Sat., 3/18/23, Birthday 74, The girls and families, Charlie and Sue and Maddy, Alec and Brielle came over for dinner and cake and ice cream. Fun time and lots of beautiful cards and great gifts

Bill at the Marine Corp Breakfast this morning

Bill and I in the back corner at breakfast.  The restaurant gave me a free slice of peach pie for my birthday.  Of course Bill told them,

Alec, Maddy, Brielle, and Bill

Charlie, Jared and Sue

Melissa, Birelle and Hailey

Max and Abby

Me and Eli celebrating our birthdays

Me and Jacob

Eli, me and Peyton

Eli and I

Me opening the new computer Bill got for me.  I was so happy.  It was funny because he wrapped it in a new rug we got at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I had given it to Sue an hour before, but he didn't know it.  I put in back in our room until Sue was going to leave.  He brought the computer out wrapped up in that rug.  Boy did we get a good laugh out of that.

Eli, Peyton and Evan

Hailey and Abby

Melissa, Jared and Kenzie

Isaac and Peyton...Isaac was taking pictures

Brielle loved Jared...she was so good and so cute with him

Vikki, Melissa, Sue, Charlie, and Kimmy

Hailey, Jacob, and Kenzie

Alec, Brielle, Maddy, Jacob and Hailey

Melissa, Kimmy and Vikki

Jared and Brielle

Jacob

Evan and Max eating

Melissa, Jared and Vikki

Isaac and Peyton

Me and Adam

Me and Brielle

Kenzie and Vikki

Max and Kenzie with Abby...Abby just got groomed

Max and Abby...Rody in background

Hailey and Vikki

Isaac and Rody

Adam

Bill and I went to the Marine Corp. League Breakfast at Riverside.  He told the waitress (and everybody else) it was my birthday.  The waitress let me choose the kind of pie I wanted a slice of for my birthday, so I picked peach.  I took it home because I was to full to eat it there.

Everybody wished me happy birthday and of course Bill told everyone my age.

We went to Bed, Bath and Beyond after that to see if we could get any deals.  I'm sad they are going out of business!  We got some of my favorite rugs for by the doors.  The keep dirt and mud from being tracked through the house.  They are great in the house and in the camper.  We also got a decorative board that I can put letters on for different sayings, scriptures, etc.

(Of course when Jared saw it hanging in the kitchen, he had to rearrange the letters from You are so special to us, to you aren't special to us). Oh no, I didn't think about him when I got it.

Bill also got me a Dyson small vacuum which hangs on a charger.  Yay!  We decided we had better leave and get home before the kids came over for my birthday. 

We got home and I hung the sign I got, then we put the rest of the stuff in our room til later.  We both shoveled on the sidewalk and driveway.  There was only about an inch of snow, but we didn't want everyone having to walk through it.  Vikki and family came first.  Rody said happy birthday 26 year old to me and made my day and of course won the birthday greeting of the day award.  Vikki brought a couple of roasts she had browned at home and 10 lbs. of potatoes, and lots of carrots.  She had had Bill preheat the oven before she came, so it would be hot when she got here.  She put it in the oven and it cooked while we all hung out.  Kimmy and family got here next.  She brought two cakes and strawberries.  Melissa, Hailey, Jack and Evan got here next, then Bruce and Max came later.  Charlie and Sue came and so did Maddy, Alec and Brielle.  Bill didn't tell me about them so it was kind of a shock, but so nice to have them here too.  I was really concerned about there being enough food, but God multiplied it and there was enough to feed 23 people.  It was so delicious!  Kenzie made the gravy and it turned out delicious.  I have always made the gravy, so this was a real treat too.  What a great day not having to cook at all and having everything so delicious.  Eli and I sat by the cake while everyone sang, then we took our one candle out and blew it out.  The cakes and strawberries were delicious also.  One was an angel food and the other was a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  They both disappeared by the end of the night.  All three girls were such great helps and did pretty much everything. They made me sit down afterward while they everything cleaned up too.  

Eli and I opened our gifts after that.  We gave him a card with lots of writing in it and he read the whole thing.  We gave him money so he could buy what he's been wanting.  I got a Mac computer and a Dyson Vacuum with a charger.  I was so happy!  The girls and families got me a passport for storage so I can put everything on it and not have my computer overloaded.  I tend to take lots and lots of pictures.  Thank you girls and families.  I am so happy to have it. Charlie and Sue gave me a $50 to Kathleen's Restaurant at Apple Mt.  Such a great restaurant.  Alec and Maddy got me some amazing slippers earlier in the week.  I was so thankful for such great gifts.  I sure didn't expect so much.  

We charged the vacuum right away and started charging the computer.  Everyone sure had a good time hanging out together.  Brielle sure like Jared.  It seems like all the kids have always loved Jared, probably because he is always so much fun and so caring.  Charlie seems to be doing so much better.  It was so good to see him smiling more and staying longer.  Maddy and Alec stayed for quite a while too.  I'm glad they got to get to know everybody and everybody got to know them.  After they left, Kimmy started working on transferring my pictures and things from the old computer to the passport.  Rody and Bill set up the new computer.  Vikki worked on her computer while Kimmy was working on the old one and I was working on the new one.  Jacob helped both of us with some things we couldn't figure out.  Vikki got the same computer this week.  Now we can figure things out together.  Bill is getting my other Mac Computer.  Mac's are the best!  She transferred the stuff to my new computer.  The kids watched a movie.  Jacob worked on homework upstairs.  Everyone left around 11:30.  What a fun day with family and friends.  Bill and I stayed up for another hour then went to bed.