Of Birthday Celebrations and Bogged Cars

Birthday celebrations often last a few days around our place.
Here's how mine happened this year.

... SATURDAY ...
Rory and the kids threw me a little family party at home ...
We enjoyed a bag of my favorite Kettle chips, and Rory made margaritas.
He got a blueberry cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory too ...
mmmmmmmm !!

The kids each got me a set of two bath towels with a washcloth and hand towel in the set. They are lovely and soft ... made out of bamboo. Rory got me a mortar and pestle ( Mom, I looked on the box and that's what is said ! In that order ... don't know why I was saying it the other way !) and a square teapot with six square teacups that I have been admiring.

How do you like the blueberry margarita picture ?
Pretty funky, eh ?
I don't know how I did it.
Total accident.
Couldn't do it again if I tried.



Do you know that my cat, Beaky, who is 11 years old, gets me a birthday present every year ?
She's a clever kitten, isn't she ?
This year, she got me a bag of lollies !!
She knows me so well ....

... SUNDAY ...
The celebration continues as we head out to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants.
Rory and I had sashimi and a little bit of sushi.
It is so fresh and nice at this place ... melts in your mouth ... yummmmmmmm !



Jono had a chicken terriyaki kids meal.
Alia had plain rice.
We all shared a plate of gyoza.

You know, I love taking my kids out.
They are great little eaters.
Jono will try anything.
Alia takes a little more convincing than Jono but we usually get her convinced !

But more than the fact that they are good eaters, I love that they are so well behaved.
I love being able to take them to a nice restaurant,
sharing a nice meal, and great times together as a family.



... MONDAY ...
Today.
My actual birthday.
The first phone call came at 7:00 am.
I was prepared, having left the phone beside my bed last night !
Rory's sister Gina called at 7:00 ...
I had three more calls before 8:15 !
Rory's Mum
Rory.
My friend Kelli !

After dropping the kids at school, Toni and I went to the pool for our usual Monday swim.
On the way home, we stopped in at a craft shop that had a sale on !
I found circular knitting needles for .50 cents each !!!
I bought four of them !!

The plan after that was to come home,
load some big pot plants into Toni's car and part ways.
All went as planned ~ up to the loading of the plants into the car part.
After that, it all went south !

You see, I had told Toni to back the car up to the front of the gate
where Rory had put the big heavy pots out for us !
She was hesitant because the ground was a bit soft after three days of heavy rain.
I assured her it would be alright.
It wasn't !

Took us an hour but we overcame that bog and the car that was stuck in it !!!
Want to see what it took for us to get it out ?

Cardboard.
Old seat cushions that were in our rubbish pile.
Planks of wood.



While we were trying to unbog the car, my sister Hannah called from Colorado.
I talked to her, my Mom, my Dad and my cousin Pam.



Here's a shot of the patched up grass ... I think it will grow back just fine.



The day didn't finish there. Nope ... in fact, it was just beginning !
I had to go to a 'all staff training ' at work from 3 - 8 pm !
After a shower, which I desperately needed, I headed over to work.
The training was fun. I love the people I work with and spend so much time laughing.
And ... look what they gave me ...
Beautiful flowers, and everyone sang happy birthday !
Sweet, eh ?

The training ended up finishing an hour and a half early so I was able to come home and spend some time with Rory before he went to bed. He was pretty tired after getting up early to go to work early so he could come home early to get the kids so I could go to my training. I know, he's fantastic !!

All in all, it's been a great birthday. They usually are ...