Just two weeks after our trip to Puerto Vallarta with Lea’s family, we met up with them again – only this time in Mesa, AZ – to celebrate the birth of famed Grandpa, Arnie Prohaska!  Loved by all for his pranks, quick wit, sweet demeanor, and baby blues, I don’t believe Arnie has ever met a foe.  He and Grandma Thelma winter in areas known for their dry heat (Thelma doesn’t do humidity), and have been leasing winter homes in communities in the Phoenix area for the past few years.  This snow bird subculture was a real eye opener for me!

 

More on that later.  First things first…babies.  I forgot to mention in the PV post that Anna hails from Palmas, Brazil.  So to see her on two occasions in the same month is quite a treat!

 

 

Yes, quite on the polar end of the chronological scale, Anna dazzles us even when her Grandpa Don lovingly feeds her her own feet.

 

 

When we first arrived at the house, we were met by all of Arnie and Thelma’s kids (Lea’s aunts and uncles).  While Tim and Don whipped up some Bloody Mary’s, the sisters were busy party planning, and Lea and I went for a walk to get our bearings around the community.

 

 

When we got back to the house, the group had pulled the folding chairs out into the street to sun themselves and shoot the poodle until the party at the community clubhouse started later in the afternoon.  It’s really not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Tim.  Sweet…beautiful…Tim.

 

 

Here he is.  The man of the hour.  Arnold F Prohaska.  His shirt says it all.  Wow!

 

 

 

 

Ooooh, and here they all are together.  I can’t imagine life was ever very quiet around their house growing up…  And just check out Judi and her sassy new de-braced pearly whites!  Lookin’ good, Judje!

By order of intelligence, that’s Connie (bottom-middle-right), Terri a.k.a. Herold (bottom-left), Judi (bottom-middle-left), Tim (top-right), Pat (bottom-right ) and Don (top-left).

 

 

Thelma knows.

 

 

And look who decided to show up fashionably late.  Anna’s always putting things off to catch up on her beauty sleep.  I’ll allow it.

 

 

So here’s the incredible part.  There were approximately 60 people who attended Arnie’s 80th birthday party in Mesa, AZ.  60!  I can’t get 60 people to show up for my anything, no matter where I am.  But they’re all from around Arnie’s hometown, and they all come down here during the winter.  It’s like three months of senior citizen spring break (sans wet t-shirt contests).  They layout, they party, they flirt, they sleep in if they want to.  This is the life!

 

If you can believe it, they were a pretty well behaved bunch…

 

 

 

 

 

 

…until the after party.

 

Arnie and Thelma had everyone over to the house, and you wouldn’t believe how fast they swarmed the beverage table when Arnie brought out the hard alcohol.  Like Piranha to a wounded goat.  I guess it’s a little easier on the digestion than all that foamy beer they were serving at the clubhouse.  What’s funny is that Lea, Reid and I couldn’t even keep up.  We were laying on the floor in the living room when we heard all the commotion coming from outside.  I’m glad they woke us up, though – this really is a fun bunch.

 

Here’s Arnold, Marion and Robert – siblings.

 

 

And here are the night owls.  They’re still at it, and it’s almost dark out!

 

 

It was a heckuva day, for sure.  Arnold turned 80, his son Don turned 45, and his son Caleb turned 18 (across three generations, they all have the same birthday).  Tidbits like that were flowing in my ears all day long.  When you become this mature, you’ve seen it all and have a lot to share.  I’m glad they shared it with me.

 

Happy birthday, Grandpa Arnie!

 

P.S. – The next day, I watched him shoot his first hole-in-one!