I am very thankful that my camera battery charger arrived in the mail before this weekend, because it was BIG one. Jeremiah and his Mom have the same birthday–March 10th–which means that Mrs. Linda’s birthday is usually spent doing something that involves horses, cookouts (that she helps prepare), and camper trailers. While she is always a good sport and acts as though she is happy with these testostoron-ific celebrations, it was high time she had a more feminine birthday celebration.
I told Jeremiah to plan a weekend with his Dad and brother, Josh, of camping and horseback riding. When Ashley heard that the guys really were going to be gone for the weekend, she called me and said, “Have you seen the Ladies’ Lunch in the back of Southern Living this month?”
“No, I don’t know when I’ve been able to look at a magazine.” 🙂
“Well, you need to pull it out, because that’s what I want to do for Mom’s birthday. But I don’t want it to be one of those ladies’ lunches where nobody has enough food. You want to do it with me??”
I’ve learned that when Ashley starts to dream about a party, I’d be a fool to question it or miss out on one minute. She has such a gift! So, here are the pictures of Linda’s birthday lunch. And you’ll see that when Ashley said she wanted there to be enough food…well…
I said I didn’t argue with Ashley about her party ideas, but I actually did argue this point–the congealed salad. “Ashley, only old ladies like congealed salad,” I said. She laughed and agreed…but did it anyway. {MOST of these recipes come from the March issue of Southern Living pages 114-119. I’ll tell you if otherwise} In the above picture you can see our salad course–“Cranberry-Strawberry Salad” (Ashley substituted rhubarb, cooked down a little bit with sugar, for the cranberries) and fresh mixed greens tossed in the “Fast Flourish Lemon Vinaigrette” (pg 115). I’m telling you right now, this was my favorite course of the whole day–the course I made fun of but Ashley’s gut told her to make anyway. Something about that soft sweet salad, paired with the tangy greens, was just perfect. And when you ate it all with these Neiman Marcus Cheddar Cheese Biscuits. Oh my!!!
Ashley and Alex decided to add the fresh rosemary and Asiago cheese to these. They also skipped the rolling them out and using a cookie cutter step. Who needs that extra work?!
Then the soup course… “Tomato Basil Bisque,” it calls for the yummy surprise of buttermilk.
These are not in Southern Living, but they are a party staple of mine. Mini, open-face BLTs. You mix mayo (Duke’s) and softened cream cheese with salt, pepper, and diced green onions. Spread it on bread and top with a roma tomato slice and crumbled bacon (You really can’t sub bacon bits here. You’ll have to go ahead and stink up your kitchen and fry the bacon yourself).
There’s the birthday girl at the head of her table!
Those tea sandwiches in the middle of the table are egg salad (made by Alex), chicken salad (my old standard recipe), and "Cucumber Strawberry" that I was a little nervous about making but you MUST TRY them!! So different and so delicious.
Along with the sandwiches in our main course, Ashley made two quiches. This one is a ham, swiss and spinach (not in Southern Living).
This one is the "Carmelized Onion Quiche" recipe that is in the magazine. We loved both, but Ashley said that next time she would do less onions than they call for.
Our beautiful party planner, bringing out coffee to our birthday guests.
And with that coffee, we must have DESSERT!
At our Book Club in Birmingham, I used to request that my sweet friend Stephanie make this Strawberry Tart at every event we had. I actually signed her up for it on the sign-up sheet once, without even asking her 🙂 I L.o.v.e it. And when I moved from Birmingham, I got her recipe so that I would not have to go without for the rest of my life 🙂 I took her recipe and made it in a mini version for our Ladies’ lunch. This blog is too long for me to write out the recipe now, but if yall will remind me, I really will write it out for you.
Ashley made “Chocolate Expresso Pots de Creme,” served them in tea cups and topped it with homemade whipping cream and fresh rasberries. And, since a birthday is not a birthday without birthday cake, there’s a slice from our local restaurant, River Nile. They put this crunchy sugar on top of the icing, and the cake is a moist pound cake…if you’re local, you’re gonna need to try it!
We had a wonderful time, and I think the birthday girl felt how much we all LOVE her. It’s fun to do something special for a person who is always serving everybody else.
