Monday was Lydia's Birthday, and we celebrated yesterday with lunch at the Range Cafe and coffee, cake and gifts at Monika's house.

Lydia loves flamingo. so her Birthday was a flamingo-themed party.  The flamingo cake was beautiful, but what was even more special was the watermelon tower cake that Monika made, encircled by strawberries.  It was creative, beautiful and so refreshingly tasty!

​I truly love how our group celebrates each and every Birthday!

One of the best rewards of moving to ABQ has been the friends we've made.  I never thought I'd move to NM to get my German on, but there it is.  Every week, I'm surrounded by laughter, and german phrases that I hadn't heard in years.  It's truly wonderful.

Lydia has fast become a close friend, sharing many common interests and a sense of adventure.  She gifted me a beautiful print last week that I love.  I'm truly blessed.

The ongoing list of projects doesn't seem to end, although I'm not complaining.  I'm loving the changes we're making!

My first attempt at distress painting, on my frame, was a success.

We had a small side table under this picture that had seen better days.  So, I decided to sand it, paint it white and then distress it, using the same color as this frame.  I think it turned out pretty nice!  Luna seemed to think so as she checked it out.

Dave has gotten into the repurposing spirit as well.  I brought the coffee table back out into the living room and it looked a little bland.  He remembered the stack of tiles that Susan and Peter had left us, so he went to work, customizing the table top.  The grout is drying and all that's left to do is seal it.  He did a great job!

We're still working outside, moving some rocks around and making room for pea gravel to make it easier for Chacho to get around.

After that, I have several pictures to hang, and some changes coming up in the guest room.

Thursday is our housewarming party/BBQ and that deadline has helped motivate us to get projects done.

This past Saturday, we finally got a taste of New Mexico's monsoon season, with torrential rains for an hour and immediate drying afterwards.

We even had a little bit of hail.

After a slow start, the rain clouds burst open and delivered a thorough soaking.

It didn't take long for the rain to puddle and accumulate.

Within a couple of hours, all the standing water had been soaked up and it was difficult to imagine how much water had accumulated.  It was a sight to see!