MJ was less than thrilled with the weather early in the morning of her wedding reception.

Margy told her to take it easy, don't worry about a thing, we have it all under control.  Go buy us all Thank You presents while we put together the flower arrangements, set up the tables and finish decorating the cake.

Cary made the cake and decorated it.  That's why he showed up Friday night with a bowl o' cake; it was the tops of each layer which had had to be leveled off.  It was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting in a basket weave pattern all over the tops, and white trim around the edges and swagged on the sides.  It was three levels tall, each level consisting of two layers with raspberry jam between the layers.

It was gorgeous.

Just like the day turned out to be.

All the clouds dispersed by noon.

We set up a dozen large round tables all around the yard, put on the cloths and filled 50 clear jars with an assortment of flowers.  Each table got a center piece of three or four jars.

While the adults hung lights and draped tables, I took a handful of the kids over to Pam's house to swim before it was time to get into our party duds.  Mom was kinda hoping she could get a picture of all the grandkids.  They've never been in the same place at the same time.  It didn't happen.  Some of the babies couldn't get to Grandma's until the party started and let me tell you; when this party started there was no stopping it.

Out of all the invitations that MJ sent out, only two of the invitees couldn't come.  Everyone else showed up, including several recluses and a hermit.  Mom ordered all of us to be nice to the guests and mingle.

"I don't want to see you all sitting at the same table ignoring Mary Jeanne and Kent's friends!"  she said.

She could've saved her breath.  The crowd was jammed with people we've all known and loved since we were little and the handful that only MJ and Kent knew were quickly introduced and made themselves right at home.

Two hours after the party started, the caterers were dishing up the best smelling dinner I've ever been around, the house and yard were filled with people eating, drinking laughing and having a blast.

That's when another front pounced on us as though it had been waiting right behind those trees, waiting until everyone was in the grass with a plate of food, to open the sky and dump about six feet of rain all over the beautiful tables, flowers and paper lanterns hanging from all the trees.

No one left.

No one.

I didn't know Mom and Dad's garage could hold so many people.

There were folks in the garage, folks in the kitchen, the living room, the basement, the bedrooms the bathrooms and huddled under the deep eaves all around the house. 

All the kids under the age of ten took the opportunity to strip off their good clothes and go run through the rain.  Yes, there was thunder, but it didn't seem like it meant it.

At one point, I was standing by the front door (It was now twenty degrees cooler outside than in the house) and Gus (he's five) roaking wet and shirtless.

"Hey Gus!" I yelled "Is this the best party ever?"

"No," he yelled back "My shoes are squishy!"

"Yes!" his sister Hattie yelled.  She was barefoot and soaked to the skin.  "This is THE BEST PARTY EVER!"

The rain didn't last long and when it was done, it seemed a bit cooler.  People wandered outside again.  Around nine, all of the folks over 60 went home, leaving just the underAARPS to do shots and dance.  My daughter asked me to do a shot of tequila with her.  It was awful, I don't like tequila.  I rinsed my mouth out with a shot of yummy vodka.

At 10:30, my sister reeled up to me and accused me of drinking all the tequila.  Since what she actually yelled was "Why'd ya drink all the pequita?!" I think we all know what really happened.  She was last seen flopping about on the kitchen floor like a carp on a sidewalk.   

The party lasted until after 2:00.  It had included a beautiful picnic, great food, a thunderstorm, old friends, new relatives, drinking, dancing, fighting and running through the rain half naked.

Best Party Ever.