My Birthday Weekend

I had an awesome Birthday Weekend 2009! I am now 33 years old. I'm glad to say that. The Lord has blessed me to allow me to see each new day-33 years of them!

Last night, Michael surprised me by inviting our friends to meet us at Olive Garden. We had such a nice time!

Here's my birthday gift from Mike and Allyson. Freshwater pearl earrings, necklace, and bracelets. Allyson called it all Princess jewelry!

I loved the cake Michael got for me. It was a chocolate librarian cake!

Today, we had a birthday lunch at my parents' house. My sister and her family were there to help celebrate.

My sweet nephew, Caleb. His mama took this close-up as he waited for cake!

Blowing out a candle for the past, present, and the future. I just think my mom didn't have 11 times more candles!

Allyson and Caleb got a little crazy from a chocolate cake and ice cream sugar rush. They had a lot of fun running away from Papa, my dad, pretending to be a monster.

I could also call my birthday Thanksgiving. Every year, I see how blessed I am with so many in my life that give me gifts, say "Happy Birthday", or send cards. My life is so full and blessed!

Thank you, Lord for all that I have and for everyone in my life that is such a blessing to me! Amen.

Fair with a Friend

Meet Eleanor Pauley Durant. She is the newest member of the Durant family that we attend church with. We were so honored to meet her yesterday at the hospital here in Warner Robins. She is just beautiful and we are so happy for Brandon, Leah, and big-brother Phillip.

We met Eleanor before we headed to the Georgia National Fair. We figured four-year old Phillip would be bored out of his mind hanging out all evening at the hospital, so we invited him to come to the fair with us.

Allyson really enjoyed having a friend go along. Mike spent the entire evening with a kid holding each hand.

We looked at some animals before heading to the midway. Allyson and Phillip were able to pet a rabbit. Phillip wanted to know the rabbit's name. I don't remember what it was, though!


Phillip wanted to sit on every tractor. We are not used to boys! :D




"Oh, no!" says Allyson. "I'm a city girl and I don't know what to do!"

Riding in the caboose

Teacup ride

Phillip came down the giant slide with Michael. Allyson came down BY HERSELF! I was so shocked I didn't get a picture!

On the ferris wheel, Allyson and Phillip both wanted to sit with Mr. Mike. :(

Phillip wanted to play the fishing game and Allyson did not argue. She's a little obsessed with fishing and she never has even been fishing. They were so funny reeling in fish. The string is just tied at the end. They can reel in all day!! LOL!

They both won a prize after catching three ducks. They chose light-up swords.

Love it!

The carousel.

Time to go. The kids got cotton candy for the road.

I love the lights reflecting on the water. I thought that would make a nice picture, but I was surprised that a speedboat zoomed right by as I was snapping the photo. So, I thought this picture came out neat. A little action. Lights, camera, action!! :D

We had so much fun! We really enjoyed having Phillip with us. Thank goodness for our wallet the fair only comes once a year!

One Night in Savannah

We had planned to go camping for Columbus Day weekend, but we decided not to for the fear of rain. I've camped in the rain before and I said that I never would again. That's just misery!

So, instead of camping two nights in Pine Mountain, Georgia, we decided to go to Savannah for one night.

I packed a pic-nic lunch for us to eat on the way. It rained. So, we ate in the car. We were at a pi-nic area. And, it did stop raining while we ate. There was a pond with some geese that looked very hungry. We gave them some scraps before heading on.

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I just LOVE Savannah. It's so beautiful and cultural. Not like Warner Robins with all the chain restaurants and stores.

Michael and Allyson on a footbridge looking past River Street at the Savannah River.

What they saw-A River Boat. We're going to ride the River Boat next time!





We met some friends of ours for dinner. This is Roy, Lisa, and Cody. Mike met Roy in A&P school. Lisa is one of my best friends on Facebook!

River Street-All decorated for Fall

Roy and Michael in front of the River

Our little girl has become such a climber and daredevil since she has started going to gymnastics.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in the Historic District. It was located on Bay Street, just next to River Street.

Our room was large with TWO windows. This one had a view of City Hall. It has a gold dome. Allyson said it was a castle.

Here's the view from the other window-River Street! Well, it's right there through the moss covered trees.

A step up from a tent, that is FOR SURE!

Today, we went back out to River Street to take in the sights.