And I’m going to end this post with some shots from the rest of our weekend, because this blog is my children’s only scrapbook. The birthday lunch was Friday, and I decided to get up Saturday morning and meet my sister Kendall at the beach. Why yes, it was her college Spring Break, and YES I brought all three of my children. SPRING BREAK 2012, BABY!! I just didn’t want to sit in the house all weekend, wishing I were with Jeremiah on his birthday. It was a major effort, but I find I’m always thankful I made a trip to the beach…even if it rains the entire time. There is something wonderfully healing about the site of white sand and endless ocean.
It was Jay Paul’s first time, and for the first 45 minutes or so he could not bring himself to open his eyes and face the Florida sun.
But once he finally did we had some fun. He has recently discovered that he has a tongue, and he doesn’t mind showing it you.
And he is still melting hearts far and wide with this grin and giggle.
His sisters were up to some she-nanigans in the sand. This is just after Pace buried Mary Aplin–crucifix style and just before she added sea-shells over her boobies.
Jay Paul wanted none of that action. He preferred the lull of the waves.
He did not appreciate the sun coming out from behind the clouds, like we did.
But pajama cuddling is always a favorite past-time.
The birthday boy left the Sipsey Wilderness in North Alabama and drove all the way down to us on Sunday afternoon. The guys cut their trip short…I think it was because they missed we ladies…even though they didn’t say that, that’s how I have decided to interpret it 🙂
It was cloudy and a little chilly, but we had fun anyway…didn’t we Buddy Man?
{So, ummmm, we went to Disney World in October, and I’d nearly completed this blog four months ago, but I guess I got distracted by being miserably pregnant and didn’t finish it. Here it is, for anybody who cares to read about our long ago vacation.}
We’ve put it off for years now–Disney World. Monetarily, logistically, stressfully…we found many reasons to wait. However, after moving back to within driving distance of “the most magical place on earth” and having an enormous belly reminding me daily that we will soon have a GOOD reason not to brave the theme parks, Jeremiah and I decided it was time.
So, after several (hundred) hours spent planning, trying to decipher the rigamarole that is a personally planned trip to Disney, and coming out on the other side feeling as though I deserve a diploma from Walt Disney himself–I did succeed. And we decided that we would make it a birthday surprise for both girls.
We left on the day before Mary Aplin’s birthday, telling the girls that we were taking a trip to a beach that was farther south than our normal beach destination. Six hours later, we pulled into a parking lot and told the girls to close their eyes because we had a little surprise for them.
We placed tickets in their hands that we said a very special mouse had sent just for them.
Realization dawned.
And then I pointed to something poking out above the tree line in front of our car.
“Do you see that? THAT’S the top of Cinderella’s castle! We’re here!”
It was an unforgettable moment.
The next day was Dapple’s actual birthday and we had a few more surprises in store. First, a trip to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. Because, while I didn’t like the idea of my sweet farm girls being turned into John Benet Ramsey look-alikes, I also couldn’t think of anything that would have been more exciting to me as a little girl than being transformed into a princess at Disney World.
To my dismay, Pace made an executive decision at some point that she wanted pink hair extensions and a bump-it. Lord have mercy.
I must say, they did look beautiful…and way too much all at once. “Think fairy tale not beauty pageant, think fairy tale not beauty pageant…” I kept telling myself.
After some part-of-the-package glamour shots–that I have had some majorly good laughs over–we shed the cumbersome costumes (with many reassurances that they would get to put them on again later) and entered the magic kingdom (pink rat tail hair extensions still in tact).
We rode rides with our little chicken wings and their crowns. And every single person who worked at Disney World wished Mary Aplin a happy birthday. Some even burst into song. I’ve decided that Disney must be the best place in the world to spend your birthday. It was like Facebook birthday wishes in live person 🙂
After riding every kiddie ride there was, we hurriedly re-dressed the girls (actually as we stood in line for a ride :)) in princess attire and rushed to Cinderella’s castle for our 5:30 dinner reservation with the real princesses.
We stepped inside the castle and got in line to meet Cinderella before we took our seats. I turned around to see why Pace wasn’t standing with the rest of us. This is what I saw…She turned the corner, saw Cinderella and was awestruck. Priceless…even in her pink hair extensions.
Mary Aplin was less than impressed with the princesses. Every shot she is making a face sort of like this and began covering up her birthday button as the ladies approached our tables. Jeremiah leaned over and said, “This is what you call OVER saturation.” “The word for that is supersaturated…and you’re right.” “It’s the same effect that happens at Christmas. They both get overwhelmed and glazed over.”
