I wanted Allan to see what beautiful goodness he sent his wife for her 30th birthday.

(This white rose is so pretty – I would like to sleep in it. I could just wrap myself up in those petals!)

Allan sent Sum a gorgeous bouquet of flowers a few days before her birthday so that she could enjoy them while she was here. Wasn’t that thoughtful? And wasn’t it kind of him to watch Lincoln and Atticus for six days while Summy romped all over tarnation with us?

Thanks, boys!

The morning of Summer’s birthday I went to Whole Foods. In search of some tasty jingles and some flowers.

I wanted flowers inspired by the birthday girl’s personality. I was tempted by the gladiolas. They figured rather prominently in a film we made together in our teens: the Kenneth Branagh Fan Club Show, but, alas! I don’t have a vase to accommodate a flower that tremendous.

So I went with these –

Bold, exuberant and colorful – to me, these flowers say – S U M M E R!

The original plan was to bring Summer breakfast in bed. But when the bed happens to be an air mattress, I don’t know, that just doesn’t seem right.

Besides Summer was up before I could get breakfast organized.

Writing.

So we had her special birthday breakfast around the dining room table.

This was supposed to look more parfait-ish, but I guess if the yogurt is organic it doesn’t have any of those nasty chemicals to give it that perfect  fake creamy texture.

Our breakfast was continental: Lemon yogurt, mixed berries, crusty bread and hot chocolate.

There is something so inexplicably right about hot cocoa and bread. What it is? It is the perfect combination!

Summer had two requests:

1. She wanted to blow out candles.

2. She wanted to write.

(She makes Beauty’s request for a rose, in the classic tale, seem extravagant, no?)

I made sure that she got her candles right out of the gate.

Following breakfast she opened her gift.

Then we headed off to fulfil the birthday girl’s second wish.

Write!

Four hours we worked away on our screen plays. We had fights, we had had fun, we had high fives. In fact, at one point I was so excited when Summer figured out a solution to a problem in my screenplay I high fived her so hard I almost hit her in the face.

We are Kelly women.

This means we are passionate, enthusiastic and OPINIONATED.

It was a lot of work and a lot of FUN. Now that we are in our 30s I feel like we are better at collaborating, maybe?

I hope.

What do you think, Sum?

At any rate – we both enjoyed working on the each other’s projects – why is always so much easier to work on someone elses writing?!

We were edified by the whole experience – mucho.

Meanwhile back at the ranch Tess was holding everything together. (Bless you, Tess!)

We scurried home, had dinner and got everything ready before the rest of the fam arrived.

(more Italian feastings for Sum’s b-day din din)

Cam, Niks & John arrived first.

Then Ian and Allison followed.

With them they brought several important boxes from La Renaissance.

Which contained Summer’s birthday cakes.

Happy birthday was sung –

Wishes made, candles blown out –

carbohydrates consumed!

Summer wanted to take a photo of everyone.

We took a million, but here is a sampling of my faves,

straight forward.

everyone looking at Eno.

I call this one, Sisterly Affection…

Nice legs, ladies!

HUGS and GOODBYES

(BTW, Bette, Ian is a reformed weak hugger – just ask Tess.)

the end.

& happy birthday to you,

Summer Pixton

P.S. I don’t ever watch other people’s movies – but I am putting this up because there are some inside Kelly Family jokes that I KNOW my family will love. So here is us singing happy b-day to the b-day girl.

*Just to keep you from thinking I am the worlds biggest dingbat I had Jan give me a  little refresher course on my old roman numerals – I knew it was something about subtracting and adding, I just couldn’t quite remember how it all worked.

I was going to write XXX for Summer’s age, but it looked…well…it looked nasty. Like the rating for a dirty movie.  So I didn’t. But if we were all living in ancient Rome -you better believe I would have been showing off my mad numeral skills.