Texas-Size Birthday Bash!

by Lea
(Houston, Texas, USA)

In my family, many of us share the same birthday month: August. My grandmother, cousin, grandfather, uncle, and I are all August babies. My father was born at the end of July (so we consider him an August birthday when he lets us).

We’re scattered throughout the state of Texas, so we’ll each have our own private birthday parties with immediate family and local friends.

But on top of that, we pick one weekend in August to meet and throw a huge, collective birthday party. This giant, all-inclusive birthday is attended by many family members and friends.

Usually, this celebration is held at my grandparents’ farm in south Texas. One thing you must understand about Texas summers is that they’re HOT. It often tops 100 degrees most days in August!

So there are sprinklers, kiddie pools, and slip n’ slides set up in the yard for the kids (although the adults will start participating when it looks too good to pass up in the sweltering heat). There is always a full blown bar-b-que going, with plenty of food, drinks, and cakes, all brought in by family members.

Each year, someone is in charge of bringing a floral centerpiece as part of my grandmother’s birthday gift. It will grace the middle of the long picnic table where we gather to eat. Each centerpiece seems to "top" the previous years’, whether through creativeness, color, or sheer size!

There's a rush to bring it inside when it begins wilting from the heat, but my grandmother always seems to revive it somehow.

She displays it in the middle of her own dining table as long as possible, to remind her of the fun we had at our Texas family birthday bash!