August 22 ME Day!

Friday:  Today is my 72nd birthday. I'm old. BUT ... I'm not through living, so here I am! Birthdays become a rather NON-day when you reach a certain age--after your kids have grown up and are on their own; and when even three of eight grandchildren are old enough to be living independently from their parents! I find it difficult to ... move on, so to speak, without that role of active "mother" and "grandmother." I am super thankful Dylan and Kelly still have children young enough to still want a grandma in their lives on a weekly basis. I think my older grandkids are just so far beyond that and so I struggle sometimes to know just what kind of relationship we can have with each other. Last weekend was such a JOY to me to have Emma, Matt, and Kaity-Girl here to celebrate Emma's birthday. I have to be satisfied with this very occasional relationship with them and trust them to the Lord. How on earth do people get along without the daily comfort of the Lord in their lives anyway?

Dylan and Kelly invited me out for dinner to celebrate my birthday tonight ... at one of my favorite restaurants! We met at The Score at around 5:30 and ate OUTSIDE, which is a first for me. I've always wanted to, but whenever I have eaten there in the past, I have been with people who really did not prefer to eat outside, so we didn't. AND outside eating is only available from May through October (I think). The Score brings in palm trees, a TON of sand, have a live band that plays, and there are all kinds of interesting places to sit--some overlooking a small lake! Let me show you pictures ...

Here is a view of the small "lake" aka former gravel pit that is unnamed on any Mapquest map! But I think it's lovely--but then, I love WATER of almost any kind, be it rivers, streams, lakes or oceans!

The Score set us up at an outside table with this view and everybody scanned the menu to see what to order. I already KNEW my order because I love their boneless chicken wings cooked in parmesan and garlic sauce--which I have not eaten since Ruthanne and Terry moved to Georgia back in early May. So I was long overdue!

While we waited for our food to cook, Kelly and I took the kids over to the outside play area. We had to wander all throughout the outdoor eating area in order to reach it. Look how great the outside is of this restaurant!

Cal and Erin captained their own ship!

Is there anyone I would rather spend my birthday with?!?!?! (Other than my other boys and grandchildren?)

Erin was showing me how FAST she could go on this Ski-doo. She kills me.

After our delicious meal was eaten, we came back to this play area and let the kids run around and dig in the sand. How nice to have sand without having to drive 45 minutes to Lake Michigan! It is an inferior substitute, but beggars cannot be choosers!

After dinner, I got to bring young Cal home with me because it is HIS TURN for an overnight at my house. See next post ...