Birthdays And Bow Ties. . .

A very special birthday rolled around at the end of last month . . . or to make it sound like centuries ago, we could say "at the end of last year". : )  Allison's 18th ~ one that she's been looking forward to for quite some time.  And her two requests?  A zebra cheesecake and go-cart rides for the whole family.

You see, this year we've been celebrating somewhat differently and have really enjoyed it.  The birthday girl/boy picks something for the family to do together, and that day is like a mini holiday.

The cheesecake was made the night before so it would be good and ready for the celebration. : )

Instead of graham crackers, I used vanilla wafer for the crust.

Add some cocoa and extra maple syrup to about a third of it, and voila!  Of course, It doesn't instantly create stripes . . . gotta work for those. : )

Then whip up the batter and pour it in the pan.  The stripes in the batter were a little more difficult to make.  I wasn't expecting the dark batter to be so thin.  It was impossible to "dollop" so I had to create gullies and then  spread it in. : (  Maybe it will go better next time.

The first peak into the oven . . . just a little cooling before it comes out.

It could be mistaken as a dead tree instead of zebra stripes. : )

A gift to Allison from some friends.  It is very special, cherished, and so fitting!  It says:

A little handicapped but; From my point of view Pray & Believe.  Find a way to make a difference.  Then go out and give it a try.  I'm trying this and it sure helps.  Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done.  Pray & believe in yourself even when others around you doubt.

Mel

It's not so much how you walk.  As who you walk with.

Mel wrote this in the spring of '95.  Upon his death in July of '95, his family found this in his Bible.  He'd had his handicap for 55 years.

Her new "pet name" (no pun intended) : )

Yay!  Zebra stripes!

That afternoon we went to Zuma in Pineville.  Allison had been looking forward to this for a long time.

Just waitin' . . .

Patiently, of course. : )

In the lineup.  

First lap and doin' well!

Yes, she did this for just shy of 5 hours!
Of course there was some power chair time between rides to wait on our turn.

DEFINITELY worth it!!!

At 5, we headed home for supper . . .

PIZZA!!! : )

"Happy Birthday to you . . ."

Hmmmm . . . getting kinda gusty, don't you think? : )

Want a piece?

Here you go, Ms. Ann! : )

And now for some bits and pieces of the Workman life . . . : )

This was taken the day she left for VA.  Her doctor's appointment went well, and the thought of surgery is put on the back burner for now.  Hopefully the new leg braces and night splints will work.  If not, there are other measures that can be taken before surgery will even be reconsidered.  Praise the Lord!

Allison modelling the new hat she made.  Just gotta love the bright colors!

Just makes me wanna smile and laugh with her . . .

The things you can get away with in bright colors. : )

Goin' zebra all the way!

Christmas Day 2011

Looks like the beard is staying ~ at least for a little while.  We put off getting our family picture for Christmas cards until he shaved . . . that was the middle of December.  Well, it's past Christmas as well as New Year's Day, so if you were expecting a picture card from the Workman family, you now know you can blame it all on Ray. ; )  Come to think of it, he did have a lot of encouragement . . .

And last, but not least, meet Fudge. : )

Ever feel like eyes are on you?  We have been doing our Spring cleaning around here, so when we took our dining room curtains down, this little kitty decided to take advantage of the view. : )  Our kitties adore their "peoplefolk", so they love it when they can have some extra you-and-me time.  Actually, if the truth be known, she was trying to find a way to get in to her peoplefolk, but to see them was the next best thing. : )