Birthday Dinner #2

My hubby and I met our son, Steve, and daughter-in-law, Sharon, at 4:00 o'clock Tuesday at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Charros.  Sharon and I both ordered a Chicken Fajita Salad, and Jerry and Steve got Chicken Enchilada Dinners.  It's SO nice to be able to go out to dinner at a restaurant again!

After dinner we came back to our house for birthday cake.  They got me a Tiramisu cake.  It's the most decadent cake I've ever eaten!  Birthdays can really pile on the calories!

I watched Joanna Gaines [Magnolia Kitchen, Discovery + channel] make Tiramisu last night during one of her cooking show episodes and I'm going to give it a try - but not until I've had a chance to work off some of these birthday cake calories!

In addition to dinner and the Tiramisu cake, Steve and Sharon gave me one dollar for every year of my life!  So today I went back to Hobby Lobby and got two more place settings of the leopard print china.  I also spent my two Macy's gift cards on a very nice large wooden salad bowl and six individual salad bowls.  When the bamboo handled flatware, stemware, napkins and table runner arrive I'll set up a tablescape and post pictures. I can hardly wait to have company to use everything.  Tea is grown in Africa and easy to purchase, but I'll have to research a dinner menu.  Any suggestions???

It all began with the tea set below one of the associate pastors brought me from Africa several years ago, and the carved ebony wood animals my hubby brought home from his missions trip to Kenya.

I'm so thankful for another year of life the Lord blessed me with.  I recently heard a worship song that has become a favorite.  I try to play it at least once every day [preferably before I go to bed].  I'm posting the words in closing, because we all need to be reminded of the goodness of God, particularly during these difficult days.  

Goodness of God by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson

I love You, Lord

For Your mercy never fails me

All my days, I've been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head,

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

Chorus:  And all my life You have been faithful

And all my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In the darkest night

You are close like no other

I've known You as a Father

I've known You as a Friend

And I have lived in the goodness of God.

*  *  *

While I was walking around Hobby Lobby I noticed lemons are popular in kitchen décor this year. In one of the displays I saw a cheerful yellow container I couldn't resist taking a picture of.  It simply says Choose to Shine, which is my prayerful motto with the addition of two words, for Jesus!