Happy Birthday

I had a happy birthday today!  :D

First of all, my husband took a half-day vacation in order to have two new tires put on my van...and that wasn't even my birthday present!  ;o)  (I had a flat tire the day before.)

Then, he actually made a birthday plan...to take me out for supper!  And (knowing how I like my options), he gave me a choice of four great places to eat:
Copper River Grill (steak, seafood), Fatz (endless ribs!), Mythos (Greek, Italian), or Portofino's (Italian).  I chose Portofino's.  I love that restaurant, and I love their manicotti.  (Guess what I ordered for supper?!)

Afterward, I opened a card from my husband, a card from T, and a gift from T.

set of two flour sack towels...
for my apple-themed kitchen

My husband told me that he had shopped for my gift last weekend, but ended up having to order it...consequently, it won't be available for "gift-giving" until tomorrow or Friday when it arrives in the mail.  No problem; I can wait!  :D

I also received so many other nice expressions of love and friendship.  I received four birthday cards in the mail, an e-card, four e-mail messages, four telephone calls, and 25 facebook posts!  Yes — a happy birthday, indeed!  :)

Birthday Card

I hope this isn't in poor taste to post; I received this birthday card today from my brother.

I laughed so hard I cried.  I thought it was so funny!  For one thing, that could be my backside (minus the tattoo!).  I gradually have put on weight (a lot of weight) over the past ten years...and right now, I own only one pair of jeans I can fit into.  I bought them at Wal-Mart...when I was in a hurry...and they're actually a size too big.  Also, they're not the style I wear typically; they're low-cut, hip-hugger type jeans.  Alas, they tend to be a little droopy...and sometimes (try hard as I might not to), I show a little too much (oops!)...which is not a fun sight, I'm sure, for anyone who happens to catch a glimpse!  I guess my brother has seen that side of me??!  hahaha.  Yep, that could be me on the front of that greeting card!

On a "happier" note, my brother wrote some sweet words to me on the inside of the card.  We were born a year and four days apart.  Yes, I'm older...and we have fun with that every year.  ;o)

So...do I have a warped sense of humor, or is that funny?  Anyway, I just wanted to share...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I hope you don't mind?

Riverbanks Zoo

Today is T's birthday!  :)

We visited the Riverbanks Zoo...for the first time ever.  Beforehand, we ate a picnic lunch on the grounds.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the zoo.  There were lots of animals to see.

Happy 80th!

Last weekend, we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday.  My parents, my siblings, and their families had a get-together at my parents' house.

My brother organized it.  He brought a honey-baked ham.  Each of the rest of us brought one (or more) dishes of food.

Here was our menu:
     honey-baked ham
     pineapple casserole
     au gratin potatoes
     candied yams
     green beans
     corn
     deviled eggs
     potato salad
     rolls

My older sister brought some appetizers:
     cocktail meatballs
     cheese and crackers
     grapes

My brother also asked some of us to provide other party details:
     My younger sister dusted and vacuumed my parents' house the day before the party.
     My older sister brought the birthday cake.

     I brought the centerpiece, paper plates, napkins, and plasticware.

I made the centerpiece to match the plates and napkins I had selected.

The tulips are cut from cardstock, the stems are green paper straws, the leaves are green tissue paper, the grass is green styrofoam, and the ground is a piece of wood.

Nineteen of us celebrated together.

my dad's cousin-in-law, my younger sister,
my mom, my older sister

my husband, my dad, my brother,
 my brother's wife

Here's the birthday girl...ready for us to sing "Happy Birthday" to her!

I told my mom, "Don't forget to make a birthday wish!"  :)  She blew out the candles on her cake...with the help of two of her great-grandsons.  Afterward, the younger great-grandson said, "I didn't know what to wish for!"  ;o)

Love you, Mom...and wishing you many happy returns.

My Birthday Present

The biggest, heaviest, most unexpected birthday present I received today was...a cast!

My foot had been hurting for more than three months and wasn't getting any better. I decided there definitely was something wrong with it.  So three weeks ago, I called to make an appointment with an orthopedist.  The receptionist offered me an appointment on September 17th.  Hmmm...not really how I wanted to celebrate my birthday.  I asked, and the next available appointment was a week later.  I considered my pain level (dire), and decided to take the appointment on the 17th.

