Happy Sixth Birthday, Addy!!

We're finally in Minnesota, just in time to celebrate Addy's sixth birthday.

The kid's party was fun, just ask Macy.

On Saturday we celebrated with family. Addy wanted Big Grampa's ribs so we thought a picnic at the park would be fun. Well, at 50 degrees, wind, and even snow, we changed plans. But the ribs were great. What a crazy May!

OLC, Sevierville, TN

We spent 10 days in Tennessee with a bunch of our camping friends (36 coaches this year) from around the country--Texas to Toronto!

One night Mitch cooks ribs for everyone, they're always good and everyone enjoys them!

We keep ourselves busy--shows, scenery, eating, visiting, shopping, fixing motorhomes, etc.

This year we did Dollywood (great roller coasters!!) and the best variety show I've ever seen. Check out Smoky Mountain Opry (http://smokymtnopry.com) for a great show.

We also had a chance to spend time with Mitch's brother, Dan and Cari, and their family who came to visit, Mindi and kids, Masayda, Cassian, Joakim, and Mejella, and Mitzi and Greg, with new baby, Issac.

On the road--moving north.

First stop--Old Federal Campground on Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch, GA (just northeast of Atlanta). Great campground and we had a lot of fun with Jan and Marshal, Ken and Carlene, and Dave and Dorie.

 The guys went golfing and we gals decided to check out Babyland General Hospital, the place where Cabbage Patch Babies come from. It was quite amazing.

 We don't just run around, we eat and drink. Here's Jan with a jumbo Margarita that Mitch makes with his "secret" ingredient--tang!












We also visited Stone Mountain, a giant granite rock that has been carved much like Mt. Rushmore. The picture depicts three generals of the Confederacy. The picture does not do justice to the size of the mountain or the carving.

Easter at Ruth and Luke's Lake House

 We spent Easter weekend very busy with Caryn and the boys at her friends lake house. We ate Mexican and Cuban food that Ruthie prepared. It was the best. This was brunch of refried black beans and a fried corn tortilla, onion, chicken, salsa combination (I don't remember the name) all topped with Mexican cheese and absolutely wonderful.

 Of course we started our day with a Bloody Ceasar, then went on to drink our way through the day. Caryn and Ruthie had a great time picking drink recipes and trying them out. Mitch and I enjoyed drinking them.

Here's Ruthie and Luke, our gracious hostess and host. We had a great time at the Lake House.

 To make the weekend more interesting, Brayden lost both front teeth. We were wondering if the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny crossed paths during the night.

Not to be outdone, Rylan celebrated his April 2 birthday a little early. Happy third birthday, Rylan!!

Caryn's Birthday at Steak 954

 While Shayne and Sarah we in Miami, we decided to spend an adult evening at Jason's restaurant, Steak 954 in Ft. Lauderdale. WOW! The food was fantastic and we got to taste so many different things. This is duck confit and a quinoa citrus salad I especially liked.

Then Jason surprised Caryn with a multi-layered wonderful cake and champagne on the fourth floor pool deck overlooking the ocean. A very nice ending to a great night.

A Grama's Dream

Shayne and Sarah came to Florida for a Disney and Beach vacation. What fun it was to have all four grandkids, Brayden, Addy, Rylan, and Macy, in the same place and the same time for a couple of days. We all kept busy and had a great time.

Bazaar on Miami Beach

Our Christmas present to Caryn and Jason was to "eat out" at any restaurant except Jason's. They chose The Bazaar by Jose Andres on Miami Beach, a restaurant that uses some food chemistry to create spectacular and very unusual dishes. We enjoyed 27 different small plates of very unique good food.

This is Not Your Everyday Caprese  salad with micro basil and liquid mozzarella balls--an encapsulated liquified mozzarella that explodes to fill your mouth with flavor when you bite it.

We enjoyed the Bagels and Lox, a version with a dill cream cheese and salmon roe--one little bite of goodness.

 Our personal bartender came to our table to create a creamy rum drink that was frozen with liquid nitrogen so that as it melted it was not watered down with ice cubes.

There were four desserts, but the deconstructed Key Lime Pie was my favorite. Just take your fork and drag it through the ripple of key lime pie filling and pick up some of the toasted meringue and crunchy crust and top it off with the lime foam. Yum, yum, yum!


It was truly an experience in eating.The Bazaar by Jose Andres