I had a birthday. A golden birthday, in fact, and I'm not done celebrating it yet. I turned 26. For my first birthday day, I had a picnic.

That's Gavin, Robin, and Siri holding Bridget.

I should probably put my actual name near my pictures or something, so Google image can find me, unless I have it wrong, how they do things. That would be Marissa Lingen, then. Or Marissa Gritter if you prefer, but I don't anticipate many people will go looking for her who don't already know how to find her.

Timprov hanging out with his parents.

Me and Miss Bridget. I don't know why I look better in pictures with babies, but I think I do. You'd think their cuteness would thief cuteness away from others, but no.

Me and Timprov and Miss Bridget.

The Orser males, Dave and Gavin.

Roo! Who had discovered the joys of Scotcheroos or maybe chocolate chip cookies or maybe chocolate caramel bars. Between me and Heathah, there was no shortage of chocolate goodness.

Lots of people were there who didn't get their pictures taken, or didn't get their pictures taken flatteringly. And I'm not out to make my friends look bad on the internet...although there are expressions I think are characteristic and endearing that other people don't necessarily find flattering. Scott making his stern face, for example, cracks me up every time I look at it, but is probably not objectively his best picture.

Anyway.

Sarah and Jeff brought me a moose potholder! Moose! This will be one of the last moose holidays. If not the last. Just so's you know.

One of my birthday presents, or rather two of them.

And in non-birthday news....

This is the duvet I got at Ikea for the guest room/Mark's office. You can see that the paint color is not perhaps the best thing for it, but it goes well with Mark's desk and all, so we'll just have to paint the room eventually.

And here's the duvet for the master bedroom. Again, probably will require some paint. We'll get there eventually. Priorities.