happy birthday, to me!

Camille made a chocolate keto cake, I made the frosting, keto-ish, because it's with regular (yummy!) peanut butter.  Then I cheated a tiny bit further and put melted chocolate on top.

The brownie bites are NOT keto.

Margaret made a strawberry cake.

 This fine rainy birthday morning, we had to get out of the house to get Sonja's TB test read for her new job.  We went to the thrift store, then to get the oil changed and the tires rotated...except happy birthday to me, they couldn't rotate the tires:  one of the rear tires is wearing down to the threads on the inner part, AGAIN.  It's an ongoing Mavis saga, we paid over $2000 just in February to get both rear tires replaced, and wheel bearings ect.  We're ordering a new tire, and waiting for our trusty mechanic who lives down the road to get back from vacation, see what he says.  Never a dull one.

Since it's my birthday, I suggested we go to the dollar store...I think Sonja had fun.

This is one of my presents, thank you Evelyn!  A nice comfy air mattress for sleeping in the tent.  Camping is coming up soon!

This gift I am very excited about, they pitched in and got me a nice sander!  

Cards from Elise and Anya:). They were here for the day, as Benjamin fell off a ladder and rolled his ankle and had to go to the hospital.  It wasn't broken that they know, but he cannot walk on it...he missed the party.  (They're all going to Norway on Wednesday, I'm praying he does all right...)

A sunflower from Emily, and some coffee...I got three or four new bags of coffee, so nice!

Little Jamieson is getting big, so cute.

Tennyson and Suri...

Sonja is such a nice auntie, with Achilles

Elise, Kathryn reading to Rhys, Anya being a nice big cousin and holding Jamieson

Ten, Elise, Achilles, Anya...

These two sweet cousins had a birthday party on Saturday.  Margaret made cupcakes, and we frosted some as Minions, and some with princess pink.

Tennyson liked it.

Auntie Charlotte Claire.

It's a quiet rainy afternoon.  It's some nice downtime, it's been so busy lately...the symphony on Friday, Margaret came home with me, with Wulf and Tenny because they had a vehicle that needed to go into the shop...they spent the night, and when I woke up on Saturday morning, and remembered they were here, yay!  A nice quiet cup of coffee before the boys woke up, then on to the cupcakes.  We had time for a swim before heading to the birthday party for Rhys and Ruth.

Paul and I had a quiet evening while the girls went to a baseball game, then Sunday:  the kids were all coming over, I threw myself a birthday party!  Paul helped clean up, I put the seasoned ribs into the smoker.  A few hours later, five pounds of chicken wings went in.  I cut up a watermelon, a cantaloupe, and added green grapes and blueberries, mmm.  I made salt potatoes, and Emily brought a brisket.  The ribs were done, the wings went into sauce, then onto the grill to char up, along with a pound of hot dogs.   Joe and Beth helped me get the brisket and wings from the smoker, and Beth commented that I was making my own birthday dinner.  Well, I like to smoke things, ha, and like to grill.  

The keto chocolate cake was good, but listen to what happened to me...I went to bed by 10:30, was extra tired from a huge-0 bout of insomnia on Saturday night, fell right to sleep, and ugh, woke up at 11:15 with acid reflux, the kind where, sorry TMI, but acid goes right into your throat...burning, making you cough and choke.  I came out to the living room so I could cough my head off, ate a few pieces of red licorice to just try to stop the burning in my throat.  I googled it quick, and baking soda dissolved in water is a good neutralizer, so yummers, I had some.  Two o'clock, after a crossword puzzle and some solitaire games, off to bed again.  I slept fine, but woke at seven, and oh dear...I'm old.  Wide awake but tired.  Happy birthday to me.  

Life is good, but none of us gets too easy a ride, right?

We went to Costco today too, decided to get our own membership because they're cracking down on people buying things using other's cards.  Sixty bucks, not too terribly much...but then if you buy the executive one, you get 2% back...and and and.  I said  a hundred and twenty dollars is too much.  Well, she said, if you're a medical care worker or military...wait, Sonja is getting the second card, and she's a nurse!  She took our good word for it, and we are now executive members, which means I have to go there and buy a lot of things so we get money back.   (The gas is 15 cents a gallon cheaper than the cheap place we usually frequent).  

We didn't get much, the girls wanted "air fryer crap",  in their own words.  So mozzarella sticks it was.  I bought some Virginia salted peanuts, they huge crunchy ones, cream for all the good coffee we now have, and NO CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS.  I can NOT keep my hands out of the jar, so in Costco they stay.

I follow this guy on Facebook who has a continuous glucose monitor, he eats all different things and lets us all know what it did to his blood sugar.  He had really good readings with the cauliflower crust pizza from Costco, and said it was delicious.  So, happy birthday to me, I splurged and bought a two-pack.  I think it was consolation because the steaks I looked longingly at were WAY to expensive.  

Sonja had suggested earlier in the day that we go out to lunch, nah, I don't like to waste the money.  Then, lo and behold, we had Costco hot dogs and fountain drinks, three of us for $4.86.  (Camille didn't go with us, she decided to stay home.

So now the girls are cleaning up the house for me.  Sonja is doing dishes, Camille vacuuming, and Charlotte helping clean up the kitchen.  They are making themselves a pizza for dinner, and making one of the cauliflower ones for me.  There are leftover ribs too, from yesterday, and all that fruit, and keto cake, and brownie bites.  I want to eat early, and sleep sitting up, because you know what I'm borderline terrified of now.  dang.

But days here on earth are special, they are limited, and they go by fast.  We mustn't waste them by focusing on our trials.  We can learn from the things that God sends our way, but thankfulness has a way of filling our days with so much happiness.  

I facetimed with Jonny from Germany for a bit today.  He had left work early because he had a fever and body aches.  He misses us, probably more because he's sick and so far from home.  I cannot wait to see him in person, but am super glad for technology and that we can keep in touch with him.  (He'll be home some time in August, he wants to surprise me so I don't know when exactly he's coming!)

Ah well...time to get up from the comfy chair and do a few things...:). Oh, and I'm fifty eight today.  58.  wowza.