Birthday Season! Or Should That Be "Eating Season"?

I know that I have written about it before, so I won't blather on too much, but honestly I LOVE BIRTHDAY SEASON!!!  It's seriously my favorite time of the year.

It began at Christmas when my mother gave me a wrapped gift for my birthday.  Thankfully, John didn't lose it in the past two months :-)  Beautiful gold earrings.  The funny thing is, if you know me well, I wear the same earrings every single day.  White gold hoops that she gave me ten years ago.  I guess it's time to move on, and she obviously knows what I like.  Thanks, Mom!

Then, two weeks ago a package arrived from Anna!  An-na!  I put the three different gifts on the piano--no peeking early!

Tuesday, my friends, Katherine, Stormi and Barbara took me out to lunch where else?  Cracker Barrel!  Being on my diet, I was very good and steered away from the Country Fried Steak, although my mouth started watering when I just thought about it.  I had grilled chicken, and because it was my birthday, Cracker Barrel brought out my favorite dessert--Coca Cola cake!  Man, does it get any better?  I think NOT!

I joke that I need taller friends!  I look like some kind of Amazon woman! 

Thursday evening, Katherine and Glen took John and me out to dinner at our favorite joint restaurant--Texas Roadhouse!  Again, I was very good and passed over the 8 oz. sirloin cooked to a perfect medium color and had my second-favorite food:  salmon!  Since Ethan isn't here to celebrate with me, I didn't get on the saddle and get a "loud and proud, Texas-style YEE HAW!"  We'll wait until he's back.

Look at those fabulous steaks to the right of Katherine's arm.  Hmmmm....

Birthday Morning.  Facebook.  If you get a Facebook account for no other reason, get it for your birthday!  It is so lovely to get continuous "bings", or notifications of people wishing you happy birthday.  So many people sent me the cutest pictures too, but the best?  From Ethan.

Now don't get your panties in a twist.  No, Ethan didn't get on Facebook (strict mission rules against it), but I happen to be a "friend" with a woman who mothers the missionaries in the Lublin branch in Poland.  What a beautiful surprise to wake up and find this waiting for me:

Sister Gladun captioned the picture:  From you son--through me:  I love you, and I remember.  Oh my gosh, I could have died!  

My visiting teachers took me out to breakfast at The Waffle Shop.  AGAIN, I resisted what I wanted to get (chocolate chip pancakes with a side of bacon) and had the "breakfast salad", a mixture of granola, fresh fruit and yogurt.  Of course, my plan to eat healthy was stymied when our waitress brought over the gooiest, most fabulous looking cinnamon roll with the candle lodged in a tablespoon of butter :-)

Thankfully, my visiting teachers were willing to "serve" (charity never faileth, right?), and split the delicious treat with me.

Okay, I know it looks like I'm sitting in Claudia's lap, but really I'm not!  Again, I look much larger than either of the other people in my photo, but I promise that Claudia, at least, is as tall as I am!  Beth, maybe not...

I had to take a picture of this.  Claudia, Beth and I go out to lunch every month, and every lunch ends like this--the two of them discussing the bill.  They always get one bill for the three of us.  I just hand over my money, but the two of them?  Questions about the tip, who has change.  This time, they treated me, so I just sat back and watched.  It makes me laugh everytime!

As if that wasn't enough, Claudia is a fabulous cook.  A couple of years ago (when she was my visiting teacher for the first time), she brought me chocolate mousse.  I haven't forgotten it.  In fact, I have dreamed of it, and have hoped for more.  She didn't disappoint, and even one-upped her previous offering.  Instead of putting it in just a cute glass like she did before (that I still have, by the way), she created my very own "hot chocolate" chocolate mousse, complete with whipped cream topping.  Have I mentioned that I love food almost as much as I love my friends?

My favorite part of the whole season though was spending time with the girls after school.  I had literally been waiting all day for them to get out!  Why?  Because this is where we are headed for the next week:

Yes, we are headed out on our "sampling" of the Eastern Caribbean to check out new dive sites.  We have four whole days of scuba diving planned, and we can't wait!

We had things to do!  We had to shop for swim suits and sunglasses; we needed to buy all of our "travel size" toiletries; and I insisted that we go and get pedicures!  There's nothing tackier than heading out on a cruise with bare toenails :-)

I get pedicures every three weeks.  I know--it's a luxurious thing to do, but I love it.  Johannah has been with me before, but this was Glo's first time, and she wasn't sure that she was going to like it, being the tomboy that she is.

Glo LOVED it, and in fact, begged for me to take her again.  The girls got fun designs on their nails, and they have refused to even put on socks for the past 24 hours.

By the time we got home, John had picked up pizza for us (it's the main thing I crave on my diet) along with designer cupcakes.  It was all SO yummy!  Unfortunately, because of my lack of smell and taste, I ended up eating Glo's peanut butter cupcake instead of my chocolate cupcake and I had absolutely no idea until she went looking for it this morning.  Sorry Glo!

Hannah got me a great book to take on the cruise along with Hostess Cupcakes.  Hmmm, Hostess Cupcakes.  John and Glo got me a camera to take diving--can't wait for the pictures!

The really beautiful thing about this season is that I have friends who know me well.  I love to eat, and I especially love to eat food that I don't cook.  Besides the food, I love having time to talk to people I love.  Thanks everybody for making it such a fabulous year to turn 29...again.

Happy Birthday to me!