I still think she had a pretty sweet fourth birthday…and we still had more surprises in store.
As though it had not been a full day already, we still had “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” to attend.
And on our way to the parade, guess who surprised the girls?? Moogie! and
Popon (Jeremiah’s Mom and Dad)!! I wish I had a picture of the girls’ first surprise meeting with their grandparents, when we acted like we just bumped into them in the park. The girls were shocked and overjoyed! In these pictures, watching the parade 20 minutes later, all that you can see is the exhaustion of a long day.
After the parade, we rode every big Magic Kingdom ride with NO LINES. Both of the girls rode Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain railroad. Pace even braved SPACE MOUNTAIN! The most fun I think I’ve ever had on a ride was riding in the car with Moogie on Thunder Mountain railroad. She is terrified of roller coasters but couldn’t very well be out-braved by a five year old and a three year old. It’s hard to explain, but she is a HILARIOUS scared person!!! As in, her head was in my lap as she simultaneously screamed and laughed her head off. I don’t know how I didn’t wet my pants. I was laughing so. hard.
As the night wore on, we all became a little delirious.
I think this may have been our seventh meal of the day???
While the princesses didn’t do anything for Mary Aplin, and she had been hiding her birthday button for much of the afternoon and evening, as soon as she caught a glimpse of this guy dancing on the stage, she made a bee-line for him screaming, “It’s my BIRTHDAY!!” As she pointed frantically to her button.
When he leaned down from the stage and kissed her on the nose, this is the priceless look I captured. I could have saved all that money on the princess dinner in the castle. Pluto was much more exciting to my funny little chicken wing.
The only day I could get a reservation for a character breakfast at the Grand Floridian (something I’d done as a child and never forgotten) was the next morning at 8 am. Ok??!! We’d been up until 1 am the night before. Because Mary Aplin loves Tigger almost as much as Pluto, we have this one good picture from the breakfast.
The rest of the pictures look more like this one:
Sorry Mary Poppins. And sorry that I didn’t take one photo the rest of day 2. I think I was too exhausted. But, we went to Hollywood studios where the girls, who I thought would probably only ride rides like Dumbo in Fantasyland, continued to Wow us with their bravery. Pace rode the Aerosmith roller coaster and both she and Mary Aplin rode the Tower of Terror. I began to wonder if I should be proud or worried about dealing with death-defying thrill seekers in their teenage years.
Day 3, we went to Animal Kingdom, which wasn’t in existence when I was a kid. I was amazed!
A close up of the carvings on that magnificent tree.
While the girls were marveling at rides and characters, we adults did a lot of marveling at the genius of Walt Disney. I mean, the whole place is stinkin’ amazing. Just so well done, and when Jeremiah learned that it all began with a Dad who wanted something fun to do with his two girls on a Saturday (besides riding a carousel) I think Jeremiah felt a certain kinship.
Popon is good at adding an air of magic and wonder, even to waiting in long lines.
Did yall know my husband is really cute?
And that my mother-in-law can manage to look like a movie star whether she's cleaning dog pens or riding rides?
After taking an extra turn with Mary Aplin on the water rapids ride (while Pace and the other non-pregnant people went to ride another roller coaster), and getting utterly DRENCHED, I looked like a pregnant, drowned rat.
And, if you’d like to know the back story to this particular shot, I was on the verge of tears because we were about to leave the parks for good. I wanted a Mickey Mouse t-shirt and Jeremiah made fun of me, asking if I really needed that. “You’ve been overcome by the magic,” he said. “Once we get home, you’ll never wear it.” Well, I don’t know if it was the hormones or the exhaustion at the end of the whirlwind, but I started to cry….He went back and bought the t-shirt 🙂
That night, when we got back to our hotel room, the hotel staff had made mischief with the girls’ Mickey and Minnie dolls that they had gotten as souvenirs (and are still sleeping with every night four months later), making it look as though they had gotten tangled up playing in our curtains. Pace said, “Mommy, do you think Mickey and Minnie were really in our room today?”
“I don’t know Pace, it sure looks like it. What do you think?”
“There was a certain smell I smelled when Mickey and Minnie rode by us in the parade, and I smelled it again when we walked into the room tonight. So, I really do think they were here.”
Jeremiah and I both had to admit, the Disney Magic is real. And on our drive home, Jeremiah–the one who had been borderline dreading the trip–said, “I don’t want to wait until Jay Paul is five to come back, do you?”
