Great Friends, Great Food and Another Year Wiser...

Our terrific friends, Janelle and Aaron, visited from Peoria with their sweet children, Quinton (three) and Sloan (one) over Memorial Day weekend -- they are so much fun! After becoming easy, fast friends a few years ago, Janelle and I discovered that we were both Delta Gammas! She and Aaron met at Mizzou, where he was Homecoming King (and fraternity president, just like Rob). Our kids are similar in age and play so well together, so it's a joy to spend time with all four of them. We wanted to throw their car keys in a lake so they could never leave, but having just made the exact same difficult Peoria-to-Nashville drive ourselves with two kids, we understood only-too-well the trip they had ahead of them.

Rob also took a Louisiana-style cooking class called the French Quarter Feast at the Viking Cooking School five miles from our house. Rob loves to cook and he's really amazing in the kitchen! Madeline, Charlie and I surprised him a few minutes into his class by showing up in Mardi Gras masks and beads and taking pictures of him in his official apron. He learned to make seafood gumbo, crawfish pies, Cajun red beans and rice with smoked sausage, and muffulettas with homemade olive salad. The best part is that he's been practicing at home ever since!

And last but not least, I turned 31 yesterday! Or, as my friend Julie puts it, it was my first anniversary of 30. Madeline loved all sweets that kept appearing throughout the day and often said, "More Happy Birthday, Mommy!" -- her way of asking for another cupcake. It was a great day!