Catching up -- birthday, etc.

Hey everybody! Sorry it’s been awhile since I really made a post. I keep meaning to do so and not getting around to it. I got tons to tell y’all about, but we’ll start a little at a time. You see, I always get really annoyed when people never go around reading other people’s blogs and just assume people will read theirs. So when I do have time to get on Blogger, I usually go around and read my friends’ blogs and don’t get around to posting on mine. I’ve been SOOO busy, but I really don’t want to lose my bloggie friends, so I’m trying to hang in here. I’ve debated about actually dropping off Blogger, but I have too many bloggie friends to leave. So when I get time, I will continue to read blogs and to post on mine, and I will stick around, at least for awhile.

The only reason I really have time to be posting this morning is because Manes and Tails was cancelled this morning because of rain. Manes and Tails is a great program that I’m starting to get involved in. Now, if you google Manes and Tails, you will end up with a program in Maine, and another in New Jersey, so obviously it isn’t an original name. Basically what it is, there’s a mini-farm behind an elementary school containing 6 horses, about as many sheep and goats, some ducks, chickens, and a grumpy pot-bellied pig. In each 4-Saturday program, 24 kids are divided into groups of 6 each and placed with a Leader. The first half of the morning is spent doing farm chores – one group gathers eggs and feeds the chickens, one group feeds the ducks and changes the water in their sandbox-pond, one group takes care of the sheep and goats, and the last group mucks out the horses’ pens. After that, each group grooms one of the horses, leads it out onto a huge soccer-type field, and takes turns learning to ride the horse. The first day they learn to get on and off, and balance (bareback). The second week they learn to use the reins to steer their horse. The third they get saddles and learn to ride in them, and the fourth they each get to ride their horse around a sort of small obstacle course. It’s a really, REALLY neat program, and I’m really enjoying working with it. I’m only a volunteer Junior Leader for now, because they aren’t hiring right now, but later on it might lead to a paid Leader position. So that’s Manes and Tails!

This year’s Equine Affaire was great!! I’ll talk more about that in a different post...

My birthday... Ah, my birthday.

Claim Jumpers. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I do love a good strawberry lemonade.

This was my dinner – steak. My birthday steak. Marvelous. The best mashed potatoes I have ever EVER had. And, in the lower left-hand corner (because I couldn’t justify a whole separate photo for it), the cornbread. I gave away the onion ring – I don’t really care too much for onions. And because it was my birthday I didn’t have to eat the vegetables (I hate cooked vegetables – too slimy!). Ahhhh, but it was a great meal.

Mmmmmmmm. Heavenly.

The waiter obligingly took a photo of us together. My Daddy and I on one side, Mama on the other. The way we always sit when we go out to eat.

Right away I put half of the meal into a to-go box. That way I was able to enjoy it the next day also. But, of course, that meant that the meal went away pretty quickly. Here I have about half left of the half that I kept on my plate.

And now it’s all gone (except for the half that was for the next day).

BUT… it’s not ALL gone – there’s more to come!

The waiter refused to sing, but he did stick a candle in it (which he lit with a pocket lighter immediately before placing it in front of me).

Blowing out the candle...

Mmmmmmmmmm…………

Cookies-and-cream Mud Pie. Let me tell you, delicious is an understatement.

But between Mom and I (I didn’t hog it all to myself), it was soon gone also.

However, the dinner wasn’t my only birthday present. Guess what my other gift from my parents was. Nope, guess again. Give up?

I GOT MY HOPE CHEST!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn’t it beautiful?!!

Lined with chipboard.

Skeeter investigating it!

It just about fits!

Here I am cleaning it up. It was a little dirty (you should’ve seen the water in that bucket when I was done!), but it cleaned up nicely. I am going to put another coat of white paint on, and stencil daisies (and a few butterflies) onto it, I think in colors of blue, yellow, and some pink. I absolutely love it! I will have to post later about what things I am putting into it so far. :)

Well, that’s about all for now…

OH, I almost forgot – some of the biggest news of all. You remember that M is expecting again? Well, we just found out – IT’S A BOY!!! I HAVE A NEPHEW COMING!!!! I’m absolutely thrilled! Now I get to start looking at boy clothes! :) And A has a brother coming! Is this exciting or what???!!! :)