Monday, January 21, 2013

the gift of life ~ well celebrated....

Every day is a gift from God.
At times we forget to acknowledge that.
This weekend I had occasion to celebrate the past 365 days...
which happens to make me one year older. 


Though things are looking pretty bleak in the garden these days...
I have a lot of beautiful flowers to enjoy indoors.
Flowers from the kids and grands.
The 'book page' wreath was made for me by my DIL...
and now hangs above my bookcase.
I love it...
and will show you a close up another day.
Thanks, Broni!

Yesterday was a quiet day...
and we decided to take a walk along the river before dark.
Just the two of us.
 

It's my favorite place to walk whatever the season!


We weren't the only ones walking the trail.
And amongst all those strangers...
we met some friends.
They were about done walking.
We were just starting.
They said,
'Come join us for dinner when you are done'.
We said,
'We'd love to'.

And so we carried on  with our walk...



...while others stood in the chilly waters hoping to catch their supper.


As the sun set on a beautiful Sunday...
the fishermen were still out there.

We had no worries about what we would be cooking!
Our impromptu supper 'invite' included appetizers...
and onion rings...
and gourmet bacon mushroom burgers....
and a salad.

And a lot of laughter...
and good company!


And for dessert?
The best chiffon cake ever!
(Though they had no idea we would be joining them for dinner...
it surely looked like birthday cake to me.)
It was such a fun evening.
And all because we walked the Vedder Trail!

It was a good weekend...
from beginning to end.
I am most thankful to God for another year...
and for his goodness shown to me through family and friends. 
I am so thankful for those I get to share this journey with!

 


20 comments:

  1. Happy Happy Birthday Judy!!! Yes - that sure looks like birthday cake to me too. What fun you gals have! Have a great week.

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  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Judy! You had some beautiful flowers, the wreath is certainly very clever and it looks like you had a wonderful walk too. May you be blessed abundantly throughout the coming year.

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  3. What a wonderful tim! From the walk to the impromptu dinner with friends, I hope this is in my future!

    Happy birthday!

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  4. Best wishes on your birthday, Judy. What a lovely cake!

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  5. Judy you have had another ride around the sun! Isn't it odd that such massive travel happens while you just hon on with your day to day life, merrily sharing views of your celestial "cruise" with us as you go.

    Blessings on your birthday/birth week/ birth month!
    Are you wearing garnets? Your birthstone color is so warm, just like you.

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  6. A wonderful end to a celebration weekend! Love those impromptu meetings and gatherings! Blessings on your new year...

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  7. So glad that your birthday weekend began and ended so beautifully. I was off to a birthday breakfast with a grand this morning myself.

    And I love that friends still invite each other to supper with no prior arrangements. Pretty cool and what a lovely way to end the weekend.

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  8. I love the title of your post. I do hope you continue to enjoy your birthday month and the warmth you spread comes back to you often.

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  9. Happy Birthday, Judy! What a lovely weekend you've had. Celebrating the gift of life is a wonderful way to express how you feel. How fun to meet friends along the way and enjoy an impromptu dinner.

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  10. Looked like a perfect weekend to me! Happy be-lated birthday Judy. The fresh flowers sure bring life into one's home during the winter months. We took a refreshing walk yesterday too, it does a soul good to breath in the clean air and feel the sun on your face while surrounded by a blanket of white. I love winter around here. Blessings on you.

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  11. A lovely birthday with an extra special birthday surprise tucked in!! Hope your year is filled with such blessings!

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  12. Happy Birthday Judy! What a lovely way to spend your birthday - celebrating spontaneously and with good friends! All the best for your next trip around the sun!

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  13. It looks like you had a wonderful birthday, Judy! Each day is truly a gift form God ..enjoy another wonderful year full them as you celebrate another year of life!

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  14. Happy happy birthday!! Funny, my daughter and I were just looking at book page wreaths on line and talking about making some. Yours is pretty! Thanks for the answer to my question about the icy fields...very interesting!

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  15. Happy Belated Judy; looks like a wonderful day. We wandered the Vedder trail yesterday as well; such a perfect day for it.

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  16. It was lovely to read about what you did on your birthday - and it certainly sounds like you had a happy day. The wreath from your DIL is very nice - I'll have to take a really good look at it one day...

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  17. Well celebrated as we think of the wonderful memories that have been created over the years. What a wonderful impromptu walk on your day sprinkled with friendship and fellowship. May this year become special once more.

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  18. Beautiful pictures and beautiful words of a special day! Happy Birthday to you Judy! I love the way you celebrate life it just shows ;)

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  19. Your birthday celebration included all the best ingredients needed to make it a wonderful, memorable occasion. The flowers showed are gorgeous! I can just feel the joy you must have felt when you received them. The wreath is such a thoughtful gift! The walk you took in scenery like you have would have been enough of a birthday gift for me. What beauty you have access too! And then on top of it all, gracious, unexpected hospitality extended to you was the icing on the cake. What a special gift to you and your husband. Loved this post!

    I want to wish you a "Happy Birthday" today! You are a loved lady and I can understand why. Today our middle daughter is 28 years old, and will be celebrating her also. It is a privilege to celebrate life and the years we all have been given.

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  20. I missed this post until I scrolled down from Wednesday's post Judy. Happiest birthday wishes to you for a blessed year ahead! Beautiful photos and the food sounds yummy. I believe I know who you met along the trail and invited you to dinner after reading another blogpost. :) It all sounds lovely. Big hugs. Pamela

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson