Greg's Birthday Dinner - Chicken Pot Pie

Greg turns 20 years old in a few days. Sunday before he gets his favorite dinner. This year he picked Chicken Pot Pie... a child memory. Owen Celesa, Kristen, Barrett, Ana, Grandma and Gregory
Blackberry birthday pie
Steven leading a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday to You!
Amy, Barrett and Ana
Greg laughing at Steven
Gregory eating his own birthday treat to himself.
Happy Birthday my precious baby boy...how did 20 years happen?

Love you,

Mom

Happy Brithday to me - New Moon! Thanks Greg :)

Greg treated me to New Moon and Fresh Mex for my birthday! They were pretty successful in surprising me. My birthday was Thursday and nothing happened. I came home to a clean kitchen and the smell of warm brownies. I thought they had remembered, but NO, it was just a coincidence. So Friday they asked what I was doing on Saturday and I told them. Greg came a long to help me get the stuff to make posters for the Stake Christmas Musical Fireside coming up, but instead of going home, we went to the theatre.

Owen and Greg.

Barrett, Gavin, Brandon and Spencer came too. We went to Fresh Mex after the show.

Good eats!

So, New Moon. I liked it. I knew I would but it was my least favorite of the books and I knew that the movie would be the same for me. It is obviously the link that gets you into the next book, but it is definitely not a stand alone. It can't be but I don't like hanging until the next book or movie. I didn't like it anymore in the middle Lord of the Rings movie either. The other thing is that I get a little tired of the whiny teenage thing. With that said, Stephinie Meyer is good at teasing, suspenseful sex and hot guys so that's not bad. As I told the boys at lunch, Edward's appeal is that he has the body of a hot 17 year old but, supposedly the maturity of a 109 years. However, he doesn't act at all mature in New Moon. Edward and Bella are just stupid through this whole movie (and the book).

Fourth Triple D - Jamies Broadway Grille

I work with Erik. He is also a Facebook (FB) buddy. From FB he has read some of my obsession with Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives so for my birthday and some other reasons that he came up with from work, he decided to take me to Jamie's for lunch. Yummy.

Jamie's is a dive.

Jamie, Erik, Kim, and me. I love Erik. He helps me keep perspective. He is my age and one of two boys. He tells me all the stuff he pulled as a child and teenager. He tells me about his mom and also tells me when I am being over the top as a mom. He cracks me up. It helps.

Kim, me and Karen.

The famous Cheeseburger. Erik was bothered by the wait but it is part of what makes a Triple D a Triple D. Mostly it was because we had five people. Tables for two were no problem, even four was okay. No worries, it was great having all five of us there.

Grandma's 84th Birthday

My mom turned 84 today. Japanese food!

I love that my mom's birthday is on Veteran's Day because I always remember it and I always have it off. Most important she is so patriotic. She was in an internment camp during the war and, though she doesn't appreciate it, it did not negatively affect her patriotism. She is proud to be an American, always has been. She taught me to never take my citizenship for granted. I remember, because of her life, that life has not always been as good as it is now. My generation is soft. We have somehow come to think that we are entitled to have a cush life, for nothing to ever go badly, or it is someone else's fault. It makes me sad and a little nervous.

My faith and eternal perspective generally keeps the nerves at bay.

Today was Greg's birthday. He is 18 years old, an adult. He really liked that part. He wanted to know if he could buy dry ice....just cuz. Can I tell you that I have crazy boys! He wanted steaks for his birthday dinner. He cooked the steaks to perfection! Of course we had more than the steaks but this was his focus :) Barrett, Brandon and Seth joined us. It was fun to have them all home during the week.

We had brownies and Chocolate Malted Krunch, a Thrify's brand flavor, Greg's favorite.

I guess he gets his wish. I hope it was a good one.

Birthday dinner at Spaghetti Factory

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Okay, well Owen's birthday is really Sunday, January 11th, but Spaghetti Factory had a 40th Anniversary celebration and offered their food at the prices of 40 years ago....how could we pass that up!?! Anyway, we thought it would be fun to join the masses and see if we could get in. It wasn't too bad. We got in at the first seating and I only arrived 40 minutes before the place opened. I got to meet a few new friends and and took a good book (okay, not everyone will agree, it is Influencer, a business book, but it really is good :))