Birthday weekend & healthier s'mores

Saturday we left the house around 8am and didn't get back home until almost 10pm. Home is so welcoming after a looong day. That morning we joined Bill and Steve at the Raleigh Christmas parade to pass out some gospel tracts. From there we went to Wilson, where Tony attended a men's meeting and I went treasure hunting (aka shopping). Then back to Goldsboro that evening to attend a bridesmaid dinner with the girls, mom, and Chrissie. While I was busy with that, Tony joined my dad at the movie theatre. Then we met back up at Target. :)

We were very grateful for the Lord's Day!! What a great blessing it is to worship our Creator along side our siblings in Christ! Then we had a restful day at home. And that evening I attended Brooke's bridal shower. That was lots of fun. :)

As of Monday, I am officially twenty-five years old. The morning of my birthday was spent at home, doing my usual tasks. I told Tony that 23rd of November should be a paid holiday for him, so we could spend all day together. ;) Mid-afternoon, Tony's mom stopped by to deliver {a perfect} gift; a set of crochet hooks and a gift card to Michaels craft store. Late afternoon, I gathered all my "papers" and headed to the DMV to get my liscense renewed. A handful of people were in front of me, so I sat there in the waiting area, quizzing myself of the traffic signs. It was finally my turn and everything checked out smoothly. I had trouble with only one sign - a yellow circle. I told the lady, "Mmm, some kind of warning sign..." She reminded me that it usually has a black "X" in it. "Oh, a railroad crossing..." :) So, I have my temporary liscense in the car and should have my permanent one within two weeks. From there I went to the grocery store. I felt like I owed the cashier an explanation when I put six loaves of 12 grain bread on the conveyer belt. Stuffing will be my contribution to the Thanksgiving meal. I'm actually going to toast the bread, and chop the onions and garlic today. Tony beat me home, so I was greeted with a big birthday hug when I walked through the front door. (Sweet!!)

That evening we went to my parents for a family celebration. Matthew and Joey weren't able to make it because of their work schedules... but it's okay, because everyone will be there on Thursday. Mom and Brittany fixed my usual meal - breaded steak, with mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, and salad. That is definitely one of my favorite made.by.mom meals. Then I opened my gifts: a scrunchy scarf and tights from Brittany, a very pretty sweater from Chrissie, and a gift card to Rack Room Shoes from Dad and Mom! That is designated to a pair of black boots!! I'm so excited! :) Then I blew out my candles and we all enjoyed some carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum!  

Last night, we took a break from school work and decided to make s'mores with homemade graham crackers and homemade marshmallow fluff. It was all pretty tasty. That was our first time making fluff and I was amazed that the texture of it came out perfect {sticky and gooey}, just like the stuff you buy. And although this was healthier than using pre-packaged crackers and fluff, I still wouldn't label this treat healthy. There is a difference. ;)