Allyson will spot a fountain a million miles away! It's so fun to watch her discover everything in our world. Three is just a cool age. (Not perfect, though! Is there a perfect age? Hmmm...)

A lady offered to take our picture. I thought it was odd. Sure, enough, she wanted us to buy a straw flower.

I told Allyson to hold the flower up so I could take a picture. So, she did...

Savann-AHHH! I love the old buildings. So much character!

Holding onto my daddy!

We went in to one store and there were PIRATES! ARRRG! Apparently, there was a pirate festival going on at nearby Tybee Island.

Okay, there is a significance to this picture. Take a look first.

This is Savannah's Waving Girl. You can read about her history here. Well, she is in a way connected to our history, too. You see, Michael proposed to me here. Right in front of this statue. And, today, here is our child posed with this famous statue.

Allyson and Michael in the courtyard of the Waving Girl.

As a boat passes by...

Then, we headed home. We even made it back in time for evening worship. Thanks to the Lord for keeping us safe on the road! We saw an accident going and coming home. So scary!

We plan to try to go camping next month. We shall see!

Mice Cream

I found this recipe in Taste of Home Halloween Party Favorites cookbook. I thought it was really cute and simple. Allyson and I made them tonight together. It took about five minutes. The recipe serves 6, but you can just make one, if you want to.

Mice Cream

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 pkg (6-count) single serve graham cracker crusts

12 chocolate-covered mint cookies (I used Oreos that I broke in half.)

3 chocolate twigs, halved or 6 pieces (3 inches each) black shoestring licorice (We left the tails off!)

18 brown M&Ms (Other colors look cute, too!)

2 tsp chocolate sprinkles

Place one round scoop of ice cream into each crust. Tuck two cookies for ears and twigs or licorice for tail into ice cream. Press M&Ms in place for eyes and nose. Place sprinkles around nose for whiskers. Serves 6.

My little mouse really enjoyed this simple and tasty treat!

My ideal weekend would be...

Well, if I was able to plan a weekend, and I could choose any activities that I would want, I think the one we just had would be it.

So, what would the ideal weekend include?

Well, I'd leave work a little early on Friday. I'd pick Allyson up from daycare and head home where my husband would be waiting already showered and dressed to take us out for the evening.

Then, we'd head out to dinner. Anywhere is fine, as long as I'm not cooking! Then, we would take our little girl to a show.

We would have good seats!

Allyson would look really cute all dressed up like Minnie Mouse!

She would get to see all her favorite characters. We told her that Daisy was out sick. She wouldn't let it go until she got a reasonable answer!

All of us being together makes the evening so special!

Handy Manny

Pooh & Tigger

Allyson and her Prince Charming

She insisted on having a nose colored on!

And, on Saturday, we would spend the whole day shopping at Tanger Outlets in Locust Grove.

We would go to lunch. Shop. Shop for Allyson. Shop for me. (Mike didn't want anything. Curazy!) Shop for shoes. Shop. And, shop!

And, then, we'd go home and once again, we'd eat out (My ideal weekend does not include cooking!!)

On the way home we stopped at Buckner's in Jackson for dinner. Buckner's is an experience. You sit with strangers at a large round table with a lazy susan in the middle. You are served fried chicken, bar b que, rolls, cornbread, southern-style vegetables, and peach cobbler for dessert.

The food is delicious!

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Yep, that would be my ideal weekend. But, things don't always go so ideally!

A girl that worked at the show asked Allyson to come on stage with her to do the Hot Dog Dance. Allyson said no. Her daddy had just given her a box of popcorn. Of course the girl found someone else. Allyson bawled buckets of tears when she realized what she had said no to!

When we go to Tanger, I spent way too much money at the Gymboree Outlet store. I spent all of the money that I was supposed to spend for Allyson's Fall/Winter wardrobe and only bought TWO outfits. Ugh. I really need supervision in that store!!

At Buckner's, Mike almost walked out when he saw how much dinner was going to be. $13.95/person is kinda high. Bucker's should not have raised their prices!! Even if they do have AWESOME fried chicken!

So, what is on he agenda for the upcoming weekend? A two-day camping trip. Yes, in a tent. Please pray for good weather!

OH, AND BY THE WAY! Please pray for Mike's job situation. He has an interview on Thursday for a contractor job for technical writing. An office job!!! Oh, please pray and cross your fingers!!