I didn't know until I arrived at the doctor's office today that they had switched to a new computer system just yesterday.  They were running behind...way behind. Practically every chair in the waiting room was taken...a mob of people waiting to be seen.  After waiting an hour and a half, I was called to the back.  Six x-rays and an additional 30 minutes later, I finally saw the doctor.

The diagnosis?  Somehow, I had managed to sprain my calcaneocuboid joint...the joint between the calcaneus and cuboid bones in the foot.

source:  Smart Feet Savannah

The orthopedist explained that, unlike an ankle sprain, a calcaneocuboid joint sprain would not heal unless the foot (i.e., my foot) was put in a cast.

Forty-five minutes after that, I was hobbling out of the doctor's office in a cast.

And here's T...holding up his foot in physical and emotional support!  ;o)

Happy Birthday to me!  Hahaha!!

We're Home

T and I returned home late last night after spending almost a week at my parents' house.  While we were there (actually, our main purpose for the trip), my husband and I prepared a birthday celebration for T...for our extended family.  The party was held on Saturday, August 24th, at my parents' house.

I'll post all of the party details as soon as I get a chance.  In the meantime, here's one photograph from the party to tide you over.  :D

Can you guess the theme of the party?  :)

Yo Gabba Gabba Party

After T's papa got home from work, we had our own little threesome party.  First, we went out for pizza...another of T's favorite foods.  Then...the real party started!  ;o)

Presents!

T opened his card.

T opened a present.

He really liked it.  :)

Cake!

We lit the 12 candles on T's cake.  We almost could roast marshmallows over that small bonfire!

T was so serious while we sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

As soon as we finished singing...almost before!...he blew out his candles.  He was ready!!

It was lots of fun for all of us.  :)

The cake toppers are puppets I printed, cut out, laminated, and taped to balloon sticks.  The other cake decorations are the same, just "attached" to the cake with icing.

Birthday Breakfast

Today is T's birthday!  My boy is growing up.  He is 12 years old today.  :)

I fixed this special breakfast for him...his favorite:  pancakes.  (To clarify, I mean "fixed" as in frozen pancakes...not pancakes made from scratch and cooked in the frying pan!  ha.)

• ice cream cone - 2 mini pancakes and a waffle cut into a "cone" shape
• banana split - a banana sliced in half and 4 mini pancakes with "toppings" of chocolate syrup, vanilla glaze, and strawberry syrup...with half of a maraschino cherry on top
• 12 - bread cut with number cutters

T didn't want toppings on his ice cream; he said "off."  So...I wiped them off.  He likes his pancakes and waffles plain...i.e., no maple syrup.

Happy Birthday, T!!

Turning Twenty

Yesterday was my niece's birthday.

Birthday Girl

T and I went over for a few hours in the afternoon to host a Victorian Tea Party for her.

We had Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Cream Cheese with Walnut Sandwiches...

and mini cupcakes...

and we used fine china....

Our centerpiece was a spray of roses.

We even invited Samantha to join us.

T and I sang Happy Birthday, and my niece made her birthday wish.

Making a Birthday Wish

We all enjoyed ourselves, T included!  :)

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

I explained to T that the first Christmas was when Jesus was born.  We sang happy birthday to Jesus, and T knew just when to blow out the candle!

Then he ate his Christmas manger scene meal for supper tonight.

manger - sandwich with bread crust for the legs
baby Jesus - small circle-shaped sandwich with a fruit roll-up halo (which is difficult to see because it kept sagging in the middle)
hay in and below the manger - potato sticks

sheep and camels - animal-shaped cookies
stars and moon - Space Adventures Goldfish Crackers
Christmas star - marshmallow decorated with silver glitter gel

T liked this meal so much that he stopped eating, got up, came over to me and said, "Thank you, Mama."  Then he gave me a hug and a kiss...and went back to eating!  :)

Check out some other birthday meals at:
   Bento Blog Network

Check out some muffin tin meals at:
   Muffin Tin Monday

Also linked to:
   Food Adventure Friday
   What's for Lunch Wednesday

Happy Birthday Surprise!

My sweet sister and her wonderful daughter came over this afternoon and surprised me with treats from Dunkin' Donuts for my birthday.   We had such fun sitting around the kitchen table, eating our doughnuts, drinking our to-go cups of coffee, and laughing ourselves silly.

Family is a good thing!  ~Love you guys.  :)