Ahhh Mickey, we’ll be coming back soon.
I lost the charger for my camera battery and have resorted to only phone pictures for this post. I kept on thinking the charger would turn up, but after all the first smiles I’ve missed capturing from our little man, I gave up the ghost and ordered a new charger last night.
Quite possibly the best place in the world to sit and nurse in the late afternoon.
From all that nursing, however, Jay Paul and I have managed to contract thrush and pass it back and forth for THREE weeks. At one point I was ready to sever both breasts, the pain was so intense. Don’t think we weren’t taking medicine. We were. But through my ordeal, I think I’ve come up with a new form of medicine that I’m going to patent and make millions…yeah right. But I really may just try 🙂
The view from the opposite end of the pond at our place
And the tree that overlooks that view, where Jeremiah and I have been dreaming of hanging a swing and planning some picnics with friends.
I’ve FINALLY been able to take some rides on my little Hope, since the bulge in my belly that I had to protect is now out in the wide world.
I’ve watched night and day melt together and wished so bad for my camera and cursed the loss of my battery charger.
I’ve learned that whenever we’re all sick and Jeremiah is in charge of taking the girls to school, he repeatedly decides on the way into town that they’re too sick to go. When I go looking for my absentee children, I discover that too sick for school does not mean too sick for this. What kind of doctor is he, anyway?
Speaking of sickness, I’ve had 24 hour food poisoning. Followed by the flu that has turned into ear infections for both girls, and a crouping chest cold for me. I’m talking fever, body aches, sweats, exhaustion, and (why not tag it on?!) MASTITIS. We all four went to the doctor yesterday and took Moogie with us–in case the wheels fell off–and we also found out that Jay Paul’s cough sounds like the type that could turn into RSV. Basically, if you come over this way, you better hold your breath while you drive by.
There is a silver lining, though. Buddy man slept through the night for the first time last night. Sweet gift!!!!!!! 9:30 pm until 5 am! Now, Pace woke up screaming at 1:30 am and had to be comforted, so don’t think it was total and uninterrupted, but it was ever so close. Today, despite the croup, I feel like a woman who could conquer the world…or at least get a blog written 🙂
I splurged on having this return address stamp made by Letter Girl (obviously those trees are not part of the stamp, I just couldn’t figure out how to blur the words and it seemed a little scary to publish our address on here). I am in LOVE with it, and I first learned about Letter Girl from my friend Brooke, whose taste never disappoints. I had Letter Girl leave that little space at the top of my address and ordered a Valentine stamp, a Christmas stamp, and an everyday tree stamp so that we’ll be personalized in every season 🙂
I’ve re-discovered the Baby Bjorn and would not accomplish one thing during the day without it.
This man has continued to shock me with his girth! Here, he is wearing his first John John (a hand-me-down from our friend John Martin, thank you Darby). He is 7 weeks old in this picture, and that John John is a SIX MONTH. I’m starting to worry Jay Paul may eat small villages by the time he’s one.
Do you see the book in the background? I finished The Hobbit while he was doing all that eating, and I’d like to move us all in with Bilbo Baggins at Bag End.
A combination of gazing at this little man I’m in love with and being inspired by Tolkien’s genius led me to dream up a fairy tale of my own. That’s four pages of outline (purposefully small and blurry because I’d be embarrassed for you to read it just yet) for an adventure I hope to give legs to one day soon. If we could all just get well, and my house would clean itself, and the laundry would wash itself, and the piles would organize themselves and and and…
A smile I was able to capture with my phone... If you're not smiling too, you must be dead
I’m not sure if there is anything in the world more rewarding, after constant service and sleepless nights, than these first toothless grins of love. If I could swallow him whole, I would.
In the car a couple of weeks ago, Mary Aplin called from the back seat, “Mom, Baby Boy just smiled at me!” I said, “Doesn’t it make your heart melt?” And she replied, “Melts down to my shoes.” Mmmm. Perfect words.
I’ve almost completed the nursery, and I’m excited to share it with you soon. You can see a glimpse of it in the last picture, and this is a mobile I just ordered to hang over his changing table.
Now, if yall could just start sending Jeremiah anonymous emails telling him that we really NEED the ottoman I want to order to wrap it up :)…I’d show you the finished product.
Total randomness was this post, but thanks for still checking in with us.