Happy birthday toooooo yooooouuuuuu!!

I had lunch with a friend this week and while we were talking I told her that my mom died when I was a sophomore and my dad died when I was in my early 20's. She had no idea . . .and I didn't realize that she didn't know that about me. My friend knows my mother-in-law from various Bible studies and she asked about her while we were eating. I shared the things going on in her life and once again, I realized that I am blessed with a really good mother-in-law.  She has been a mother to me all these 28+ years. I guess I get mad at her just like I would a mother (like a week or so ago when I proudly shared my home-baked cookies with her and she said, "They would be better with nuts." Well, first of all they had nuts in them and second, couldn't she have just said, "these are delicious. I'm proud of you for baking them."  I immediately emailed Laura and said that I was sorry if I've ever done that to her and I'll have to tell Lauren as well.  I would love to take all Mark's momma's good qualities.) Well, that is neither here nor there except that gives you an idea of our relationship. We are probably as close as a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law can be. I call and check on her every day. So when her birthday rolled around this summer, I volunteered to host the lunch/party at our house.   She does incredible flower arrangements and it would be just like the baked goods - can't compare - so I just didn't go there.  We had pink balloons and a shiny star hanging from the chandelier instead. 

I used my silhouette SD to make place cards for everyone.  I thought they turned out really sweet.

I tied some pink raffia around three glass canning jars.  By the way, it took me over an hour to unwind that raffia and tie it on three little jars. I think I could have learned how to arrange flowers in that amount of time. :-)  We had pink and white polka dot napkins.

I didn't use pink because it is her favorite color. I just thought that pink made a "fun" girl birthday party. Of course, I had my camera because all birthdays should be recorded. Laura and Grace and Alice all three looked so pretty.

Back to the baking . . .Alice and I just aren't going to compete with the baking.  Grandmother loves caramel cake and there are a couple of places in town that have delicious caramel cakes.  I know it is certainly better than I could bake.  I buy bags of pecans every year (I wonder if that is a southern thing?? -- one of the high school dance lines here in town sells pecans every year as their fund raiser and I stock my freezer).  I whipped a bag of those gorgeous pecan halves out of the freezer and decorated the cake and ta-da!!  We had a gorgeous birthday cake with pink candles that tastes delicious with no hurt feelings.  We are so smart!!

Alice is the cake bearer and George is following closely behind.  I have no idea why I felt the need to tell y'all that fact.  I'm sure you could have figured it out by looking at the picture!!!

Grandmother did not know that I was going with a pink and green theme but look . . .she matches!!  She looks pleased with the cake!  Yay!!!  She loves pecans and she loves caramel cake so I knew that would make her happy.  Funny story about the cake.  Our local Piggly Wiggly grocery stores carry this wonderful caramel cake that a lady down in the southern part of the state bakes.  I went to buy one on Saturday (before the party on Sunday) and my Pig (what we call the piggly wiggly) only had two halves - no whole cakes!!  I stood in the store and tried to figure out if I could stick the halves together with more pecan halves . . .instead I quickly called Alice because she only lives a block or so from a different Pig and she went and bought a whole one at that store.  Alice saved the day!!

Grandmother received some nice gifts.  Alice shopped for us - Talbots - much like caramel pecan cake - can't go wrong.  I also printed some photos from Christmas for her - of the grandchildren and children (that is my generation - children - yep, we are.)  I think Mark's momma (yes, I call her either Mark's momma or Grandmother - Lauren, if you are reading this, please call me something other than Glenn's momma) . . .back to the thought, I think Mark's momma is a pretty lady.  She always dresses just so and she always fixes her hair (she does not go to the beauty shop every week!!! - she does her own hair and just gets it cut about once a month)

I looked down at the other end of the table and what did I see?  Two laughing monkeys - oops, I mean two laughing brothers - twin brothers dressed in the same color shirts!!

All in all, I think it was a great birthday celebration. Everyone stayed around until about 4:00 chatting and talking. As a matter of fact, all of the girls were still sitting at the dining room table!! I think that Alice and I planned a great celebration and we were so happy that it was Rebecca's off week so that she could come. I don't have any pictures of Bill and Rebecca but they were there . . .and we were glad!! Good food, excellent dessert, pretty gifts and a happy birthday girl - no matter how old we become, we are always the happy birthday girl!!