Rooftop Birthday Dinner

 Missy Tippens

We recently had a family birthday dinner for my daughter. I can't believe my youngest has turned  24! How does time pass so quickly?

We met at her new apartment (which happens to be in the same complex my son lives in--which is nice to know big brother can keep an eye on her). :)

We wore masks while we were briefly inside, but had the dinner outside at a great rooftop gathering area, one of the perks at their apartment building.

Here are some great views of the Atlanta skyline from the roof!

And here we are eating...

We had amazing food from Holy Taco! I hate to admit the birthday girl took this photo, so I don't have any good photos of her! (I know. Awful mom.) But here is one my husband took that shows her handing out the food (back right).

We had a great evening, perfect weather, and a really nice time together outside. As we were leaving, I took these great shots of the city.

I look forward to the day we can go out to restaurants again safely for our big birthday dinners. Until then, we can enjoy some wonderful times with outside get-togethers.

How have your celebrations changed in the last few months?

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Christmas Eve with the Drexler's

Crowded malls fall silent...

Streets empty...

Church bells ring...

Candles are lit.....


Have you noticed how the whole world holds its breath in anticipation on this one holy night of the year?

Christmas Eve at our house has changed over the years.

Children grow, 

Grandma and Grandpa with the Drexler children
1994

 Leaving behind memories,

photographs,

watercolor ponies

and butterfly kisses.

We move from house, to house, to house...and from church to church to church...leaving behind friends, but taking more memories.

The one thing that remains,

The one thing that stays constant,

Is God's incredible love. His gift. His indescribable mercy and grace.

The baby born in the shadow of the cross.

So how do we celebrate this wonderful night at our house?

First of all is church.
My daughter, after working at our local mall all day long, will be playing this beautiful song for the service: O Come O Come Emanuel.

After the service we'll come home...everyone...all six of us. Adults, every one.

I'll have our Christmas "Tea" prepared....  

....and we'll spend the rest of the evening enjoying family.

No television, no video games, no computers.

Just snacking, talking, laughing....

....whopping the pants off some poor soul in a game of dominoes....

Adding to the Christmas memories.

May your days be merry and bright,

And may all your Christmases be white.

Merry Christmas!

Sharing...from the Hubby

The Belle, here. My husband recently asked me if I ever saw the photo he snuck on my camera the night I was photographing the pineapple upside-down cake. Somehow, I never did!

Well, let me explain something about my husband before I share the photo. He's addicted to frozen yogurt. And not just any flavor. It has to be Cookies and Cream. And he eats it by the ton. I usually buy 4 or 5 half gallons a week! (Of course the kids help some.)

Often, if he has a meeting and can't get home for dinner beforehand, he'll just come in that night and eat a huge frozen yogurt "dinner" with some extras. :)

Here's his prep area (photo above). :) And here's what's on the menu for this night where he'd missed dinner:

Giant bowl of Cookies and Cream froyo (as we call it around here)--about a third of a carton!
Banana
Chocolate syrup
Plate full of different kinds of nuts
Chocolate chip cookie (this night he ate a dark chocoalte haystack from our friend Barb at church)
Small square of an extra-dark chocolate bar
Huge glass of milk

How's that for a feast?? :)

He'll sit and read the paper and enjoy that until it's all melty. I timed him recently. He ate on it for an hour! Now that's a way to savor a favorite dessert/meal.

What do you like to take your time eating, savoring?

Gracie Allen's Flawless Roast Beef

I forgot to give my friend Rosie Tischer credit for this cool blog post! She sent me the pic of George and Gracie and the recipe...


ROSIE!!!!  So sorry I forgot to give you a shout out this morning, my friend! Rosie and I used to sing together, and then she realized how big my teeth were, and how many notes I missed, and she MOVED to the other side of the city.


Whatever.  


:)


Miss you, Rosie!!!


If you're too young to remember Gracie Allen, shame on you. Not for being young, but for not realizing that hysterically funny (without swearing, being overtly insulting or over-sexed oinkers) people have graced God's Third Rock from the Sun for a long time!

Here's George and Gracie:

And here's Gracie's recipe for a perfect roast, every time!

Gracie Allen's Classic Recipe for Roast Beef

1 large Roast of beef

1 small Roast of beef

Take the two roasts and put them in the oven.

When the little one burns, the big one is done.

Now THAT'S easy-peasy!

How 'bout this story?

The woman who buys her Easter ham at the same butcher her mother used, year after year after year. Generations pass... And every year she asks for a big, lovely, boneless ham, with a slice cut off one end. Finally the butcher's son wonders why he has to cut the end off.... What in the recipe requires that? Basting? Searing? 

The confused woman shakes her head. "I don't know. My mother's ham was lovely and she always did it that way."

So she gets home and calls her mother. When the aging woman gets to the phone, the daughter poses the butcher's question:  "Mom, what is it about your baked ham recipe that makes it important for the butcher to remove that end slice each year?"

To which Mom replies, "It's the only way it would fit in my pan."

And sometimes it's just that simple, LOL!  So how about your family? Or any friends, in-laws? Got any funny recipe stories you'd like to share today? Old habits that carry on for no good reason at all, LOL????