Well, my birthday came and went last Saturday. Another year older--53 to be exact. Not much I can do about it because the alternative is to be dead, right? LOL
Tom and I spent the early part of the day going to visit my father-in-law (Jeanette's dad) who was in the hospital. He'd had knee replacement surgery the previous Tuesday, but ended up having a few complications, and so needed to stay in the hospital a few extra days. He's now at a rehab place recovering and receiving rehab exercises. We continue to keep him in our prayers. He's in his 80's now, and recovery is taking a bit longer than expected.
We also brought baby Dante with us to see him. Dad was thrilled to have a "little visitor" in his hospital room. We were there about an hour. Dante was a good boy the entire time.
The second half of my birthday was spent with my family at my brother's house. What a blast. We also celebrated my brother's 2 sons' birthdays, and wished a hearty bon voyage to my sis and her family as they'll be going on a cruise (from Tampa, FL to Cozumel, Mexico and back) on February 16th. We enjoyed great conversation, lots of laughs, delicious hors D'ouvres (or however you spell it), and pizza/salad for dinner. Our daughter, her fiancee' and Dante also showed up, and Dante was the hit of the party. He was flirting terribly with my nephew's girlfriend and just being a total cut-up. He had me laughing so hard I was crying. What a nut. And he's only 9 months old! I can only imagine how silly he'll grow to be as he gets older!
My sister-in-law, Leslie, surprised me by giving me the bracelet you see on my arm below as my birthday gift. We weren't supposed to get gifts for each other. But she's just like that--a sweetheart, always. She makes bracelets like this--using Swarovski crystals--and often sells them to her friends, co-workers, family, etc. This particular bracelet she calls the "Red Wings" bracelet as the colors are that of Detroit's hockey team, the Red Wings. I absolutely love it, and decided to wear it to work today which is where this photo was taken. Thank you, Leslie! And thanks for having everyone over to your house. I had a fantastic time!
