birthday celebration(s)

I celebrated a birthday this weekend...well, I actually celebrated ALL weekend even though it was only supposed to be one day (Sunday). Thanks is due to my wonderful family and friends for making this a special birthday.

I returned from a work trip on Friday night. What greets me? Presents! My mom and dad had each sent me something from New Mexico - my mom sent a giant box. It was sitting in the entry way and it was a great surprise...like Christmas in September.

In fact, she spoiled me rotten as she also had flowers delivered to our door - arriving Saturday. I LOVE flowers!

Also on Saturday my student surprised me with a homemade cake. It was pretty enough to decorate a wedding table - and tasty too!

Saturday night was the only planned event. Kenyon had invited a few of my girlfriends to join us for dinner. Phim made the dinner party extra special. When we arrived, there was a large "Happy Birthday" balloon and my second bouquet of flowers for the day - happy flowers.

She also had a gift basket of some of my favorite Asian foods - tropical fruits like mangoes and lychee. She included ingredients for Pho, green curry and panang. I tore in to the lychee before we even ordered food. Mmm....

This is my friend Vanessa. You may recognize her from a previous post. We met when she was a graduate student at KU and I was working there. That feels like an eternity ago. A lot has happened since then! She is from Brazil and has been in the DC area on a short term work contract. This was her last weekend in the DMV. I am soooo glad she came to celebrate with us. I am going to miss her, it was such a treat having her close.

If I am going to get two bouquets of flowers in one day - why not two cakes?

The celebrations continued in to Sunday with a lesson in "indigenous" green curry preparations - then a feast while watching the premiere of my favorite show - Amazing Race. Monday I was still getting presents. The most surprising was from one of Kenyon's co-workers. A woman I have never met gave me a gift I love - a book. I love books, probably even more than I love flowers. I got a lot of love by email from all over the globe. How I miss the precious people I have met along the road.

Last year, we celebrated at a Thai restaurant in Maputo, Mozambique with some of my missionary friends and national colleagues. A lot has changed in a year!

just Sheri, another year older

Vietnamese Coconut Dessert - WOW!

My student continues to expose me to Vietnamese cuisine. 

Last week she shared with me the most amazing thing - a coconut dessert. It was like a party in my mouth. I don't know what she did to that coconut water to make it smooth like pudding with a gelatin layer. Then she froze it. She told me it is best cold. I was hooked by the first bite. Oh my! It was sooooo tasty!

I have told her that she must tell me how she made this wonderful creation. She promised to share her secret.

Affinity for coconut was an acquired taste for me, but now I LOVE it. Coconut in any form is wonderful, this is now top of my list - trumping the previous number one of coconut ice cream from Bangkok, Thailand or coconut shakes in Battambong, Cambodia.

just Sheri, grateful for the hospitality

Ugh! Ant problem!

We have an ant problem in our apartment. They are everywhere. It irks me to no end.

This is not the first time we have had ants in a place where we lived, but my tolerance of the problem is at an all time low.

I had a flashback the other day to when we lived in Cambodia. The ant problem there was worse. My attitude was better. In fact, I just accepted it as part of life. We tried all kinds of ways to eradicate the ants - it was a futile effort. So, we learned to live with them. We had sealed off all our food, and still they would find their way in. So, my morning tea consisted of removing ants from the sugar. I wasn't bothered, I just dealt with it.

Why can't I seem to produce the same kind of patience for the ant problem here?

just Sheri, irked by the ants

encouragement to parents

Study, after study, after study, after study shows that parents have a HUGE influence on their children. Children are listening even when they don't appear to be and they are ALWAYS watching.

I recently had a conversation with my mom that is worth mentioning. Why? Because it demonstrates that parents have incredible influence.

My mom was a VERY intentional parent in my childhood. She wanted me to be creative, a leader - and as a female to find my value in things other than appearance. How did she do this? She changed the words of children's songs to get her point across. She made up her own songs. She limited TV time and she complimented good choices. I had a lot of friends with incredible wealth, who's parents gave them everything their little hearts desired. We did not have means for that, so instead my mom taught me the emptiness of possessions and the value of character.

Who I am today is very much shaped by those lessons. A recent posts on this blog inspired this conversation...life without television. I learned this lesson as a young person. My life choices have reinforced it. It is not the only lesson I learned as a kid that has stuck with me.

Parents - don't be discouraged. You have incredible influence.

Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.


just Sheri, a product of the investment of others

Summertime in Virginia

The weather is getting cooler here. Gone are the humid days of summer. Come are the cool nights (and sometimes days) of fall. This has me reflecting on the events of our summer. It has been packed full with...

Water side BBQ's 

 and picnics.

Wedding showers and engagement parties.

Lots of time outdoors - fishing, kayaking, farmer's markets, and an attempt at watching an outdoor movie at the National Harbor. I say "attempt" because it was cancelled due to technical difficulties,

 so, we walked around and enjoyed the water front scenery instead.

just Sheri, enjoying the good life