Birthday Surprises

Monday was my beautiful, kind, thoughtful, caring, and generally all-around wonderful Mom's birthday.  We celebrated on Sunday night with the family by going out for Mexican food and Margaritas, both of which were muy bueno.  Mom doesn't care much for cake.  In fact, if there's a cake left around her for any length of time it will become a poor, bald version of its former self because she'll eat all of the icing off and leave the cake part behind.  That being said, she requested cookies for her birthday. Not just any cookies though.  She found a recipe for red velvet cookies (which happens to be one of only two flavors of cake that she likes) and dropped about a million hints that she wanted these cookies for her birthday, and would make them herself if she had to. So I obliged and made her Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies (click on the cookie name for the recipe).  They are by no means a pretty cookie to look at, but Mom said they tasted delicious, and even our waiter at the restaurant kept hinting around for more cookies after Mom gave him one.

After dinner we came back to my house so I could give Mom her birthday present.  She had been wanting rocking chairs for her front porch and I found 2 jumbo rockers at a local Thrift store.  We decided to paint them black to match the shutters.  Mom loves them and I'm so glad she does.  They're still sitting in my dining room now after receiving the last coat of paint on Sunday.  We're letting the paint cure for a week before we attempt to move them.  I can't wait to get my dining room back to normal!

Monday on Mom's actual birthday I showed up with Birthday Cookies Part II.  I had found a recipe for cookies similar to Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and I couldn't resist.  These were so good!  I can't seem to get the site with the recipe to open right now so I'll post that later.  Again, these weren't the prettiest cookies, but very tasty.

To finish up the birthday festivities, my sister and I took Mom out to lunch and then we went shopping for a few hours.  We ended up at an accessories store taking silly pictures of ourselves in hats. We even got a great picture of Mom with a "Birthday Girl" sash and tiara on her head, but she's too chicken to let me put it on here (lol Mom).

 My mom's birthday is the start of the birthday season in my little family. Things are just going to get crazier and busier from now until the end of the year.  I seem to remember a time when it took FOREVER for my birthday or Christmas to roll around.  Now they seem to show up pretty quickly and always leave me wanting to scream, "Wait, I need more time!!!"  I guess it doesn't help that my birthday, wedding anniversary, and Thanksgiving are within two weeks of eachother.  What was I thinking?!

Tomorrow is my Aunt Ranette's birthday.  She too is a beautiful, kind, thoughtful, caring, and generally all-around wonderful lady.  Aunt Ranette I hope you have a great birthday and wish we could be there to help you celebrate.



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