Surprises and Smiles

"You know what? Just cancel the damn dinner reservation, Jeffrey.  I don't want to have a date night if we're both in bad moods.  It's pointless."

"NO! We're not canceling.  Let's just take Ellie to Grandma Lene's -- at least we'd be able to sleep in tomorrow."

"UGH!!! FINE!"

We stormed into the car, and headed over to my mother's house.  In keeping with the evening, traffic on I-5 was completely stopped.  I was getting more and more snarky, and Jeffrey was ready to drive on the shoulder of the freeway.

"You need to call and let them know we're going to be late, Jeffrey. Reservations don't just get held indefinitely."

"We'll be FINE!"

My fingers flew across the keypad as I sent a text message to mom: "Literally stopped on the freeway. Jeffrey is in a mood.  Can I stay the night at your house too???"

Jeffrey grabbed his phone, and sent a text to someone too.  We both sat annoyed, silent, staring at the brake lights in front of us.  We finally managed to make it to the exit, and Jeffrey sped through the streets.  I closed my eyes and boiled inside.

Pulling into mom and Ed's driveway, I grabbed EG's overnight bag, and headed inside.  Mom met us on the walkway.  She took EG from me, and as she walked in front of me I thought, "Why is she all dressed up?!?!"  Opening the fridge to put away the milk, I became even more frustrated since mom had used up all the space with a freaking cake.

"OH MY GOD! Can one thing just go right tonight?" I stormed.  Mom said, "I'll take care of it. Just leave it on the counter." I headed to use the restroom while Jeffrey got EG settled in.
"Ok, babe, let's GO!" I snapped.
Mom looked at me and said, "Hey, Miss, before you go, let me show you one thing." I wanted to roll my eyes.  Can't it wait?!?!

She opened the door to the living room, and there stood all these people, "SURPRISE!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" they all hollered.   My jaw dropped. I turned to Jeffrey and he was smiling with that cute little half smile he gives. I looked around the room, full of all my friends.  There were childhood friends, new friends, seasoned friends and family.
"I'm sooooo sorry, Jeffrey! I was such a bitch!!!!"

before I realized what was going on...

I couldn't believe how many people were there!

Thank you, Jeffrey!

I love this photo

Everyone (especially mom) put so much effort into planning a great evening.  There were favors (recipes that she had printed from my blog), delicious things to nibble on (she made a tuna appetizer that Colin was sure wasn't tuna - because he HATES tuna), a beautiful cake, and lots of great friends!  She had everyone write a little something about an adventure they had had with me which gave me some wonderful mementos from the night - and some funny stories!  It was wonderful to be able to enjoy the night, and not have to lift a finger!  I think they were right about one thing: if it hadn't been a surprise party, I would have insisted on being involved with the preparations!  We had a great time and laughed so much our bellies hurt.  Thank you, everyone for making this birthday the most memorable one of my adult life!

The cake! 

The party favors (thanks, Sharon!)

Cute or scary?

How cool is that!!! Thanks, Colin!

A few lines into "Happy Birthday"....

Mom accidentally blew out my candle!!!!

So we lit it again, and reset the song to the beginning...

mom didn't sing the second time around! 

Hey, it's better than what she did at my College Graduation party when she lit the entire cake table on fire! Now THAT is a funny story!

LOOK AT THE SMILES ALL AROUND!!!!

my brother Jake

my beautiful friend Mona

laughing...

My brother Colin

my childhood friend Beth

My OTHER childhood friend Sharon

laughing harder...

The most loyal, giving, compassionate friend and almost-sister I could imagine

Bulbs, bulbs, and more bulbs! 

Nothing like a sack of bulbs! Hee hee

My garden is going to be absolutely overflowing with flowers in the spring.  

I'm so, so, so, so excited!  Such WONDERFUL gifts! 

I love that everyone got me something for the garden!

What a wonderful gift - just have to water and watch grow!!! Thank you, Steph! 

Jake was done :-)

The night was spectacular - it was just what I needed.  I night of laughter, stories, and new memories.  Thanks to everyone who came, and put so much effort into the planning and celebrating!  Love you all!

Now...off to go plant all these bulbs!!!

I still might be a city girl!

