My First birthday in Belfast...

So the past week has been interesting…so Sunday was my birthday October 15th…and that Friday the 13th we had Youth Club and its really one of my favorite things! I completely love the kids..and would love to take pictures of them…but not all of their parents have signed some sheet saying I can take photos of their kids…but I just might sneak some of them and hope that no one finds out..haha!!…because I want you guys to see my kids I work with…anyhow I will really miss them when I leave…but then on Saturday the 14th..i went to Crawfordsburn Park with the international students and it was soo good to get out of Belfast..at least out of the city and they were having some Autumn Apple Festival and they had apples from like ALL over the world..it was grand!…


And then Saturday night…Peter took me to his house and said he had a surprise for me..and it was all the ingredients with the recipe of course to make spice cake…because I have been complaining since I got here that they don’t have cake boxes here…you make everything from scratch..so I made my first cake from scratch..and it was soooo good..even better than from the box…so ill have to make it for all of you when I get back home….we bought frosting of course..haha!…and we invited the neighbor kids over too ..and I think they liked it.. a few said it was gorgeous..and the wee boy just left it all over his face and clothes probably to save it for later…haha!..

So I stayed at peter and Laura’s house Saturday night because I wanted to wake up to people who knew it was my birthday…still don’t think my roomie knew my birthday passed..sad huh??…and that night I went upstairs to Peter’s bedroom.. (when I stay the night..i get his bed, he sleeps on the floor in the guestroom..don’t worry no funny business is going on!! ) and there was a note on the pillow that said look outside the window …so of course I looked outside the window and peter had written I love you or I heart you with tea light candles…all I could do was laugh…and laugh..and laugh…he had been waiting for the right moment…and it couldn’t have been any better…I am soo excited to see where the Lord takes the both of us together…so that is me..

so then Sunday….peter woke me up..and he went off to a class he had for youth work..and he dropped me off at a coffee shop..Café Renior…treated myself to some coffee and a muffin…only went to Renior because Starbucks wasn’t open yet..and I am never doing that again!!…I will wait next time..outside the door of Starbucks…really wanted to start of my birthday morning right with a great cup of coffee…hoping it would bring me closer to Seattle or back to Seattle with a Starbucks latte. Honestly though…they make the best lattes in Belfast..and I am not saying that because I am slightly biased, it really is the truth, and it’s probably because they know what you mean when you say xx hot w/ skim milk. They don’t look at you strange as if you just spoke a foreign language…


So my first Belfast birthday..it was such a beautiful day ..and the morning service at church consisted of mainly all songs from Fischy music..a kid’s Christian band…well they are actually adults singing songs for kids..about self-esteem, bullying, and they really encourage the kids tremendously. I really enjoyed it and it got me so excited for the concert they were having in the afternoon…and at the morning service everyone sang happy birthday to me. And after church while I waited for Peter to finish his class…I was finally able to enjoy a latte from Starbucks and read my books…Abbas Child (which I recently just finished Bekah) and life of Pi (which I finished AGES ago..i have already read 2 books since then!). My goal this year is to read so many books..no tv and lots and lots of books…


So then we went to the Fischy concert in the afternoon…and after the amazing concert and after feeling like a kid for an hour..we packed up the car and Peter, Laura and I were off to Dublin..and we stayed at peters sisters house…Laura and I watched a few episodes of Grays Anatomy after peter FORCED us to watch a few episodes of the West Wing…and in the morning we went into Dublin and it was soo great..did a bit of shopping and went into way too many bookshops and it was soo wonderful just to have a FULL day of wandering…not just an hour…so I did buy a few things, but I think peter ended up coming out on top with the most purchases…and then we drove back to Belfast later that night…

And there you have it…my first birthday in Belfast…( I keep saying my first instead of my last…because maybe its not my last..who knows!!)
laura got me the best pressy EVER....and everything matches!!..haha..