fourteen

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Yesterday with family and friends we celebrated third daughter’s fourteenth birthday. It was a beautiful catered affair- for those of you that like food here is the outstanding menu:

Assorted bagels with smoked salmon, whipped cream cheese and chopped onion. Eggs Benedict and asparagus napped with a béarnaise sauce. Crepes with creamy chicken filling and pepper jack cheese. A loin of Canadian bacon with Grand Marnier and orange marmalade glaze. Home fries. Fresh fruit bowl of strawberries, blackberries, cantaloupe. Caramel Pull a Parts.

Bartender served Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, Champagne, and Pineapple Punch.

Every day dress, me, baked Mexican wedding cakes, jewel cookies, sugar cookie cutouts, chocolate chip cookies, and an ultimate devils food chocolate cake with candles. Vanilla Häagan-Dazs ice cream accompanied all.

Birthday girl wore a new dress, new shoes, and the most fabulous crown ever hand carried back from Chateau Sonoma, a delightful french gift store in CA.

There were even wrapped presents.

All this was a switch up from year’s past. Third daughter’s birthday, every year falling on New Year’s Day by virtue of being born on January 1, was usually a bit of a leftover, hung over, bit of a push to celebrate. Hung over not by wine but by the entire month that preceded. Thirteenth birthday, and this I know she will never forget, tried to convince her that yes, birthday cake was indeed good enough without frosting. And that yes, cheese and crackers for dinner, were celebratory enough for her day. Lizzie, by being Lizzie, did rally us all together for a restaurant dinner out. This is not an excuse and there is simply no excuse but I was simply put too totally spent to make good things happen. Making good things happen for other’s is absolutely a priority.

So this year we had a party. A true, beautiful party. She was the focus and she shined brightly like she does each and every day. Happy Birthday, Elizabeth. Love you bigger than the ocean.

On this second day of January best wishes to all for a happy, healthy, and blessed New Year. Let’s go out and make good things happen. xoxo