Wow. What a day.  It's nearly midnight, and I am just now starting to unwind and begin to process the day.  I hate that I haven't been taking pictures, but then again, hauling a huge ass camera through Michael's probably wouldn't have produced any worthwhile photos anyway! What's crazy is that I've gone two days in a row without cooking more than Ellie Graye's egg in the morning -- I think I'm going through withdrawals!

Of course, this seems to be how I work.  I go through cycles...a few months of constant cooking, followed by a few weeks of intense artistic creativity, followed by a time of organizations, and then a return to the constant cooking!  Hopefully I'll be able to jump right to the cooking part again, or Thanksgiving is actually going to be frozen mac and cheese with hot dogs!  Hee hee.

I had a good day, despite Boots still being at the Vet Hospital.  I woke happy - in large part because my little Etsy shop is doing decently - and EG seemed to be in the same "groove" as me!  We had a good morning together laughing and giggling.  I love how communicative she is now, and that she actually interacts!

This child has such a unique sense of style...you kinda can't help but want to imitate it!

After spending the morning with Ellie Graye, I headed out to Michaels pick up some supplies for some of the items I'm creating for Etsy.  I found some perfect items, then headed over to Lake Oswego to meet up with my girls.  Amy, Charlene, and Mona met me at Zeppos for a great lunch and some girl time.  We're all talkers (Charlene and I more than Amy and Mona, I think), and there was never a dull moment...Charlene brought a wonderfully delicious cake to celebrate my birthday - I think I might need to figure out the recipe: a marionberry - poppy seed cake that was to die for.  Just sitting and hanging out with the three of them made me feel so "at home" here.  Sometimes living out in the countryside can feel pretty isolating, but a quick jaunt to "civilization" reminds me that I'm not alone, and that life is bigger than Deer Park.  Thank you guys for being such wonderfully supportive beautiful girlfriends!

Both Amy and Charlene gave me beautiful flower bulbs...

There's the adorable hat that Mona's daughter Mia picked out for me!

I guess my friends know me pretty darn well!

We spent a whole lot of time chatting at the restaurant, and before I knew it, it was 2:45 in the afternoon!  HOLY CRAP! I had 4 orders that needed to be finished and packed up - AND I had to pick Jeffrey up from the airport!  We said good-bye and headed our separate ways. I'm still waiting for them to send me photos since I forgot my point-and-shoot at home...ladies???

Once I got home, I headed down to my crafts room in the basement.  Ellie Graye was with Lorena, and she was happy to be have someone at her beck and call entertaining her!  My cousin Sarah had requested that I put together a package for her to take as a hostess gift on Thanksgiving.  She had a few requests - one of which was vodkas - so I quickly put together several of my homemade edibles, but it was missing something...wine glass charms - but something unique...stemless wine glass charms.

The set of 4

Once these were implemented, I finished the rest of the package.  I forgot to take a photo before I boxed the whole thing up for shipping, but there wasn't much difference - simply cello wrap and a big Thanksgiving bow!

It's a Welcome Wagon!

A close up...

Jeffrey came home tonight - and I was thrilled to see him.  EG was so excited once she realized we were heading to the airport.  She kept signing "airplane" and saying "DaDa!!!!"  It really was sweet to see.  What a doll face.  

So - all in all - a busy, productive, fun day...one that almost made me think I was back to being a city girl -- now wouldn't that be something!  

P.S. Don't forget to go get some shopping done over at Deer Park Farms' store - and more importantly, spread the word!  

G-strings, Birthdays and the Great Need for Patience

For as much joy as little Ellie Graye brings to me, she can make me bat-crap nutso in a way that is almost comical, but not quite...especially when she's tired and hungry - which tonight she was both of. The tired part, we just had to wait out; the hungry part? Oh man, oh man, oh man.  She wouldn't eat ANYTHING - and I refuse to give her crappy food.  She'll eventually get hungry enough to eat something with actual nutritional value.  I cannot wait until I can say, "I'm not your line-order chef, little girl," or "This is what we're having for dinner; it's this or nothing."  For now the food thing is just crazy-making, and I'm about ready to pull my hair out! But I AIN'T giving in!

She has over the last few days been eating gnocchi...which is better than french fries, I suppose.  In order to alleviate at least a little bit of the guilt surrounding giving her a carb overload, I decided to make some homemade pumpkin gnocchi.  I did - and rather successfully, I might add. BUT my darling daughter decided that since they didn't look exactly like the gnocchi from Trader Joe's, they were better off served to the dogs who sat beneath the high-chair eagerly awaiting her cast-offs.  Nothing like seeing your hard work get hurled across the room as dogs jump into the air snapping at flying pieces of pasta.

