A new age ...a new year...

Flowers from Paulie!

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday! It was a sweet day thanks to all my friends and family! I can't believe I am 23 years old....it is crazy how time flys!

My parents gift to me was a sewing machine and after church on Sunday Paul, Chris and Nada surprised me by taking me to a traveling Dutch fabric market! Which was amazing!!! I picked out a handful of beautiful fabrics and bought some thread so that I could get started! Here is the link where I had first found out about it months ago...I have no idea how Paul found it though! http://decor8blog.com/2009/09/23/fabric-market-fun/

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Here are my finds from the fabric market!

On my actual birthday, Paul took me to lunch at this new little place that just opened on the corner of our street. It's a "fake" Mexican joint...and while it may not seem like a big deal to many people...to us this is huge! Although they may not be authentic Mexican, at least it's something different. That's one thing I really miss about the US...all the amazing variety of foods. We were actually kind of impressed by Casa Mexicana...they had tortilla chips and salsa...that weren't half bad and they were free! The price is good...the place is clean...half a block from our house...I think that we are going to become regulars there!

After our "fake" Mexican lunch...Paul took me to this little place that also just opened on our street called Eis Cafe Italia. It is a little ice cream place run by an Italian family. Paul and I shared a banana split...it was fabulous!

Later on in the day the Waldrop's came by...they gave me this adorable traveling lunch box...which will be perfect for bike rides around Münsterland! Also, Carla and Zoe (Carla and her husband have been attending the church since the beginning and Zoe is their daughter who is 4) came by and Zoe gave me a beautiful arrangement of colored roses and Carla had written such a sweet note to me in English! Which was a huge accomplishment for her since English is not her first language! We all shared some laughs and I felt truly blessed!

The colored roses Zoe and Carla gave me!

The lunch box from Chris and Nada!

And to top it off I got to chat with my family and two of my best friends on skype last night! I had an amazing birthday! Thank you all for all your kindness and love! And thank you to all my friends for making my birthday here in Germany a memorable one! I Love each one of you!







Shalom