The Rest of the Story...

 Good Afternoon!!  If you read my post HERE, yesterday, you will know that we were about to celebrate our son's birthday and I was in the process of baking/frosting a German Chocolate cake. I promised you pictures from the party, so here we go!  Hold on to your seats because somehow we took a LOT of pictures. I will try to narrow it down to the best...or at least the ones that I like the best. LOL.  

Around 3:30 p.m. we heard the familiar rumble of Scott's car rolling in to the driveway. We looked outside just in time to see him happily headed to the house...

Free from work and the LONG drive home to come and celebrate his birthday! 

(He commutes about 50 miles one way each day, so yes, he is always happy to get back home and we are always thankful that he made it safely through another day)

After he took time to get a shower and get comfy, he set up the grill and cooked the steaks for our family dinner.  As I've said before, he's the grillmaster, having worked in many restaurants throughout the years doing just that, grilling steaks, etc.  So he's a pro!

He knows exactly when they are done to the perfect amount of doneness just by a touch.

And yes, they were perfect.  By the way, I tried something a little different this time. I had seen on Facebook that one of my friends had posted that in order to get really good tender meat, you need to use baking soda on the meat prior to cooking. So I looked it up online to see just how to do it, and here is what I found:

Tender Steak Soda

Tender Steak Soda

1. Dissolve Baking Soda into water. For every 12 ounces of meat, use 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda and ½ cup of water.
2. Soak the meat in the solution for at least 15 minutes.
3. Remove and rinse thoroughly.
4. Cook as desired.

And so I tried it, and it worked! We each remarked that we could tell a difference in the tenderness and moistness of the steaks.  MUCH easier to chew for this old gal! LOL.  

So here we are, a happy and full family after eating that dinner!!

And then it was time for the birthday festivities to begin:

Somehow Lily Grace managed to photobomb most of the pictures. She didn't want to be left out of the fun.  Thankfully everyone is a good sport here in our family.

Even our daughter-in-love Rose fell in love with Lily Grace's little puppy, Bailey.

I was afraid she was going to try and take her home with her to show her puppies, Sugar and Spice. LOL.    But no, she gave her back to Lily before she left for home. LOL.

Oops,  Lily, we can't see the candles whether or not he blew them out!!!

I think we did a do-over.  Oh, we also learned how to sing "Happy Birthday" in German, because it was a "German Chocolate Cake", and someone suggested that might be a good idea.

Here's what we learned, in case you'd like to try it yourself:

(I told you we really know how to have fun on birthdays around here! LOL)

And in case you are wondering from the post yesterday, yes, the frosting that I made for the cake turned out very good after all that mess and fuss!!  It was perfect!! I just had to chill it a while in the fridge before I put it on the cake, but it made exactly enough and it was very good!! (If I do say so myself!)

Now begins the gifts and cards opening...

Of course Lily Grace and Bailey had to get in on the card & gift giving.  Scott was impressed with the "Transformers" characters.  He used to play with those when he was much younger.  Probably wouldn't mind one now if someone gave it to him. LOL.

But instead he got Ritz crackers! Two boxes of them! LOL.  Why? Because he eats all the Ritz crackers in the house (with peanut butter), and so this was a very appropriate gift.  Oops, he should have gotten a new jar of Jif Peanut butter too...well, I think he still has some...LOL.

The cards actually perfectly described him:

Yes, I believe "God smiled when He designed" Scott.  He's one of a kind for sure!

Oh, Swiss Rolls!  Hey, they go great with the German Chocolate Cake. Maybe we should sing in "Swiss" too. LOL. (we didn't.).

What's this?  A bottle of 100% Cranberry Juice with Cherry juice added?  Well, yes! He loves it. He mixes it with his sweet iced tea. Hey...don't knock it until you've tried it! It makes a very healthy and refreshing drink, full of antioxidants and vitamin c!

By now I'm sure you're thinking you are glad you didn't grow up in this family!  All you get for your birthday is crackers, Swiss rolls, and cranberry juice????? Well...

How about a new cooler tote for work?  He was excited about that since the old one was about totally falling apart...

But have no fear, there was more than meets the eyes in those cards, etc.  I saw him stuffing some green stuff in his pockets as he opened the cards really quick so no one else could get it.  And it wasn't his broccoli.  LOL.  Yes, all in all he had a wonderful birthday!

Now Lily Grace wants to take Bailey for a walk.  LOL.

Oh, all the time we were taking these pictures and cutting the cake, serving ice-cream, opening gifts, we were also each taking turns talking on the phone to our grandson Noah, who called to wish "Uncle Scott" a happy birthday.  Noah is still on his cross-country camping adventure journey with his fiancee' Dawn and friends, and they were calling this time from somewhere in Arizona at a laundromat.  Oh to be young again! LOL.

Well, friends, now you have seen the whole party! Yes, we are a bit of a crazy family, but we do have fun and we love to laugh and we love each other. What more could anyone ask for?

And so, until the next event, I bid you adieu.

Yes, every family does have a story. I know ours does. Trust me, we are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. We each have our own "issues", "baggage", and/or anxieties. Our family has been through many trials and difficulties together, even to the point of having to bid farewell to one of our dearest sons...who awaits us in heaven. 

But GOD, in His great mercy, has redeemed us and made us His very own. Because of Jesus, we have "faith, hope, and love"...and a future together forever. Praise God again!

"4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 

7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

10 For we are His workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:4-10

Thank you for joining us for this celebration. I do hope you and yours are having a blessed and wonderful weekend. Whatever you do, make every moment count. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

(the Full Moon, early this morning, shining on Still Waters Pond).