A nice gift

Here's what Katherine and the boys gave me for my birthday, along with some killer HUGE Godiva-chocolate dipped strawberries. This is a cute gardening basket with a pot of beautiful purple tulips inside. There are some cute little tools inside and some seeds for herbs. A little bit of spring in January!

Happy B-Day to Me

Today I am 56 years old. Mike gave me a nice card with a $100 gift card to Bed, Bath and Beyond inside. Cool! Tonight we're heading out to a nice Japanese restaurant with Katherine and Michael. Nick has work, but I 'm hoping Erick and James can come, too!

Mike and I went to IHOP for breakfast. They had this new thing: crepes with Nutella, bananas and strawberries and whipped cream. Damn the diet, it was goooood. Besides, I did my step aerobics this morning and I've lost a half pound this week, so far.

My daily photo is the nice card Mike gave me:

He always writes really nice things inside!

Dinner at the Outback

Mike and I joined John, Nor, Little John, Michael, Uncle Jimmy and Nor's brother Mike at the Outback today to celebrate John and my birthdays. John and I are the same age for one week every year--I'm 55 until this coming Wednesday and John just turned 55 last Wednesday.
I had the wedge salad, which comes with a little steak. I could have done with just the salad, honestly. Mike and I split a piece of carrot cake. All told my dinner cost me about 18 points. I've lost almost 18 pounds and plan to keep at this. I'm looking forward to going down another size (I'm a 14 now) so I can have a whole new spring wardrobe!
I have more than one "Daily Picture" today!

Uncle Jimmy, John and John's little boy, John Joseph.

Noreen is using a 'magnifier' app on her phone to read the menu!

 Noreen and Michael.

Mike scans the menu. He chose a Cobb salad with chicken because it is almost impossible for him to cut a steak with his arm in a sling! (I shared most of the steak from my salad with him.)
No pic of me or my sil's brother, Mike, since I was 'manning the camera' and Mike was sitting too close. Probably wouldn't have wanted his picture taken, anyway.
After dinner, we picked up my BP meds at CVS then came home. Mike has been watching the football games and I've been catching up on some knitting and crocheting as well as writing this blog. A nice Sunday!