Jewel's birthday

Here is my sweetheart with her princess cake. Please understand, cake decorating is NOT my thing at all. But it is my policy to try and give the girls a cake that is special for them. So, I took Jewel to the party store and told her she could choose any tin she wanted (they rent them for 2 pounds so we can get a different design each birthday for little cost and no storage issues). She immediately chose this one--with its fine detail that I knew I would struggle in trying to frost it and decorate it. *sigh* She had chosen lemon for her cake. I went home and made the cake which came out of the tin surprisingly well. Then I started basting it in lemon juice and icing sugar. Did that all evening long. Friday was decorating time. I was actually pleased with how it turned out--and she was thrilled, which is all that really matters. That, and it tasted good too!

We had a BBQ for her birthday. A dozen friends came. German grilled polish sausage and pork steaks. I made broccoli salad, green salad, and German potato salad. Plus we had chips and dips and bread. Dessert was, of course, cake and ice cream but I also made an apple pie and a fruit salad. Another one of the guest's birthday was Friday so his wife brought him a birthday cake as well. We had a blast. The weather was good enough to be outside most of the evening. The kids played football/soccer and hide-n-seek. Everyone laughed and had a good time. Almost everyone at the party has celebrated every single one of Jewel's birthdays with her. We joked that they would still have to come whereever in the world we end up--right through to her 21st. God has been so good to us to give us friends and church family that love us like their own.

Dear Father, thank you for blessing us with Jewel as our daughter. Thank you for giving me glimpses of your love in her. Thank you for the blessings of a church family that love us, care for us and celebrate with us. Pour down your blessings on the beautiful families who graced our home last Friday evening. May we always see your hand in the joining of our lives with one another. Amen.