Nick's Open House 2021

 If you're looking for updates on my art life, you won't find any today...this is all about Nick and his open house.  Stay tuned for art work and knitting later this week!  😄

It turned out to be a beautiful day, both weather wise and party time!  Nick's open house was so much fun!  Good food, good drinks (just ask my hubby and Amber!), family and friends.  I haven't seen some of the kids friends since Amber's open house 3 years ago!  Just so much fun!  The kids house and entertaining area is beautiful and they out did themselves setting up displays for Nick's accomplishments.

I made this photo album for Nick.  Amber got an exploding box for her gift but I thought Nick would prefer a book...just a few photos of him as a baby and growing up.  You can see her exploding box here.

We were so excited for this baby boy!  This is my baby boy holding his son!

Grandpa teaching Nick how to drive the tractor!  

Just some candid shots

I remember this day like it was yesterday!  We were each racing cars down the driveway.  I put my camera (a digital camera not a phone!) on the back of my car to take our picture!  I love the look on Nick's face!

There are many other pages of pictures but I didn't want to add any more to this post!

Darrin and Kris did a phenomenal job displaying Nick's school accomplishments...from academics to football to Lacrosse, which he has excelled at!  

He looks so much like his grand dad (Jerome, who has passed) and his dad, Darrin!  He's a handsome young man...yep, I can say that because I'm his grandma!

Nick is attending Lawrence Tech University here in Michigan in a few weeks.  He's on the Lacrosse team and will be studying Mechanical Engineering.

It was so nice to see Nick enjoying himself.  That's, Teh, Nick's roommate at LTU this year.  He's also in Lacrosse and studying Mechanical Engineering.  A nice young man!

This sign is awesome!  Sure different from when we graduated or even when my kids graduated!  

Oh my gosh...the cake was so good...OK, really the frosting was SO good!!!!  I love frosting more so than the cake but it was also good.

Kris had a wonderful dessert selection!!!  Goodness...so many choices!

Kris had a separate area for ingredients to make Smores later in the evening!  

And packaged cookies!  Yep, we took two cookies home and cake!  My piece was an end cut to get all that frosting!

Bob was upset that I didn't bring home an Rice Crispy treats!  

Kris always out does herself when she is hostess.  My daughter and Kris could have a catering business and it would thrive!  They are both awesome at it!

I understand the 'kids' did go swimming later in the evening.  The open house didn't start until 5 p.m. but I think the pool was filled by 8 or so!

My son and Kris worked on building this beautiful Pergola and just finished it this past month.  Darrin also had to move the fencing he had around the pool out to extend around the pergola.  Darrin can build anything!  And he does good work. 

This is another view of their entertainment area.

Another relaxing area by the pool.

and a visitor who is nesting (she already hatched one set of babies!) again!  

The kids had tents set up outside the garage for folks to enjoy the delicious food.

Of course the food was spectacular!  So good...Marinated chicken, roasted potatoes, Italian pasta, garlic bread, a wonderful salad with every fixing you'd want, veggies with all different dips and a beautiful fruit salad.  Yum, Yum..and they had a frozen margarita machine and a Slushy machine.  I was a good girl and only drank 1/2 cup..now grandpa, on the other hand, we won't say!!!!

Games were in the front yard...no, I didn't play.  I was too busy talking to folks I haven't seen in 3 or more years!

Our beautiful grand daughter!  Grandpa was teasing her because she'll usually get Bob his drink when he gets to their house....but Amber's mom, our DIL Kris, beat her to it this time!  So of course, Bob had to tease Amber!  

And my boy with his quilt!

This is a great picture of Nick with his mom, Kris!  I love it!

And Nick with his girlfriend, Braylon.  She's a sweetheart too.  They both leave for their respective colleges on August 19th.  It will be hard on the kids but I think they'll both be so busy with school and starting classes they'll only miss each other a few hours a day.

It was a wonderful celebration!  I thank the kids for all the work they did as well as Auntie Dawn and Uncle Jeff for helping the kids set up the past few days!  

Nick is a great kid and has made his parents and us so proud of all he's accomplished.  We'll all miss Nick but happy for him moving into this new journey and the start of manhood!  And can't wait to see where this journey takes him!!!  Love ya!