It's Our Party, and We'll Cry If We Want To

What's the first thing you do when you buy a neglected old house? Paint the walls, tidy the yard? No..organise a party!
Before we left England we told everyone we would be having our housewarming party on July 22nd. Of course we didn't have a house then, but it seemed a minor point at the time.
The reason for this date is because it is the weekend of Ross' 50th birthday. Traditionally we have celebrated every year with a barbecue in our back garden in England. So this year, we wanted to hold an extra special one in the garden of our new home and invite as many of our friends from around the world as possible.
The good news is that we do indeed have a house. The downside is that our contractor has about six weeks to knock it into shape before we fill it with guests. We have five family members and two American friends from out of state booked already and I have only sent out the first round of invitations. We are hoping building work will begin next week, which will probably merit a whole blog of its own, so watch this space...