cookout

[my nephew's gecko cake]

last weekend, we celebrated T and my nephew's birthdays. it was T's last year in his twenties, and our nephew's fifth birthday. so, how'd we celebrate? with a cookout, loads of water balloons, a slip 'n slide, and some amazing family + friends in attendance.  

[mid water balloon fight]

it was our nephew's (and niece's) first time with slip 'n slide and water balloons. i'm not completely sure they got either, but i know they had a blast. :)

the food was insanely delicious. several of our friends brought dishes that paired well with our theme. but, my favorite dish of all was T's brisket...i still have dreams about it!

[all the glorious sides]

[porch lounging while a storm rolls through]

we sang happy birthday, snacked on birthday treats, and played with my nephew and niece before they went home. one of my favorite moments from the day was when i overheard my nephew say to his dad, "this was the best birthday ever". 

then, the rest of the gang stuck around for mojitos, corn hole, giant jenga, and a little firepit action...

[little charlie had to be in the photo]

thanks to our tribe, T had a pretty killer birthday surrounded by some of his favorite people...i don't think i've seen him laugh that hard in quite some time. so i'd say it was the perfect celebration for my mr clean.