Happy Birthday Dear

I am always excited for Dan's birthday.  It makes him closer to my age by a few months.  We are a year and half apart in age.  Unfortunately, I am in the lead in counting years.  Our wonderful church family got together on Sunday night for some cake and ice cream to celebrate. 

My dear hubby has been lamenting over his gray hairs, and he has mentioned it a few time in his recent messages. So, to commemorate his birthday in style, he had a fishing cake cause we all know he likes that, and then, he had specially prepared cake.  It was wonderfully baked carrot caked designed with Dan in mind.

Gray Hairs

♦

It has finally happened.  For some time now, my dear hubby has used my gray hair against me.  He is always happy to remind me that I have few new ones here and there.  It has never once bothered him that I am gray.  Well, on a recent trip home from Asheville, NC, the sun was shining through the window just perfectly to shed light on a few gray hairs atop Dan's head.  While I am resigned to the fact of my ever increasing grayness, this caught my dear hubby quite off guard.  He just wasn't prepared for it.  I think he is beginning his mid life crisis early. I have tried on several occasions to get a picture as proof for him especially since he has been in denial.  Well, I finally did!  I just had to share.  Since his hair is so short it so hard to see, but it is truly there.  Oh has the taunting begun!

Thankful for heat!

There are times in life when I can remember my parents and grandparents saying to me, "There will be a time when you won't have this, and you wish you had."  Well, now is one of those times.  Our furnace decided it needed some attention.  Our heating and air guy rushed right over to let find out that the burner had a nice five inch gash in it.  Thankfully, he was able to order a part, but unfortunately, mother nature has proved to be the issue.  Our part was to be shipped on Friday and arrive on Monday.  It never shipped on Friday.  So, needless to say we have been without heat for a week.  UGH!  The first few days weren't so bad.  We were home and the space heaters we were using did a good job at keeping the temps fairly normal.  Then came Monday and back to work.  It is just not enough to compensate for the hours without heat.  My kids think it so cool how much steam they can cause in the bathroom.  Sarah last night said, "Yeah mom, and the water isn't even that hot!"  I am so thankful for the six years of faithful heat from this system, and I am more thankful for the heat it will provide once this part is replaced. 

Am I that old?

This is my dear friend Julie.  Last night, we embarked on a mission to find some four ounce aluminum foil cake pans.  Who knew they would be so hard to find?  I needed them for my chocolate torte recipe.  We headed to a grocery store that I was sure would have them.  They have more pans that type than any store around.  After thoroughly walking every aisle, we had no luck.  I decided my plan B was to use a soup type can.  I called Dan to see if I could bake in one.  He and I were on the phone when a grocery store worker was nearby.  I turned to her and asked if she thought I could bake in a soup can.  Julie was a little caught off guard that I really asked that question.  So when that lady asked the front manager, Julie took matters into her own hand.  I was on the phone so she had the conversation with 20 something too smart for her own good manager.  Julie told this chic that I was her mom and I sometimes got confused easily.  That Julie was just playing along to appease me.  The girl asked her who was driving me and when Julie said.. OH I AM, she was so glad.  Do I look old enough to be her mother?  Who would belive such a thing?  Dan began telling me that my idea actually had a little merit.  I got off the phone and Julie and I went to find a conducive size can.  We finally discovered it... Vienna Sausage cans!  I was so excited.  Then the manager arrived.  She was like, "Oh, I thought you meant put a can in the microwave.."  She was so condesending to me.  She was so carefully explaining her every word and then she was describing these mini casserole dishes she bought in Hickory.  She then explained to me what a casserole was.  The whole time she kept looking back and forth between me and Julie.  I was really starting to get irked.  I made a statement that I hadn't thought to look in the store she bought her mini casserole dishes in. (which this mini casserole is actually called a ramekin).  It isn't one I frequent.  I was like of course I had three kids with me.  To which, my dear friend, was shaking her head and mouthing it was only her... This poor manager thought I was crazy.  So on the way out... Julie was playing along so well.  She passed the manager and thanked her for playing along and the manager said... "It's ok.  I have a mom too."  Ah, I am so blessed to have good friends.  I have not laughed so hard in a while!  For the record, I do get the mom/daughter question a lot with Julie.

We have had so many snow days this year. Here is a picture of our recent three inches from Friday. We had a night of snow and then sleet. It was a yucky day, but my second snow day of the week. This has been our third snow storm of the winter with a possibility of more next week. It will be strange when we actually have a five day school week with no delays.

My Dear Rebekah

My dear Rebekah turned eight on December 31. Rebekah is my middle daughter and she struggles at times to just find herself. Surrounded by sisters can get complicated. Of course, she has her birthday so close to a holiday. One of the most special things about her birthday this year was her little sister, Sarah. She went the extra mile and spent all of her money on Rebekah without a care as to her not having a thing. What a sacrificial gift it was. She even helped with the wrapping. My girls are all very special gifts, and I love seeing them shine at the least expected moments.

My Sweet Hubby!

My dear hubby decided to make a shelf. Now, this is not a huge task unless you are as OCD as my hubby when it comes to his projects being perfection. So if you ask him, he is not satisfied. Me, I am totally satisfied. It was so perfect to me that I just has to share. Of course, making the shelf meant Dan got to go to Lowe's and get much needed tools too. I don't care as long as they benefit me and our humble abode.