GR's 13th Birthday!

My GR turned 13 on February 12th.  Most of you probably think it's Lincoln's birthday, but it's really hers.  Anyhow, she didn't want a party, just a fun day with her family that she designed.  She may bring a friend with us camping in a few months as a way to celebrate her birthday in that way.  She loves being outside, and so part of our day was at a park.  Enjoy the pics, another restaurant to add to the mix, some doggie catch-ups, and of course, dessert!

After Christmas, Michaels was selling off their gingerbread houses super cheap, like for one or two dollars, so I bought two more of them.  GR's been bugging me ever since to make them, so I let her do it the night before her birthday.  For the life of us, we couldn't get it to stick together or stand up, so I suggested gingerbread cookies. Everyone loved that idea, so they decorated the house pieces and had huge cookies for breakfast the next day!  This is what was left before I remembered to take a photo.

We took our lunch from Adalbertos to the park.  I had a veggie burrito without cheese, sour cream or guacamole, which has dairy in it.  Also, the Blessings had fries; if you order their fries, make sure you ask for new oil.  We've had bacon in our fries before, and that's how we discovered they use the same oil for everything. 

We also enjoyed a little croquet.  Here G is practicing his swing, which ended up doing him no good because I beat the pants off everyone!

Here's a shot of the birthday girl with her pup, Mindy.  The last pics I posted of the dogs, they were just about two months old.  Now, they are two years old as of November.

Here's a beautiful shot of them.

Not to be outdone, here's SR's dog and Mindy's sister, Abby.  Just to give you a quick update on Abby: she's currently undergoing heartworm treatment.  She apparently contracted it from a mosquito before we got her and Mindy on a program. We are praying for a full recovery.  In a few weeks, I'll have a post dedicated to gratuitous pet pictures. 

For dinner, GR picked one of our most favorite restaurants, Huong Sen Tofu.  They are located on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento.  We go there at least once a month.  G used to work near here and learned about it from coworkers.  We started coming as a family when I was still pregnant with JK.   They are super affordable and offer a wide ranges of dishes.

Here's what it looks like when you order.  You can see one of the two brother owners in the background.  They make all of their dishes from scratch in their kitchen, including their mock meats, and everything is vegan, even their desserts, but not their waffles.  Don't ask me why they sell waffles, but they seem to be a real hit among the Vietnamese immigrants.

 They also double as a store, and here's their main refrigeration section.  On the left is their soy milk, which they also make there. 

 Here is a table in the center which stores some of their non-chilled items.  Not everything that sell prepackaged is vegan or vegetarian.

 G said I could take a picture of his dish, which is what he usually orders each time we come: steamed rice, a super tasty eggplant and tofu dish, and red seitan.

 The girls and I usually get the pho bo.  That's the garnish on the side.  So good.  JK just likes their tofu and steamed rice.

 For dessert, we met up with my parents.  GR asked for ice cream as her dessert.  When I asked if she was sure she didn't want a cake, she said she really wanted my Black Tie Cheesecake , but she thought it was too much work for me to make for her.  Pish posh!  My girl got her ice cream and her cake!  By the way, if  you haven't made it yet, the cheesecake looks hard to make, but it isn't. Give it a try!

So that's all the pics I'm putting up.  Hope you enjoyed the show.  Happy Birthday, GR!