Pumpkin gnocchi with spinach

It was almost as entertaining as that Wii game where you try to hit the soccer balls with your head but avoid the shoes and panda heads that are being thrown at you wildly across the screen.  Gnocchi was everywhere.  Scraping pasta off the walls of the kitchen while my child screamed and thrashed around on the floor wasn't exactly how I would have planned my birthday.  But it is what it is.

I did have to call and vent to my unexpecting husband who answered the phone chipperly, "Hey Babe! How's your birthday?"
"IT'S HORRIBLE!"
"Oh. Man. It must be really hard having the baby so much by yourself," he said in a sincerely sympathetic voice.
Crap. Why's he gotta be so good at this???
I was still annoyed and upset and feeling sorry for myself, but yet another good guy helped me chill out a bit more - my friend Matt.  He has a little boy a few months older than Ellie Graye, and was understanding, patient, and sympathetic too.  Just having someone say, "Wow! That sucks!" made things feel a little less overwhelming.
Needless to say, EG went to bed early tonight...and without a fight.  Maybe she was just overtired.

My little stinker right before she threw a fit because I wouldn't turn the TV on

Today was also Victor's 40th birthday.  Oddly enough, despite his constant work right alongside me, I had never given him samples of all the vodkas that I've made.  Thus, part of his gift was just that - a sampler pack of 12 of the different vodkas that we've made from what we've grown here at DPF (there are still 5 - 6 more flavors!!!).

blackberry, jalepeno, watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, asian pear, blueberry, pear, rhubarb, apple, spiced pear, and wild plum

I covered a box with wallpaper I had found on clearance somewhere a while ago, and then wrapped it up in cellophane.  I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

The box was the one the bottles came in, but I wanted their necks to show, so I cut it down

I reused the dividers that had come in the box

Placed one of our logo stickers (Colin designed that!)

Wrapped it up, and it was gift-ready!

The only other thing that I managed to get done today (aside from the vodka sampler box and the pumpkin gnocchi) was take care of the left over chicken that was in the refrigerator.  I hate throwing food out, but there wasn't much left - so I did what I always do...made an appetizer out of it.  Yeah, I know...I'm a planner, but it's just such an easy thing to make, and when you're rushing around or have unexpected guests, having one of these in the freezer can be a life saver!  I simply use the blender adapter on my immersion blender, and basically make a puree of the leftover chicken (or whatever you have, I've used everything from veggies to beef stew) then spread it on a sheet Pillsbury dough, top with bbq sauce and cheese, roll, and voila - an appetizer waiting to be baked.  I wrap it in parchment paper, throw in the freezer, and use it on a day when I need it!  No waste, and I'm oh-so-prepared!

The chicken was from a rotisserie chicken I got at Costco

top with bbq sauce and cheese

Roll and freeze!

My mother brought me lunch today in honor of my birthday.  I'm glad she lives so close now; her visit helped make my day special!

I wonder what she was thinking about...she looks so pensive

She brought me flowers, and then while she was here....

Flowers from my husband arrived!

I was just chatting with a friend of mine from the days I spent in Madonna's household.  One particular birthday of mine was...well...it was odd.  We all gathered round for cake and gift-giving - the kids gave me their cute little cards, and I started opening gifts from other members of the household staff.  As I opened them, I became more and more confused...finally, I asked, "Um, did you guys come up with a theme for this birthday or something?"  When I finally opened the gift from Madonna herself, I just laughed.  For some reason (and no, it wasn't planned), everyone had gotten me some kind of underwear...the chef had bought me a tank with matching panties that said, "I like boys." The other nanny had bought me a cute little nighty.  The gift from Madonna? A g-string with beads. Yes. That's what I said.  The clincher? The beads could be taken off and used as a necklace - I kept it, because, well...because I have a g-string from Madonna.

My birthday present to myself? Sleep.

RANDOM PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Talking to Yovani. "HIIIIIIIIII"

Making the gnocchi

She wanted him dressed...

her reaction to seeing him dressed

You can't tell, but she was dancing with Teddy!