Birthday Dinner

I'm sorry to leave all 2 of you who read my blog hanging on my birthday dinner. Pudge and I ventured over to Point Clear last Friday evening and enjoyed dinner at The Wash House. Before our reservations we had about 15 minutes to spare, so we drove down past the restaurant in Point Clear. It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed looking at the homes on the water. Pudge told me not to bring my camera (and I listened) therefore you have no pictures!

As I said, we had been to The Wash House one other time and it was absolutely delicious, so we decided to try it again! We were certainly not disappointed! They had a "special" appetizer of shrimp and corn beignets with a honey/pepper sauce drizzled on top that were amazingly good. We each had salads before our entrees. Pudge got the T-bone steak with a shrimp sauce on top and mashed potatoes. I got the triggerfish, which included smoked tomato grits, asparagus, crawfish & corn cream sauce on top. Both entrees were awesome and by the end of dinner we were definitely full.

If you are looking for celebrate a "special" event, you must go try The Wash House. The food and service is amazing and the ambiance is beautiful! Just remember I said a "special" event! It is a little costly, but well worth the money!

Birthday Fun

Happy Friday afternoon! If you read my blog, you saw that Wednesday was my birthday! My sweet husband was a "guest blogger" on Wednesday. I had no idea he was doing this and it was such a sweet surprise Wednesday morning, while I was getting ready and reading my blogs, to find a post from him! He is way too kind for words!

Anyways, Wednesday I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for my family, except for my dad, as he is out of town. I made this and OH MY WORD was it delicious. Instead of the potatoes in the recipe, we had baked sweet potatoes and roasted asparagus. It was delicious, but next time I make this pork tenderloin we will be having mashed potatoes with it! The "juice" that goes along with the pork was so delicious not to have some mashed taters to put it on! My sister brought my favorite dessert, Pollman's cupcakes! We had a fun time eating dinner and talking (and of course laughing). Sorry, I didn't take any pictures!

Tonight, Pudge and I are headed out for a birthday date across the bay! We are going to a restaurant we have only been one time and it was FABULOUS! Hopefully, I will be back later this weekend to give you a report on our dinner! Hope you all have a great weeked!

Happy Birf Dizzle!!!

Hello everyone. This is Jeff or Pudge, Amy’s husband, however you might know me. I’m pretty sure I would be considered a “guest blogger” in blogosphere terminology. Today is Amy’s birthday and I thought that those of you who read her blog should know just how amazing my wife truly is.

God was gracious to me in that He allowed me to meet my future wife at a very young age. We were 16. (The Lord knew He didn’t bless me with any “game” and the dating scene would probably have not worked out in my favor.) She has been my best friend from the moment we met and every day that God allows me to wake up next to her is truly a gift. I feel like she is a prize that I do not deserve, and I can see how much the Father loves me the longer I am with her.

The Young and the Restless (This was spring break 02ish 03ish)

Aunt Amy with Emma Kate

Aunt Amy with Virginia

Amy and Moses. Moses is an orphan we met while in Uganda. This is one of my favorite pictures of Amy.

Me and my "Best Good Friend"

Over the years I have seen my wife grow in every way (except in height, she’s a shrimp). Most notably I have seen her mature in her walk with God. Every day I see more faith, patience, compassion, mercy, and love. I can think of no one else that I would rather share this life with. There are so many things that I love about her, so many things that make me smile. I love to hear her laugh, I mean really laugh, especially when its at me. It is a cackle that becomes uncontrollable at times and there are few things in this world that make me feel the way I feel when I hear her laugh. I love that she finds joy in using the gifts God has given her to encourage, and love those around her. The first thing she says when she hears about someone going through tough times, or someone having a baby is “what can I bake them” or “maybe we could cook dinner for them” or “I could craft them a twinkling cheese tickler” (Ok so I made that up but she crafts all kinds of weird stuff) I love that most mornings when she first wakes up she sounds like a chipmunk on speed because she is excited to be awake, start her day, and ask me her first round of questions J I love that she can organize her day, my day, and your day if you ask her too. I love that she is always more than ready to scrap with anyone that messes with me or our family. She might be small but take my advice and stay on her good side. I love that she is as good at cooking as a skinny kid is at playing hide and go seek. I love that she is beautiful and that she saved herself for me. I love that she always chooses to love me even though there are times when I don’t deserve it. I love that she knows Jesus Christ as her Savior and I love that everything I love about her comes as a gift of grace from our Father through His Son. A gift she could have never purchased or ever deserved.

Amy, you are an amazing woman and it is so much more than a joy to share this life with you.

Happy Birthday!

