28

I was invited by my lovely friend Anne to come and have lunch with her family this afternoon. Celine, her sister, and Gaby, her brother, are also good friends of mine. What a clan! So I made it over there around 12:30 to hang out and eat with the fam. The view ranked as my number one. They live in the 13th, which is in the south of Paris. From the 23rd floor balcony we could see the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Sacre Coeur, Sainte Chappelle, well everything. Absolutely breathtaking.

We sat down to eat and of course, it was fantastic! At the end of the meal, they went to the kitchen to get the dessert. A little while later I heard all three of them singing Happy Birthday! I was shocked. I was so humbled. I have been in Paris for three months and I feel that friends I have made are friends that I have had for years. Anne handed me a gift bag. In it was two precious things. One was something I needed for sure. A recipe book with PICTURES. I have a recipe book at the family's flat, but there aren't any pictures. I just need to know what my goal is? What is my meal supposed to look like? Now I have a book that shows it to me. There was also this sweet little silver and purple necklace. To add to it, the cake was brownie-like and absolutely delicious. I think it's the first cake I've had in a very long time. I had two pieces. For some of you that know me well, it goes without saying.


A picture with Isabelle (childhood friend of Anne's), me, Celine, and Anne. Gaby had already left for Connect Group, but I am sure he is fine with not being in the picture with four girls.

Celine and I left to catch the bus to Chatelet. The bus stop was so pretty, so I took this picture to capture it all. It's at Porte d'Italie.


We walked from Notre Dame to Chatelet and chatted for an hour when we got there. We had a strange encounter with a strange man. He asked us for directions and we said we didn't know and he kept standing there looking at us. It was about a good five minutes. It was so awkward and uncomfortable.

Celine's connect group arrived, so I left. I had a couple of hours until I need to leave for a girls night of hanging out and talking. Jasmin said to arrive at 6pm since their connect group was running late. Great, more time! I left around 5:45 so that I could arrive a few minutes late and not arrive as Johnny-on-the-Spot. It happened that way though. It was six o'clock on the dot. I knocked on the door and there were a few nervous eyes. I just chatted in the kitchen with a couple of gals. Then I noticed that James walked in. Huh? Then I started thinking that something was going on. After thirty minutes of cueing into things, they announce my birthday...SURPRISE. It's actually funny because it's a known fact that the French are always late. I was told to get there at 6:00 and I did, only no one else. It was a great time of talking and eating and eating and singing and eating. There was some killer Tiramisu that I stalked for the night. Everyone was in good spirits and I was able to ring in my new year with good friends. Sweet Eric came in with four long-stem roses. I've never had long-stems before and definitely not in Paris. They were from him and the Gim's (Celine, Anne, and Gaby). They are now in a vase on my desk looking out my window at the city.









Thanks to ALL of you that put all of it together. It's been an adventure and huge blessing to walk beside you over the last three months. Paris is a great place to turn 28...