Happy Early 3rd Birthday

We celebrated Annabelle's Birthday with my family since we were all together for Christmas.

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Happy Hibachi Birthday

On Josh's birthday (12/17) we went to Sakura, a Japanese Hibachi restaurant in Toledo.

The wait was long and the place was packed, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Annabelle showed off her skills with the chopsticks!

And mommy and daddy had a really nice night.

At the end of the night, they sang happy birthday and took a picture of us. Annabelle struck a pose at the last second. She loves having her picture taken!

Josh got a Packers pullover and a Cars cake (Annabelle thought he should have a Cars cake since he is a boy :-).

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Although we've only been married for 4 1/2 years, Josh and I have know each other for 14 years! It is amazing to think that in some ways we've grown up together. We were such good friends in college and spent a lot of years together out of college. I am greatful for all the time we had to get to know each other before we married.

I am thankful to his parents for raising a guy who fears the Lord and desires to serve him with his life. I am thankful for the example they set to him as parents that has made him such a great Dad! I always watched the way he treated and cared for his sister and I knew someday he would be an amazing dad to a little girl!

I am thankful for the challenges we've gone through as a couple. They have drawn us closer together and closer to the Lord. Without the Lord in our lives I know we wouldn't be the same couple we are today. God has been very kind and gracious to us.

I am thankful for another year and I pray the Lord will bless us with many more!

Cute Story: Annabelle told Daddy that because he is a boy he should have a Cars cake, stay tuned to see pictures of his birthday party tonight with Annabelle!

Josh as a child

May 1997, our Freshman year in New York City
(This is one of my all time favorite pictures)

Christmas with Charles Dickens

This was my 4th time at the Sweet Shalom Tea Room. The last time I was at the Christmas Tea was the day before Annabelle was born!


I remembered how much I loved it, so when my parents got us this gift certificate a year and a half ago I couldn't wait to use it on the Christmas Tea. I am not sure what happened last December, but we never got a chance to use it until Saturday.

We had such a sweet time together. Annabelle love playing Tea party at home so she really enjoyed being able to enjoy a real tea party. Josh had never been to the tea house so for him it was a treat to be able to see why I like it so much.



Each time you go to the tea room there is a theme. December's theme is A Christmas Carol: Tea with Mr. Dickens. This was the menu for our tea:
* Steaming Hot Wassail
* Cream Scones
* Proper English Cottage Pie
* Red Leicester Cheese Tart
* Cucumber Sandwiches
* Egg Salad on Crackers
* Walnut Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches
* Rum Tea Cake
* Caramel Dream Tassies
* Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy Cake and a
* Grand Flaming Figgy Pudding !



We actually had to sing for the Figgy pudding...you know the verse of We Wish you a Merry Christmas that says, "Now bring us some Figgy pudding"? Well, they said if we sang it loud enough they'd bring it out. When they did it was literally on fire!

They also read a portion of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol.

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