I love You,

Pudge

Virginia's Minnie Mouse Birthday Party Part 2

So my sister is pretty much an amazing photographer and took better/more pictures than I, so please read her post for a recap of the birthday!

Click here.

Virginia's Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

So, as promised I am back with a update from the birthday party this past weekend! Did you guess correctly? We had a MINNIE MOUSE birthday party for my niece's 2nd birthday! We had a great time this past weekend together as a family and of course loving on sweet Virginia, as we celebrated her birth! We arrived on Thursday night, the last day on her "1ness." Friday was her actual birthday, so we celebrated and did exactly what she wanted "go to Monkey Joe's!" Monkey Joe's is a indoor fun-filled inflatable play center. Virginia has been there maybe a half a dozen times and any time you ask her where she wants to go, she either says "elmo's world" (aka Publix) or "Monkey Joe's." To say Virginia loves this place is an understatement. The expressions on her face as we were getting out of the car to walk into Monkey Joe's were priceless. She played for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes had passed all the adults were DEAD. Next, we had lunch at Virginia's favorite place "Chick lay's" (Chick-Fil-A's) Dwarf House. It is basically a Chick-Fil-A where you can dine-in and eat. You can order from the normal Chick-Fil-A menu or you can get a variety of other menu items, including my favorite, stir fry veggies and sweet potato souffle. After lunch we did a little bit of shopping and headed back to the house for the birthday girl to nap! Friday night, we had another of Virginia's favorite foods, Spaghetti! We set up for the party that night and my sister and I got to baking the cupcakes for the party and icing them! It was a fun night being with the family full of lots of laughter! Saturday her party started at 11:30. Here is the sweet brithday girl before her guests arrived!

She looked so cute in her Minnie dress.

She wanted to touch and blow the pinwheels.

Her hairbow even matched the party!

The door

A picture board full of pictures of Virginia from this past year!

The foyer with party decor!

The dining room table all set up!

A close up of the tissue pom poms in the red tins with a "chalkboard" Minnie on them!

Fruit in a mickey bowl!

Mickey Mouse cheese!

Cupcakes Lou and I made

Her Minnie Banner

Minnie wreath

Sitting with daddy when all the guests had arrived. Virginia said the prayer for lunch and it went like this, "Thank you Jesus our food, Amen!" Then she told everyone thank you for coming!

Virginia and her best friend Haven playing in her new kitchen!

She loved her cupcake!

Opening up some gifts!

Rex from Toy Story! The girl LOVES Toy Story and sang "You've Got A Friend In Me" all weekend!

Haven also helped Virginia open some gifts!

She got a Minnie Mouse dress up outfit fro one of the sweet guests!

She and "Haben" (aka Haven) LOVE one another!

Uncle Pudge and Uncle Brett showing V how her new swing will be........in the house! Crazy uncles!

Craft time with momma, making a Minnie! We hung Minnie with a magnet in the kitchen and Virginia loved coming in there and mooking at Minnie and saying "pretty."

Not a great picture, but me and the sweet birthday girl!

Thank you all for coming to my party!

Virginia's 2nd Birthday

This weekend we will be celebrating the 2 years this sweet girl has been alive! What a pleasure it has been to watch her grow, learn, and change so much over the last 2 years. Here is my prayer for sweet Virginia: Watch over your child, O Lord, as her days increase; bless and guide her wherever she may be. Strengthen her when she stands; comfort her when discouraged or sorrowful; raise her up if she falls; and in her heart may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of her life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here are a few pictures from her birth and some of her currently!

What a sweet baby face...

She was so alert as a newborn!

Her coming home outfit she looked so sweet in, but was way too big for this little peanut!

She was/is a doll!

I know I have already posted these, but they are too cute!

Wow, she has really grown up!

CHEESEBURGER!

We are headed to up spend the weekend and celebrate with this special girl and her parents! I cannot wait to spend some time together as a family! On Saturday, we will have her party and I will be back with a post next week about that!

For now I will leave you with this.....

Can you guess what kind of party she will be having?

A New Pottery Barn "Division"

Well folks, today I received this in the mail.....

After glancing through this 30 page catalog, I wanted to see more. So I headed to the web address on the back (Click here). As always, PB has done it again! This stuff is too cute! I love all the polka dots, stripes, and bright colors that fill this website. Here are a few of my favorites....

I love these geometric bath towels and the colors.

Or what about these cute laundry bags?

I love this bedding....

And this one...

And this one!

Look at these cute pillows!

A chalkboard calendar decal!

A linen pinboard.

So, as you can see they have tons of cute stuff, but you know you are gonna pay PB prices for it! Go check out the latest PB "division" and let me know what you think!