Friends,

To celebrate my husband, Antonio’s, 40th birthday on February 23, 2008, I decided to take him to Orange Beach, Alabama for some R&R. We arrived in the late afternoon and had just enough time to walk on the beach and frolic in the sand.

While walking on the beach, we saw some MASSIVE jellyfish. Good thing it was too chilly to swim! You can see the size of this monster in proportion to my foot, right next to it.

Of course, there were the most amazing sunsets. The beach is my favorite place in the whole world. One day, I am going to own a house on the beach so I can see sunsets like this one.

I took Antonio out to eat at this restaurant called The Voyager, located at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.

The food was absolutely phenomenal. My favorite was the appetizer I ordered, a large wood-smoked portabella mushroom stuffed with chorizo and topped with a tasso ham cream sauce. I was in gastronomic heaven. A picture wouldn’t have done the dish justice. I’m still dreaming about the mushroom appetizer!

Antonio’s entree’ was equally tantalizing. He ordered the Southwest steak, which was hand-rubbed with spices. It was laid next to a bed of creamy chipotle Mexican cheese rice garnished with spinach tortilla strips. Alongside, aged balsamic vinegar topped avocados resting on heirloom tomatoes. Antonio said it was one of the very best meals he had in his life! He said, “My tastebuds are having a party.” We found out that the executive chef worked at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. No wonder the food was so delectable.

Then the restaurant surprised Antonio with a “birthday cake,” chocolate dipped strawberries complete with a birthday candle!

We even had a romantic moonlight dance on the beach under a glittering diamond-covered sky. A perfect way to end the day!

The next morning, I watched the sun rise from our ocean side veranda. This was the view from our room. Spectacular! This is what you call a room with a view!

We had a delicious lunch at a beach side cafe’ called Bahama Bob’s. Their motto is “The lower the latitude, the better the attitude.” Following lunch, we decided to spend the afternoon at a public beach. I HAD to do some work. I can’t think of a better way to work than overlooking the ocean! We camped out in a large pavillion outfitted with multiple picnic tables. Next to us, some gentleman were playing beanbag toss (”old man’s horseshoes,” as one of them so wittingly stated). I actually got a lot of work done!

What a way to spend a birthday! I think Antonio had a great time. A little birdie told me so…

Happy 40th birthday, sweetie! I <3 U! Friends, take some time out of your life to do the things you really enjoy (even if you have to work a little while doing it… LOL). Have a great week!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

This past week has been crazy, trying to meet deadlines - book deadlines, workshop handouts, finalizing details for my international trip to Guam and the Philippines, sending out contracts, and working on some big projects. But I had to take time out for my husband, Antonio. His birthday is Saturday, February 23, 2008 and he is now 40 years old!

We started celebrating on Thursday by attending the New Orleans’ own NBA basketball team, the Hornets’, casino night. It was a night full of fun, a promotion for season ticket holders with a “Meet and Greet the Players.” The Hornets are the #1 NBA team in the West so it was a celebratory night with delicious food and gambling for prizes (not real money). Antonio and I didn’t win but we had a blast and ended the night dancing. I even got to buzz around with the Hornets’ mascot, Hugo (in a tux, no less!).

On Friday, I sent my sweetie a gourmet gift basket to his work. It’s full of yummy fruit, cookies, nuts and candy.

We’re taking this basket to the beach. I made reservations for a hotel in Orange Beach, Alabama, about a three and a half hour drive from New Orleans. We will have a gourmet dinner sea side at a resort and a champagne brunch on Sunday at another resort. The beach is my absolute favorite place in the world. I can’t wait to celebrate Antonio’s birthday ocean side! Our room has a balcony overlooking the Gulf. I look forward to fun in the sun!

We leave on Saturday, February 23 after church. Eliana, our 7 year old, has her first reconciliation in the morning. She was also chosen to read a passage of the Scripture. I’ll post pictures later this weekend. So you can see, we have a busy weekend ahead!

I wish you a Happy Weekend! Take time to enjoy life, even if it’s just for a moment.

Warmly, Dianne