Special Times

 

He surrounds me with lovingkindness and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things.  Psalm 103:4,5

 

When Gary retired in 2009 and we moved to Exeter my sister and I started a birthday tradition.  On our birthdays we spend the day together with lunch and shopping.  In our young adult life we each had our own thing going with family, careers, jobs and I lived 3 hours away.  I look forward to these birthdays when we do things together and expressing our love for each other. 

 

 

 

This past week I celebrated my 67th birthday.  This year Gary, Christy and Cadon joined Nellie and I at Hazel's Kitchen in Tulare for my birthday lunch.  Nellie and I love this little place and it has a very special meaning to both of us.  It is where we had our Mother's Day Luncheon in 2003 and Linda, our sister, was able to join us.  It was the last Mother's Day we were got to spend with Linda as she went home to be with our Heavenly Father a few months later.  So we love this little restaurant with its family atmosphere as it reminds us of the good times with family.

 

After lunch Gary headed home and the rest of us headed to the factory outlet stores to do a little shopping.  Didn't have anything in mind to buy just having a good time trying on things and window shopping.  Then there is the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where we to stop and get a chocolate pecan turtle.  Yummy!!!!

 

Nellie and I then headed into Visalia.  Stopped at Famous Footwear to see if they had the shoes we were both looking for and then went next door to Target.  I wanted to check out their purses and Nellie wanted to check out a toy for her grandson Andrew.  I didn't find a purse I liked and the toy she wanted isn't released until October 21.  We then headed to Macy's to see what they had on sale and yes I found the exact type of purse I was looking for,  I should say that Nellie found it for me.

 

We were both tired at this point and decided to head home.  Nellie dropped me off and I sent her on her way with Homemade Apple Sauce and Blackberry Freezer Jam.  I so enjoyed spending my special day with family. 

 

God always has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.