The first birthday celebration . . .

Our "children" have picked such wonderful friends. Mark and I enjoy spending time with them and feel so blessed that they allow us to spend time with them!!! Laura celebrated her birthday with us a day early (so that she could celebrate "out and about" on the actual night of her birthday). We went to Sumo and I had never been there before and we all really enjoyed the evening.

Laura invited Taylor and Julie and Anna to go out to dinner with us.

 

In these restaurants, the chef makes or breaks the dinner!  Our chef was great.  He was funny and personable.  A mother and daughter came in and joined us at our table.

Mark ordered sushi . . . .because he likes it . . .and I think he was the only one who ate it.  I must say that the arrangement was quite pretty!!  I think that sushi must be an acquired taste.  I just can't get over the fact that it is raw fish . . .and I've seen Mark clean too many fish.

Our chef made a mickey mouse with the fried rice!

And he made an onion volcano which was really cool!

When Mark and I arrived at the restaurant, we mentioned that it was Laura's birthday.  The hostess said "you pay $5 extra and get personal chopsticks and dessert."  So we did.  Not only did Laura receive a pair of her very own chopsticks but she also received a fresh fruit cake.  We had ordered a caramel cake from Pastry Arts.  As always, the cake did not disappoint.  YUMMY!

I don't know if I just happened to catch her with her eyes closed . . .or if she was making a wish!

No birthday is complete without the blowing out of candles.


Sitting there watching Laura and her friends and listening to their conversation . . .made me think. I can't believe that just a few short years ago we were planning birthday parties with crafts and paint and jumpy things. How did 25 years pass so quickly? How could I possibly be old enough to have a 25 year old daughter and son? People would always tell me to slow down and enjoy them. How do you slow down when life is running full speed ahead. We did try to slow down as often as possible. One year, they could each pick one after school activity. ONLY ONE. That year was so special. They played outside when the weather was nice. We went to church on Wednesday nights and Sundays. It was a slower time. I still can't believe how fast the years have flown by.


Well, those years have flown by and I am a middle-aged mom and I feel so blessed to be a part of our "children's" lives.

The Flea Market in Mobile

Who knew?  I love the flea market.  If you had asked me a year ago if I would enjoy a flea market . . .I would have said, "nah. . .I don't think so."  But I actually love going to this one.  Maybe it is because I get to go with Glenn and Lauren.  Maybe it is because it is a PRIME people watching spot.  We saw one girl who had on "ripped" jeans . . .her whole butt cheek was hanging out! (I didn't take her picture - I just stared with my mouth hanging open!)  There are all sorts of people at this flea market.  All sorts.  Really.  People sure are interesting.

I also really like the fact that they have animals at this flea market.  I could buy a chicken or a goat or a bird or a dog . . .all sorts of animals!!

I also love the book seller at this flea market.  (Not the actual person . . . but the book stall)  Oh my goodness, I think I could spend several hours just looking at the titles.  I made this picture extra large so you could see the precarious perching of books and wires!  I will admit that there are spots where I wonder how in the world are the shelves standing.  What is amazing, is that there is actually some semblance of order!!

Oh, I forgot . . .I could even buy a piglet if I wanted to do so!!!

This picture has nothing to do with the flea market . . .but I love this tree!  It is in the hotel parking lot and I wanted to get a book and go sit underneath this tree (but I didn't).

This post is about nothing much . . .just some random pictures that I had uploaded.  I need to catch up!!  It seems like the faster I move forward, the more behind I become!

choot 'em

Have you ever seen the TV show about alligator hunters? It is one of Mark's favorites. The name of the show is Swamp People. Name should tell you something! Anyway . . .one of Mark's favorite characters on the show is Troy and he always says, "Shoot 'em! Shoot 'em." Except when he says that in his Cajun accent, it sounds more like "Choot 'em." Our friend, Jason, who has been undergoing chemo treatments from Hell also enjoys this TV show. When I was in Mobile . . .in a SHOE store . . .I found a rack of these shirts!  I bought one for Jason.  I thought it might bring a smile to his face!!

By the way, Troy is on the right in the picture below . . .this picture is on the back of the shirt.  Troy even autographed the shirt!  Hopefully, the shirt provided a little chuckle for Jason!

Oh my goodness - it is soooo big!!

A few weeks ago I went to visit Glenn and Lauren. I had three lovely nights in a local hotel and spent as much time as possible with the two of them. It was a great visit. We went to the Flea Market on Saturday morning (more pictures in another post) and they had these giant Chinese Grapefruits . . .not from China - just the name. I had to buy one just to try it.

I took a picture with a roll of paper towels and a big box of cereal so you could get an idea of how big this thing really was.  It was the size of a small kickball.

Gorgeous pink color . . .look at how large each half is.  That is my knife with the longest blade and it is a very long blade!!

This one section is on the "bowl" of my grapefruit spoon. Each section was huge!!  Not only was it beautiful but it was delicious. It was sweeter than a regular grapefruit. I think I need to buy several the next time I go to visit!!

I found this info on the internet:
The Chinese grapefruit, also known as the pomelo, Bali lemon, pummelo, pamplemousse, Limau besar, or Shaddock, is the largest of all edible citrus fruits. Native to Southeast Asia, the Chinese grapefruit has been cultivated for centuries in tropical and subtropical regions as a source of food. The flesh of the fruit is somewhat sweeter than a grapefruit, with a tangy undertaste in some varieties. Some grocers carry Chinese grapefruits in their produce sections when they are in season, and they can be grown in USDA zones 10 and warmer.



If allowed free reign, the Chinese grapefruit can grow larger than a basketball, with an extremely thick rind covering a segmented fruit. The skin can be green to yellow, with yellow to rosy flesh inside. As a general rule, the pinkish fleshed Chinese grapefruits tend to be more sweet, while the yellow flesh is more acidic and it can be dry. The fruits are eaten out of hand, just like many other citrus fruits, and they can also be juiced, added to preserves, and included in desserts. In some parts of Asia, the skin is candied as a treat

God's coloring book

I am so blessed to live high up on a hill . . .the sun rises directly in front of our house and I get to see the sunrise every morning.  Sometimes the blinds are still closed and I can see the white blinds as they get a pink tint and I know I need to go look out the window.  If I'm really lucky, I get to see the incredible sunset each day as I drive home. This was my view of the sunrise from the front porch a few weeks ago.

I've always loved to "color" in a coloring book and when I saw these incredible shades of pink and blue and purple, it was as if God was "coloring" that morning.

As the sun rises over the front of the house, I can watch the light patterns shift and change in the back yard.

The leaves were bright orange and luscious gold and when the sunlight hit them it was magnificent.

I'm so glad that our God loves color!!