Birthday Bonanza

Here's a recap of my birthday weekend.

My wonderful fiance made me stewed bananas and pancakes for breakfast!  This special treat was a re-creation of the amazing stewed bananas I tried during our cruise.

Then he took me to eat sushi for my birthday lunch!

After work, I walked in the door to see flowers & presents galore!

Wow, Austin showered me with goodies.  He got me a new hair dryer, Reba DVDs, awesome books, work-out gloves, lythium batteries for my camera, and a Spa Day gift card for my mom, aunt & I to all  get pedicures & massages!

And did you see those beautiful flowers?  I am so incredibly blessed!

My friend Meredith came to visit me on Friday night!  For dinner, Austin made us grilled kabobs and corn on the cob.

Meredith and I baked a cake for dessert!

Unfortunately, the carrot cake crumbled when we tried to transfer it from the baking dish.  It looked pathetic, but it still tasted great!

Meredith and I have been friends since high school - and throughout the years, we have always taken silly pictures.  Dozer even participated in the fun!

On Saturday, we drove to my parents' house and arrived just in time for lunch.  My mom made turkey klebasa, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, and homemade baked beans!

For dessert, we had hot fudge sundae cake with vanilla ice cream!

Then we went to see a movie!  We saw Winter Bones.  This was a very unique movie that certainly does not have a typical fairytale ending.  It is about a teenage girl whose father is a druggie and mother is mentally absent from the family.  This seventeen year old girl is doing her best to raise her little brother and sister, meanwhile she finds out that her dad put their house and property up as his bail collateral.  His court date comes and goes, and he doesn't show up.  The movie has several dark moments and is a sad story, but it really makes you think and appreciate how simple and glamorous our lives are in comparison.

After the movie, we went to the lake and grilled burgers!

The time flew by as we kicked back with a drink in our hands, chatted about wedding plans and enjoyed the amazing weather.

After dinner, we walked down to the water and swam in the lake.  My family used to always come to this lake during the summers of my childhood!  It was fun to reminisce.

On Sunday, my mom made stuffed french toast with turkey sausage for breakfast.

We ate lunch at Mama Fu's.

In the afternoon, Austin and I met with a potential wedding photographer.  We walked around town and took a few sample engagement photos.  Hopefully they'll turn out nicely so we can check that item off the list!

For those of you who were concerned about my parents' dachshund, I appreciate the kind words!  For a quick update - he's doing much, much better after his back surgery. He can walk around on his own now.

Has your pet ever had to undergo surgery?

Dozer hasn't had any encounters with the animal hospital (thankfully).  On the other hand, Walker has had two major surgeries.  The first time was an incident where he ate a pair of panty-hose and it got stuck in his stomach.

The Lucky Winner

We celebrated the 4th of July weekend at a friend's lakehouse on Toledo Bend Lake.

I think the lakehouse is Dozer's favorite place in the world.  He spent the entire time swimming in the lake and rolling in the mud.

We had a blast hanging out at the lakehouse.  I relaxed in the hammock, read a book, went on a boat ride, and kayaked.

Of course, the main event was the cookout!

In addition to Beer Can Chicken, Jerk Chicken, and Beef Tri-Tips - we also had a Grilled Pig.

The guys used a nifty roasting box called La Caja China - to cook the pig.

I didn't eat any of the pig; it hit a little too close to home considering I had a pet pot-belly pig for 15 years of my life.  Austin and I neither one eat pork, actually.

It was a fun weekend, but it was too short!  Unfortunately, I had to work on Monday - so we left the lakehouse on Sunday afternoon.  We still watched some fireworks from our balcony, though!  Dozer was not a fan of the loud noise - poor baby!

Were your pets afraid of the fireworks?
Our friends' dogs at the lakehouse barked everytime the neighbors set off a firework!  Dozer didn't bark, but he got really scared and wanted to stay near us.  He's also afraid of thunder and other loud noises.

Giveaway Winner
And...the lucky winner of my Birthday Giveaway is #29 - Heidi at Basil Vodka!  Please e-mail me at redheadreports at gmail dot com with your shippping address to receive your Gym in a Bag.

A Day in the Life of the Redhead

My typical day starts with a hearty breakfast.

In this particular case, my first meal of the day was migas and hashbrowns with OJ.

After a long day of work which includes a packed lunch, I head home and walk in the door to be greeted by my pup.

He is a ball of energy.  He also believes that the reason we buy him toys is so that he can destroy them.  He takes this job very seriously and can go thru an "indestructible" toy in less than 3 minutes.

I usually take Dozie on a walk to get the mail, then Austin & I head to the gym for a nice evening workout.

Then it's time for dinner.

Austin loves to grill, so on nights like these - dinner is particularly easy for me!  I just kick back and relax while he takes the reigns.

Beer Can Turkey. It was out-of-this-world delicious: moist and flavorful!  I recommend you make this pronto.

All you need is a turkey and a can of beer. 

This recipe would work on the grill or in the oven, whichever you prefer.

After dinner is cleaned up and lunches prepared for the next day, I like to relax and read a good book.  This week, I've been reading Marley & Me.  I've already seen the movie, but I definitely recommend the book as well!

Do you have a daily routine, or are you more of a spontaneous person?

I enjoy a bit of spontaneity every now and then to spruce up my otherwise typical routine.

Busy & Broken

The past couple of weeks have been so hectic and eventful, I've been too busy to write about it!  Also, my camera is broken.  I have spent a lot of time sulking in the corner, missing my camera.  Hopefully the Camera Doctor will have it fixed this week!

Meanwhile, I still have some photos to share!  To celebrate Father's Day, Austin's dad came over and we cooked a wonderful meal.

Austin grilled t-bone steaks and barbequed chicken.  Stubb's BBQ is the best!

I made Eggplant Casserole.  My aunt gave me the recipe because her mom (my grandma) used to make it.  I loved it, especially since it was a family recipe!

I also sauteed mushrooms.

Austin prepared Caesar Salad in my new mixing bowls from Zak! Designs.

After dinner, Austin and his dad relaxed and drank wine while I cleaned up the kitchen.

Last weekend, Austin and I packed up our bikes and went to Galveston for the day.

We took a leisurely bike ride along the seawall.  We rode for about 45 minutes.

Then we had dinner at Float Pool & Patio Grill.

I ordered the burrito - it was huge and delicious!

We also shared chips and queso.

Austin had fish tacos.

At this point, my camera started malfunctioning because I had dropped it in the sand earlier in the day.  We squeezed in a couple more artistic photos before sending my camera off for repairs.

How do you survive without your camera?

I always seem to need my camera the most when I don't have mine with me.  I usually ask to borrow someone else's camera!

***Don't forget to enter my Birthday Giveaway!***