It's now tradition.  This year was second  that good friends traveled up to celebrate one of the friends birthday.  They don't just come up, they also get a hotel and invite all my kids to sleep over.  There is outdoor time, pool time, play time.  The kids whirl around the mamas in a blur or excitement while we try to chat over the constant hum (or bellow) of noise.  This year there was the addition of two new puppies who seemed to flow right into the mix.