveks” decided to go on to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.  Bernard drove which was an adventure in itself.  Here are a few of those pictures. 

The road up to the top was beautiful.  We stopped to check out the view and the critters.

We almost missed these guys on the way to Estes Park. 

OK…so the pictures were taken from inside the car.  What idiot would walk up to an elk???!!!  And then a few photos from Estes Park.  Can you believe it, the guys let us shop.  God bless ‘em!

We ended the day back at Wes and Margie’s home.  Again, Margie had a meal prepared for everyone there.  This time there were even more people.  I think the count went up to about 30!  Oh, and did I mention that she even had kolaches?  Oh yes…it was a celebration! 

SATURDAY:  Since we were “free” until five, we wanted to do something before all the celebrating began.  As it turned out, there were only four of us brave enough to check out the wineries around the area.  Someone must have told the others that it was going to be a “wild goose chase”.  We never found the winery in Niwot, but we did find something in an industrial area of Bolder.  Of course, it was closed.  Then there was the “meadery” in a strip mall…well, you get the idea.  We did find a nice “tasting room” on the highway up to Estes Park and left with memories and wine glasses!

                And then the CELEBRATION began. 

We all went to Saturday evening Mass, and afterwards went on to the chapel for Wes and Margie’s renewal of vows.  It was beautiful.  Then it was on to the hall for dinner and dancing.  These pictures don’t even do justice to the evening, but they’ll give you some idea.  Enjoy!

SUNDAY:  All good things must end…and so did the celebrating.  But not before one more “gathering” at Wes and Margie’s home.  A great time to say “so long but not good bye” to everyone!  We’ve got to do it again. 

               What a way to celebrate!!!