Ironwood: Giving thanks for Mary

We celebrated Mary's birthday last week. A few days before, Fancy Nancy took Mary and me out to eat. We don't eat out much and we go to town even less. We're country people, so this little outing was a big deal to Mary. She looked forward to it for days and squealed with delight when she woke up the morning of. Fancy had called ahead and made reservations in Mary's name and let them know that Mary would be looking the whole restaurant over before she chose where she wanted to sit. The Spaghetti Factory is one of those places that looks more like a home than a restaurant- with one of a kind chairs and sofas, chandeliers, and floor to ceiling mirrors scattered all around. Mary chose a little nook with three high back red velvet chairs- very cozy. The staff came out and sang Happy Birthday to her and gave her ice cream with a candle in it. Fancy bought her a limeade with a purple straw and a chunk of cotton candy on the tip of it, and she ordered her favorite-macaroni and cheese. We talked and laughed the whole time, and after lunch we went and stood at the tall windows and watched the boats out in the harbor. It was a really good day and she felt so special. It filled me with gratitude for good friends who love my children, and go out of their way to be good to them.

Thanks so much Fancy!

Later in the week we had our regular celebration, pumpkin pie

(Mary doesn't like cake?!!!) and ice cream. We sang Happy Birthday and gave her her gifts.

She had asked Siwa to make her a t-shirt with one of her designs on it,

and she asked Jesse to make her one of her sling bags.

The girls wrapped her gifts in oversized boxes

with items that already belonged to her on top of the real gift.

She wasn't fooled for a minute and dug down to find the real prize.

Here are some of her gifts: