The Boys! or Happy Birthday Kris! or The North Side Of Down!

Today has been great. This morning when I woke up, Tony said, "It's snowing outside, but not sticking, because it is already thirty-five outside." I looked out the window and he was right—no ice, thank goodness!

This morning while drinking a cup of Donut Shop Coffee I checked my e-mail. Our good friend Marguerite, who works part-time at Wild Birds Unlimited, one of our favorite stores, sent me a picture of The Boys romping in the snow this morning.

Marguerite has a really big heart, especially when it comes to animals and that is why she was a vet-tech for over eighteen years. Besides adopting Minnie from us, one of the six adorable Chihuahuas that we rescued back in August, she has also adopted these two great guys from us. Enzo is the German Shepherd, who a few years ago came to us in really bad shape both mentally and physically. And Marguerite adopted sweet Odi from us, in Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic's lobby, a few days after he had his eye removed and was ready to come to our rescue ranch. Anyway, thank goodness for nice people like Marguerite, who only adopt from shelters and give loving dogs and cats second chances. Here's The Boys!

Tony and I got outside early this morning to do our chores, because we had an important surprise birthday party to go to, at the Medina Highpoint Resort's Koyote Grill. 

When we arrived at Koyote, our good friends Eileen and Lisa were already there getting things ready for Kris' surprise birthday party. After we said our howdies to each other, I said, "Omg! Eileen, I love Kris' archaeological-themed birthday cake that you had Creative Cakes by Sharon design! It is too cute."

"I know," Eileen said. "Sharon has done it again." Then I whipped out my phone and took a picture of it and some of the presents.

Then Ellen, June and their super sweet cousin Pam, who is visiting them arrived. And while they were taking pictures of Kris' birthday cake, Kris & Jim walked inside Koyote Grill. "Surprise," we half-hollered. "Happy Birthday, Kris!" 

Kris seemed totally surprised, so I walked up to her and teased, "Wow, you've really aged. Doesn't Kris look old?"

Kris laughed and then she smiled, looked at me and said, "And so do you, because we are the same age." 

Kris' surprise birthday party was so much fun and ,of course, it was filled with laughter and teasing. "Since all of us are senior citizens," Eileen said. "I decided that we should start reversing the digits of our birthdays to make us feel younger. And that's why Kris' cake has 36 on it."

"Now wait a minute, Eileen," Lisa said, wearing a big grin on her face. "I'm not a senior citizen." Followed by a chuckle. Followed by all of us laughing out loud. Then we started teasing Lisa.

Before the "make a wish and blow out the candles" part of the party, Pam started telling us about how much fun she recently had at a remote movie location, getting to watch her son, Ed Helms, play a funny character, in an upcoming motion picture. And since all of us are big time fans of Pam's son and June and Ellen's famous cousin—you could have a heard a pin drop, in between the laughter.

Right after Kris' cake had shrunk down to three-fourths of its original size I took these pictures of Ellen and sister June and then one of Pam. The only thing that I don't like about these pictures is that you can't see Ellen's new, pretty pink cast, that she is wearing on her wrist—that she was purposefully hiding.

Kris seemed to get a kick out of reading her birthday cards and then opening up her really cool gifts. And Tony and I were thrilled that she loved her Solar Firefly Lantern, like the two we have, hanging on our front porch. And I overheard Ellen and June, down at the other end of the table, talking about going to Wild Birds Unlimited to buy them some, too.

Before the party officially ended and we all went our separate ways, we made Pam an honorary volunteer. And Tony and I even promised her that we would hand-deliver a Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch cap to her before next week when she flies back home.

Following the fun birthday party Tony and I took off for Kerrville so we could go pick up our Little Debbie. The reason that I put "our" in italics is because Little Debbie has also stolen Tony's heart too, and he loves her as much as I do. I took this one faraway picture of Susan bringing Little Debbie to us, in the lobby, because Little Deb is vain and she doesn't want you to see her partially shaved head and multiple black stitches.

And before I finish writing this tonight, I want to tell y'all about Eileen, during the party today, giving me a copy of her friend Nancy J. Bailey's book The North Side Of Down: A True Story Of Two Sisters. Eileen told me that Nancy is a fabulous author of ten books, that she is also an artist and painted the beautiful picture on the cover of the book and that she also tours with Clifford, her trick-trained horse who goes to schools, libraries, etc. to promote literacy and making the world a better place. "Thank you, Eileen. I plan to put Little Debbie on my lap and start reading it tonight, because Ellen has already put dubs on reading it next."

Y'all have a great evening!