Roy's surprise birthday party {Part 4}

Yes, if you can believe it, I still have more photos to share from our trip to Connecticut.  Remember back in Part 1 when I shared that we helped two special people celebrate their birthdays?  First up was our niece, Lydia.  Second up was Patrick's Uncle Roy.  He turned 80 years old and his wife, Betty, threw him a surprise birthday party.  Over 50 people came out for the big event.  

Betty and Roy spend part of the year in Connecticut and the other part in Florida.  When they are in Connecticut, they stay at this lovely little cottage in Wallingford.  This place is gorgeous!  What a setting!  Betty took Roy to Mystic the day before (surprisingly, we did not run into them!) while Karen, their daughter, and sons, Rick, Allen, and Chris prepared for the big shin dig.  They all made amazing food, and others did also, including Ron, Betsy, and Michele.

The cottage is situated at the top of a hill.  It's so idyllic, a perfect location to snap a few photos.  The family photo below just makes me laugh.  I totally did not coordinate our clothes, yet somehow this is what we ended up wearing that day. lol.  Too bad Madeline is also sporting those grouchy furrowed eyebrows.  And well, the top half of Patrick's head blends in with the blown out sky.  Um, not quite the wall hanging family photo.  Oh well.

We did manage a few others.

Here's Patrick with his sister, Michele.

Down at the bottom of the hill is a little pond.  So very pretty.

Madeline was fascinated with all the leaves on the ground, and Lydia's red sparkle shoes.

This day could not have been scripted any better.  It was such a New England fall day- a coolness in the air, leaves changing, listening to football on our phones while the kids tossed the football around on the hill.

Madeline broke out in an impromptu rendition of her ballet number from her spring recital.

And she ran away from my camera every chance she got.

Either that or she just did her own thing, like trying to take her shirt off.  Nice.  First the pants, now the shirt.

Football is well loved and played in this family.  All three of Betty and Roy's boys, Rick, Allen, and Chris, played college ball. And now Allen's son, Eric, is playing too.  The littles had so much fun chasing after him and the ball.  Eric was so great with them.

Well, as you can see I spent most of my time behind the camera capturing images of the kids.  Lydia doesn't get to see her cousins too often.  So I really wanted to capture the fun they were having together that day.  Such wonderful memories were made.  Thanks Betty, Karen, Rick, Allen, and Chris for putting together an amazing party.  It's one day we will never forget.