It's my Birthday Week!

This was the WEEK of CILE, otherwise called Cile's Birthday Week. It all started years ago when we "happened" to go to the beach the week of my birthday, two years in a row! Our kids usually each brought a friend with them, and we would assign each person one night in which they were responsible for cooking dinner for everyone. (Since it was my vacation too, it was only fair that I didn't spend the whole vacation in the kitchen, right?) Well, if you add in there one night to go out for a seafood dinner, someone didn't end up getting to fix dinner-and since it was my birthday during that week, I was the lucky one to opt out of dinner preparations.

Thus began the tradition of The Week of Cile! Through the years, Glenn has continued to call it that even though we haven't been to the beach in years. This year I thought I would share with you how I spent MY BIRTHDAY WEEK.

Monday, Glenn bought me some beautiful yellow roses. Off to a great start!

Tuesday, I spent at the computer working on emails so the best thing that day was harvesting about 4 cups of strawberries!!! They have produced in abundance this year. Don't know if it was the fertilizer we used or the fact that the plants are two years old. Whatever, it's been wonderful having so many strawberries from our 18 plants!

Wednesday, we started our physicals for our upcoming stateside assignment. Ugh, I hate getting older! Blood work, poking, questions, and...I hit that magical year to have a colonoscopy. Actually, the colonoscopy wasn't so bad because I opted to be knocked totally out; it was the concoction I had to drink twice during the day to clean me out that was so bad! The anesthesiologist told me, in addition to the drug that would put me to sleep, he was adding a "feel good" drug that would lift my mood when I came out of it. (He was right!) My kids laughed at me several years ago when I said, "I don't like to take drugs. I just like the way they make me feel." Well, I liked NOT feeling a thing during the "procedure" and I liked the "lift" I got afterward. Glenn probably did too!

Thursday, we went to visit Zsofia, a young lady I met on a plane several months ago. She is a university student who speaks English pretty well. She had told me she liked to read books in English to improve her skills. I asked her if she would read a Bible if I got her one in English and she said she would. So naturally, I had to have her email address, phone number and address so I could contact her and then bring it to her when I was able to get one for her! (I had friends Joe and Debbie bring me one out from America when they came to Budapest at the end of February. It just took me a while to get it to her!) We hope to have her and her roommate out to our house for grilled hamburgers sometime this summer!

Friday, we had to go back to the doctor's office to have them read our PPD's. The doctor read my shot history a little more closely and realized I needed a Tetanus shot. How long can I milk the "oh, my aching arm!"?

I start my dental work on Monday morning and we have our eye appointments on Tuesday.

The Week of Cile starting improving on Saturday when the Doyles arrived with my birthday cake! Red Velvet! One of my favorites!

Saturday evening we went to dinner downtown at an African restaurant that had recently opened. We went with the Doyles. They used to live in Nigeria and love spicy foods like Glenn and me so they could appreciate the adventure! It was little more than a hole in the wall, but the food was very African, for sure! Had the perfect blend of spiciness and the typical gristle with a little meat thrown in. Most of the meals were from East Africa but they were similar to what we used to eat in Ivory Coast, such as goat soup and foutou.

Of course, we ate African-style...with our hands!

I have to say that I was overwhelmed (in a good way) with the number of birthday wishes I received via Facebook and Skype. Thanks, everyone! It really meant a lot to me and I mean it when I say, "They made my day!" My pastor and his wife in America even called me!!

And now, the Week of Cile is over. It was nice while it lasted!

We head to Ukraine mid-week for a meeting. We will do member care appointments at the meeting and visit with families living in and around Kiev, the capital city. Don't know if we will have internet access while there, so if there is no update on Sunday, that's why. Be back soon!