Happy 18th Birthday Savanna - AGAIN!!

Savanna takes after her Auntie Debbie and knows how to make a birthday last! Last Tuesday we went to the Melting Pot for her birthday. Then yesterday on her actual birthday she and her friend Linda went out to eat together at Olive Garden. Tonight we had tacos and then had birthday cake here. Matt had a class last night, that is why we celebrated tonight. She had a black magic cake for her birthday cake. She used to always want angel food but this year she went over to the dark side and asked for a black magic cake. I had to get the recipe from Granny, I think it turned out just as good as Granny's if I must say so myself!

Happy "early" Birthday Savanna

We celebrated Savanna's birthday a week early tonight due to the fact that Brooke is leaving to go to college on Friday. All Savanna wanted for her birthday was a dinner at the Melting Pot. That's good that that is all she wanted because that is all she got! Dinner at the Melting Pot is not just dinner, it is a 3 hour event. Ryan and Matt weren't too thrilled about that when they found out but there were no complaints from them once we got started. They loved it, Matt ate so much I was afraid he just might explode. We had a great time but we all missed Brad so much it hurt. Daddys should not miss out on their little girl's 18th birthday! But, we have been really blessed this year that he was able to be here earlier in the summer for her graduation and recital so we aren't complaining, but we did miss him! The waiter knew it was Savanna's birthday so when he brought the dessert out he had a candle in the little cheesecake. He wanted us to sing but we assured him that he didn't :-) I don't think any one outside of the family is ready for the Brown's singing Happy Birthday and we certainly didn't want to subject the rest of the customers to it. Besides our ringleader (Brad) wasn't with us so it wouldn't have sounded quite the same!

Beautiful La Jolla

La Jolla, California

Dad and I absolutely loved La Jolla! It was so beautiful and fascinating. The rock that we were walking on had little natural pools in it that had little aquariums in each of them. This included fish and plants and crabs and little tiny hermit crabs - just like the aquarium we had in Collinsville. As you can imagine, Dad was fascinated! We took several pictures and tried to take one of ourselves which didn't turn out too badly but then right before we left we saw a young couple trying to take a picture of themselves with their camera like we were doing so I offered to take their picture for them and then they returned the favor. I'll be home tomorrow so straighten up the house and wash my car :-) LOL

Balboa Park

I only took a couple of pictures yesterday. I love the buildings here, they are so beautiful. The other picture is of the veteran's memorial.

San Diego Part 2

I am in San Diego again visiting Brad one last time before the ship heads for Japan. I don't have pictures because we haven't done a whole lot this time. We both have worked most days although Brad did have Monday and Tuesday afternoon off. We haven't done anything much, we have revisited a couple of the restaurants that we ate at last time for our dinners. Most of our lunches have been in the room. Our evenings we have spent going back to the room and watching the Olympics. (GO MICHAEL PHELPS!!) Yesterday (Saturday), Brad worked in the morning and then we went to In and Out Burger for lunch and then went to Balboa Park to the Museum of Photographic Arts. That was a big let down. We were expecting a chronological history of photography along with antique cameras used along the way etc... It had two exhibits that weren't even very good and that was it. I don't think that qualified as a "museum" but what do I know? Anyway, Brad went into the Model Railroad museum and he loved it. I stayed out and sat on a bench reading. Balboa Park itself is gorgeous, there were several weddings and quinceanearas (sp) being photographed and of course I stopped and stared a bit :-) What a great place to be a wedding photographer, it is so beautiful here. We had talked about going to the zoo today, after all it is world famous but we decided to go to La Jolla and see the sights there instead. I'll have pictures tomorrow.

Girls on the town

Savanna and 10 of her dance company friends had a fun night on the town last weekend. They got all dressed up and met at Bravo, an Italian restaurant in Virginia Beach and then the older girls, Savanna, Linda, Allie, Amy, Rachel and Alex all went down to the boardwalk and walked around. I was downtown shooting a wedding and was able to pop out for a minute and take a picture of them. They are adorable!

Nags Head, NC

We shared a cottage with Lee Lowman and her family this past week and had a great time. Ryan was able to come and spend a day and a half with us along with Ripley and his friend CJ. Ripley seemed to really like the beach. Ryan and CJ stayed at our cottage on Sunday night and then camped at Oregon Inlet on Monday night. Our bunkies were Lee, her mom Beverly (better known as "Nan"), Lee's sister - Deb, and Brooke. There were two other cottages and they were Gina's cottage (Gina is Lee's daughter), Gina and her husband, Steve were in that cottage along with Lexie, Alaina and her husband Jeremy and for a couple of nights Lisa and her husband Dan. Nick's cottage had Nick (Lee's oldest son), Paul, Zac (Lee's youngest son) and Jenna (Zac's girlfriend) and Patrick (Deb's son/Lee's nephew/Nan's grandson). The three cottages got together for dinner most evenings with each cottage taking a turn providing the meal. On Sunday night we went out to Mako Mike's for dinner for Gina's birthday. Very good food! Our days were spent on the beach and just hanging out at the cottage playing games or reading/napping. It was a great week, I wish we hadn't had to leave early but I had a wedding in Greenville, SC this weekend so we had to leave on Thursday and travel on Friday to SC.