It's that time again!  Time to get back into the swing of Friday Fave Five!  If you are just joining This Simple Home, FFF is a weekly way to look back upon my week and consider the good.  Maybe you'll join in this time?

The last time I actually was able to complete a FFF post was on my 36th birthday, two or three weeks ago. Wow.  I've been really busy since then and have missed posting the blessings!  First, I'll let you know that I did, indeed, get to eat pizza for my birthday.  It was GOOD!  My husband also made me a giant cookie.  I thought it was really cute when he called on the way home to ask if I wanted a cake.  Sure.  (Even though we were leaving the next day for camp.)  When he asked if we had a mix, I said yes, but also let him know if he wanted to make a cookie (and let the kids decorate it with chocolate syrup and sprinkles for fun) that it might travel better or freeze better than the cake.  What we didn't eat went into the freezer, promptly to be eaten upon return from camp.

Skip ahead a bit...I'm a bit tired this week, with good reason.

1. Family camp.  We spent a week in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains (of PA) with many families from our church and other churches.  Lots of fun and blessings!  I talked more about it here.

2. A surprise party for Dad.  My sister and I pulled off a surprise retirement party for our dad last Saturday.  It was wonderful to see so many folks come out for him.  Not only that, but I was able to see lots of family that I rarely get to see since we live several hours away.

3. A week in northeastern PA.  Since my dad's party was this past Saturday and my father-in-law's birthday party is tomorrow, the children and I stayed the week in between with Derek's grandparents, and near all of our family.  Though we are staying at the farm, it has been BUSY with visits and visiting.  Derek rejoins us today.  (May I just say that you know you are in the country when you drive 40 minutes on a Saturday night and only pass about 10 cars!?  We are surrounded by farms where we live, but it is much more developed than it is here.)
4. Pants that fit and shopping with one.  I had the rare opportunity to go shopping with just Little Sis (now 9 months), instead of all three children.  JC Penney was my friend that day.  The $8 jeans are very exciting, but more than that, I'm excited to have a pair of capris that fit.  If I didn't know better, I'd say I lost ten pounds just by pulling on a pair that fit better.  (I have not lost weight recently...actually gained a bit with all of the summer feasting...but I think the weight has shifted a bit.)

5. Lunch with my dad.  I also was able to have lunch with my dad!  It was really nice to just be with him for a bit.  It has likely been nearly 15 years since we had a meal together like that.  Definitely time well spent.  (We both married nine years ago, and I lived away for a couple years...and now I live even further away.)

I'd like to thank Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for her faithfulness in Friday's Fave Five.  This is her 201th FFF post!  (I missed last week's big one.)   It's an exercise that encourages gratefulness in me, which I need!

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}