Madi’s Birthday Bowling Party
Hey there!
We are still in Arkansas, heading home tomorrow after we drop Charlotte off at camp. Yesterday was Madi Rose’s 17th birthday, and we had a family bowling party to celebrate. None of us bowl very often, so it was a fairly level playing field, which is to say that we were all terribly out of practice with a few notable exceptions of which I was not one. It was a ridiculous amount of fun! There were about 15 of us– even Mama June drove over from Hot Springs and brought her daughter Kim who was visiting from Dallas and her son, Charlotte’s favorite cousin Danny (brother to Gorgeous Mandy and Hot Cousin Billy, who unfortunately, were not there.) If you have not gone bowling in a loooong time, I heartily recommend it. Some highlights:
Charlotte started off slow, but under the careful tutelage of her cousin Daniel she blossomed and actually made a strike at one point. Here’s a shot of her early score…
Madi was too busy rockin’ Nanno’s socks to really concentrate on her game, but she was the most enthusiastic of us all, and every frame she bowled ended with this pose, regardless of the outcome:
The Scorekeeper
Since we were in a bowling alley in Arkansas, of course we needed a baby on the floor, so we brought our own. This is my niece Leah’s baby girl, Perri Elizabeth, wearing the cutest dang bow headband made by her doting grandmother, Liz: (Hey Leah! I Photoshopped the sweet potato spit-up right off her bib! You’re welcome.)
Madi and Charlotte are obviously stunned by my flawless bowling form:
After the bowling, we went back to Mom and Dad’s for ice cream sundaes and Nertz. Since we were all cake-d out, Mama June baked Madi a birthday lemon merengue pie, which made my sweet Daddy so happy you’d have though it was his birthday! I will share more photos tomorrow, but I’ll leave you with this priceless footage of my nephew Daniel the Computer Genius who is also apparently a Bowling Genius, carefully instructing his mom Carolyn in the finer points of the sport…
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Oh my gosh… she made a strike!!! Way to go, Carolyn!!!
Tori, it is so much fun getting to know your family through your blog. How lucky my daughter is to have married into such a wonderful group… and AR’s little cousin is so precious. I was just wondering… can you PhotoShop macaroni and cheese out of hair???
Happy belated birthday Madi Rose. Looks like the bowling party was a huge success!
Bowling has certainly changed since I was in the leagues some 30+ years ago. We used to keep score on a paper form, and had to crane our necks and squint to see how many pins were left standing. Now, according to one of your photos, it’s all electronic, complete with a close-up of the pins, and it even tells you the speed of the ball! Might be worth a trip back to the alley if I thought the ol’ body could handle it.
Your PhotoShop skills are impressive. But you know, while it was lovely to hear your voice on the video footage, I’m sure seeing that “flawless form” that Madi and Charlotte were so taken with would have been even MORE impressive! LOL
And it would seem that Daniel the Computer Genius is a most excellent teacher. A strike on the first ball?!?! What are the odds?
I’m so glad that you were all able to get together for a family fun-day. These are memories that you’ll all cherish forever.
Love the victory pose for a gutter ball.
I think ‘I’m not quite sure yet’ was a very TACTFUL response.
If I don’t get to hear Tori’s laugh at least once a year I am sad,
so this is twice in 5 weeks. (Tori, please call me and cackle.)
Madi, are you ready for me to come to Nashville and let you drive my car? Are you driving yet?
Be safe on the next leg of the journey, girls.
Way to go Carolyn! That is priceless footage too Tori! I haven’t bowled since I graduated from college. I used to go over to the Rec Center and bowl all the time then. Oh well, that’s what happens when you become a teacher. ROTFL
Hey Tori, you did such a FANTASTIC job on that baby picture. How about I send you around…say….100 of my pictures and let you clean them up for me? LOL Just kidding. You did a good job though. I’ve got to load the 75 I took of Michael last night and work on them if I get a minute while at this conference. If you can use that Photoshop and make me look any thinner, I’m all for it Tori.
I betcha I haven’t bowled in over 20 years… that brought back some memories! Now bowling alleys… “allies”????? —-> all over the continent are going to pick up in business because Tori teased us with this adventure.
Happy Birthday Madi Rose… belated!
Now wait I just bowled last weekend… where was it… oh!! in my living room!!! Did pretty good too… <<>> Had a birthday party for my niece, so I guess I had a bowling party too.
I was supposed to put in there — on the Wii!!!
Tori, that bowling video is awesome! Way to go Carolyn! I am very impressed. Happy birthday to Madi! Perri is adorable. I was wondering where she is getting all those adorable bows. I have serisously never seen them up her in Wisconsin. Nathan assures me they are a ‘southern thing’. Thanks for the great post. Looks like you all had a glorious time.
(I just sent Carolyn a congratulations on her facebook account. Do you think she will see it? …and the bigger question…did I even send it correctly?)
OMG, that looks like so much fun!!!! I wanna go bowling! Tori, can we have a “babybloomr convention and bowling party” somewhere in the continental United States? With snacks and prizes? And free lessons from Daniel? I’m sure we could do that in “Tori’s World”!
Happy birthday, Madi!!! You demonstated a good life lesson—-even when you’re in the gutter, celebrate the fact that you had the opportunity to go there! LOL
I think Carolyn is a “secret bowler”. She had a fine smooth form, no bouncing of the ball, no gutter ball (unlike others)and she didn’t trip. And then A STRIKE!!! I do think I’ve seen her on the bowling channel…the team in the bright pink shirts…?!
Oh, and Happy Birthday Miss M!
Had to watch that video several times just for the cackle (and the talk)
You should bottle that Tori and sell it on ebay. A whole new career for you. Many happy returns to Madi!
Only time I ever went bowling I left a finger in the ball !!
Oh I am so happy to see these pictures and to read about Madi’s birthday celebration. I looked on my calendar and wished Madi a Happy Birthday…and wondered what she was doing that day. It was such a great idea and I know y’all had a lot of fun.
Happy Birthday, Madi….I’m a little late writing it to you….but right on time sending you my love and wishes for a great day for a great girl! Love you.
great googly moogly, i remember 17 years ago reading a tiny blurb in CCM magazine, the birth announcement for your Madi. my son was a baby then too, about a year old. how fun, a bowling party, we need to do that soon. i can’t bowl yet but can sit and knit and watch lol.
happy birthday madi – not too long ago you were the baby on the floor of the bowling alley. and just maybe not too far down the road, that baby on the carpet could be yours! (tho it’s hilarious to think of your folks as grandparents . . . . they’re as young as i am lol!)
stay close, luvya tori,
sammi =)
Wow. Look out Wes Mellot!