Back yard cook out, year 2

Last year, when Regina's brother Sam and his wife Frankie came to visit, we grilled sausages and onions. We all had a grand time!

This year, Sam and Frankie got here on Thursday, Little Jim's birthday. Sam, Pride and I took down the gates and got the trailer situated in the backyard. It seemed that it was harder to park this year than last year, that gate opening must have shrunk or the trailer got wider.

Remember how hard of a time it was getting the trailer out of the yard last February? I do.

So Saturday night, we had another installment on our yearly "Sam and Frankie came to visit, lets grill some meat, drink some beer and have a grand time!" cookout.

Neighbor Jack Pettijohn didn't make the event this year, he was down at the farm deer hunting with his nephew Steve. No word whether or not they got a deer. But I am sure they are having fun and staying warm. Jack built a new farmhouse a couple years ago after a disastrous flue fire burned down the old farm house.Jack and son Jim unloading supplies at the old farm house.

We fired up the grill, put some hamburgers on and everyone had a grand time.

Neighbor and good friend Sharon Pettijohn, DIL and neighbor Kristin Lee, daughter Sara Lee, niece Peggy Crable, SIL Frankie Crable and her husband and Regina's brother Sam Crable cutting up jackpots in our kitchen.

Frankie Crable (partially obscured), Kristin Lee, Regina Lee and Sharon Pettijohn sitting at the kitchen table.

The cute little girls! Mattie (Pride and Peggy's daughter), Sophie (Jim and Kristin's daughter), Skyler (Brooke's daughter), Maya (Travis' daughter) and Sadie, who looks up to them all (Jim and Kristin's daughter). (See how they've grown!)

I asked Ganey to look at the camera so I could take her picture. Since I was using her camera and wasn't quite familiar with the controls, it took several tries before I was able to snap this shoot. Patiently, Ganey humored me. Notice the smoke beginning to billow out of the grill?

When Ganey opened up the lid of the grill, the fat from the burgers caught fire and flared up. You can't hear it but she is hollering, "Somebody bring me some water, quick, the burgers are burning!"

Quick thinking son Jim, who is carrying Sadie (You can barely see her through all the smoke) arrived in the nick of time and, while he didn't have any water, he did have a can of Coor's Light. That's why the burgers are savored with the essence of smoke and beer! They were good!

Frankie and Ganey taking the burgers off the grill by the light of a flashlight. Yesterday, I put in some more outdoor lights so we can see through the smoke when we grill.

Good, grilled burgers!

Ganey's brother Sam Crable and our son Jim chit-chatting on the back porch.

Daughter Sara and 12 year-old grandson Trey enjoying an after dinner cigarette and a slouch.

Grandson Austin (and Kristin's red-headed step child!) balances a plate of food on his lap while his dad drinks some "no, Sadie, you can't have any of that, that's Daddy's 'juice'."

While Mattie and Sophie enjoyed their chocolate cupcakes,

Sadie was quite content with her cheese sandwich.

Sadie passed a milestone during this cookout. Her older brother Trey taught her how to step down from the stoop to the porch floor. She hasn't quite mastered going up the stoop standing, but she did good going down. Which she did for quite some time, each time looking at us watching, expectantly awaiting our cheers and applause!:Sadie climbing up.

Sadie stepping down.

Sadie climbing up.

Sadie getting some practical advice on navigating the stoop step from her older brother Trey.

Later that evening, Sadie gave me a rock.

Ain't life grand!