Birthday Pics

The Birthday Princess (or The Crown, as She Prefers to Call Herself)

My birthday got celebrated several times-- first on Saturday, Sept. 27th at our house with a Fondue Nite (yum!), then quietly on Sunday the 28th (my actual birthday)...although, to be honest I opened all my presents at midnight on the 27th :) so the two days' celebrations sort of blended into one...and again on Tuesday September 30th, with some of the gals from school. Not to mention the 4 days of hugs, cards and gifts from my students and their families!! WOW talk about generosity! :)

Here are several pics of the events. They were so fun, and such a blessing. It's so nice to feel loved and to have people going out of their way to lift you up or encourage you by telling you how you point them to Christ. Amen!

For more pictures, go here.

Fondue Night
three courses of lovely meltedness... first, cheese on apples & bread (one gluten-free pot for Sina & I), second, kabobs of steak and veggies in "Mongolian Hot-Pots", and last but NOT least, chocolate on strawberries & apples. Everyone pitched in, both in bringing the ingredients and in the kitchen-- so fun having so many girlfriends cooking together! Or, I should say prepping, because the beauty of fondue is that the cooking time is DURING the meal!

Guests: Ben & Amanda B. (+ unborn Junior), Jenny & Aaron M. (+ Baby Jane in utero), Ashlea D., & that's Natasha in the kitchen.

Other side of the table (borrowed from church =D): Sina & Dave S., Lyle M., and Samuel M. (Natasha's other half).

The boys' favorite part: the MEAT

The only picture of me from the night... guess who had the camera!

My 23rd Birthday

(carrying props for the SS lesson I taught)

Teacher-Friends Night Out on the Town

Corrie Ann & Sarah (Corky & Beebster, I call them)

Me & Corrie Ann. I don't know what I would do without these girls' smiles, help and encouragement every day!

Our initial plan (Coco's Chocolate Cafe) didn't work out, so we headed over to O'Shea's instead, where I knew they had GREAT desserts, among them...

... the Chocolate Decadence Flourless Torte (Gluten-free!!)

Another fellow teacher, Tekoah, came after we put the camera away... and I forgot to take more with her :(. But I love you and am thankful for you too, Tekoah!!