Happy Birthday

Leah's Rocket Dog shoes

My candy from Cracker Barrel, didn't you love these as a kid?

Daniel's radio controlled car

As I commented yesterday on the way home from Bismark, "It was one of my nicest birthdays ever!" Of course I probably say that every year, I don't know.

On Monday I was supposed to watch my friend, Renee's children in the afternoon as she had a teacher's workshop she was planning on going to. When she called me Monday morning saying that she wasn't going as it wasn't mandatory I was disappointed. And she said, "Really?!?" I like having the kids around and it is fun for my kids, too. She said they would still come out in the afternoon for a visit. EVEN BETTER!!!

I wasn't thinking about a gift but Renee had one for me. She had bought me some nice kitchen gadgets at the kitchen specially shop in Fargo. And she had a book for me. I love to read. I had forgotten that the one time we went rummaging together this summer she had bought a book she wouldn't let me see. It is called, "Chocolate for a Mother's Heart." I love chocolate and especially love being a mother so I should love the book, too. I will have to limit myself to one story everyday.

Renee had a chocolate mouse pie for me and they all sang "Happy Birthday." It was a nice day. Later in the afternoon Whitney stopped on her way back to home from working in Gackle and at the church and brought me a gift that Carla had sent with her on Sunday. Whitney and Janelle went to a scrap book meeting at the 7th Day Adventist School in Jamestown. Carla was there, too, making cards. Carla gave me a beautiful cookbook, some candy, a neat bread basket, and some dishtowels. One time after eating lunch at Curt & Carla's I was doing the dishes. I noticed her towels were kind of old looking. I mentioned that once a year I treat myself to new dish rags and towels and that they sell nice ones cheap at White Drug. The next time I was there I noticed she had new ones. So now it is kind of a joke between us. Thanks, Carla!! I will use the towels a lot.

For my birthday I had planned a trip to Bismark, a back to school/birthday party in one. Since my favorite place to eat breakfast is Cracker Barrel we got a early start. We left here by 8:30 and got to Cracker Barrel by 10:00. Whitney and I were ready for that good coffee!!! Whitney and I always get Mamma's French Toast Breakfast: 4 slices of french toast (which I shared with Daniel!), two eggs, and two turkey sausage patties ( Daniel ordered a side of these as we really like them and I didn't want to share!). Leah had her standard: a burger. We love looking around in the little shop and bought a few little things there.

After breakfast we headed to the strip mall just east of Cracker Barrel. I wanted to shop for some fall/winter clothes for Leah. Old Navy clothes seem to fit her well. I found cute little pants 1/2 off as well as long sleeved t-shirts for $5. I think she is set now. I had heard about good jeans for ladies that they sell there. I tried a couple pair but they were not for me!! Whitney found a couple pair and some nice tops, too. I didn't find anything for Daniel there.

My store is the Dress Barn. After looking around I saw they finally had shorter lengths in jeans. I hate having to wear high heals or worse, shortening my jeans! Their prices are reasonable, too. I found a nice pair of jeans and some new tops, several of which were 1/2 price. I feel like I have something to look forward to about fall now. Thanks Bob for the nice birthday check!

Whitney needed a pair of running shoes. They have a Shoe Carnival there. As she was trying on shoes I looked for some for Leah. Whitney had previously got some Rocket Dogs. When Leah saw the pink ones she really wanted them. I had just got her some little shoes at Walmart that gave her blisters so I was willing to get something better if Whitney found a pair. If you bought one pair you got the other 1/2 off. Whitney was good about letting Leah have the 1/2 off pair! While Whitney was looking I left Leah with her and Daniel and I went to TJ Max.

Daniel looked at some toys there and found a radio controlled car and a pack of 3 GI Joes that he got with his birthday check from Granddad. The car works really well and he can put the men into it!

It was after 3:00 by the time we got done at the strip mall. We were almost too tired to go to the zoo. When we got there I quietly told Whitney that we would ride the train and not visit everything in the zoo. While we were waiting for the train ride to go Whitney got us each a fudge sickle. It and the rest in the shade rejuvenated us. We spent a couple hours there looking at the animals and playing at the playground. We still had to go to Target as I wanted to find a gift for Daniel's birthday.

They really have a nice toy section at Target. We looked at all the boy toys. Daniel saw a nice big radio controlled Jeep that he really wanted. The battery pack was rechargeable so I thought it would be a nice thing for him. We looked at the Legos and he found some sets that he liked. I took him over to Whitney so he could look at other toys while I snuck the Jeep and a couple Lego sets up to the checkout. He didn't know I bought them and was really disappointed when he wanted to show Whitney the Jeep. It was the only one they had. He felt so bad he started to cry. I felt bad for him but didn't want to tell him that I bought it as his birthday isn't until Sunday. Please keep this a secret until after Sunday!

Let me tell you, I had a really hard time getting that Jeep into the trunk of my Trans Am!!! I had to take everything out of the trunk and still could hardly fit it in there. I had to crush the box a bit to make it fit. Then I had to stuff all the other bags around it. It was a challenge to get our things from Sam's in there but I did it. When we got home we gave Daniel a bag of onions to take down to "my room" in the basement so we could get the Jeep and Legos into Whitney's car before he saw them. I think he was a little suspicious but I'm not sure.

When we were at Target Ryan called Whitney to tell her that his best friend's parent's house burned to the ground yesterday morning. I had noticed some smoke over to the east when I did the chores and was trying to figure out where it was. People are always burning things so I didn't think it was some one's house. They lost everything in their home. Alice works nights at the State Hospital and her husband, Bill works construction. Sometime after he left for work in the morning and when she got home a fire started. Bill and Alice were one of the host couples at Whitney and Ryan's wedding. Their son, Cody, was Ryan's best man. Please remember them in your prayers as they will have a tough time ahead of them. Whitney picked up a size able gift card from Walmart that they will give anonymously. We talked about what type of things they would immediately need. After thinking about it we thought the best thing would be a gift card from Walmart. Then they could get what they needed whether it be food or underwear and socks.

I best get busy.