Friday's Fave. Five!

Happy “Friday’s Fave Five” blog, hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.
Drum roll….

1) Baby Raya Nicole!

My good friends Phil & Steph had their baby girl on Wednesday night. She weighed 6lbs. 10oz. (now at 6lbs. 4oz.) and is 20 inches long. Isn't she beautiful? I love her long dark hair!

Phil & Steph were supposed to move to the Chicago area this summer, but circumstances changed and I'm so glad they are still in Marion so I can know Raya during her early days of life! Her parents are very good friends of mine, and I already love Raya very much. It will be sad to see them move in a few months. =(
More pictures to come very soon!

2) Brown County, Indiana!
Again, I just returned from family vacation. This week, my sister Joni, bro-in-law Jeff, and niece Leah joined us. We rented this cabin in the hills of Brown County for Tuesday and Wednesday night. We enjoyed spending lots of time in the cabin, playing games at the table. We played Dominoes, In A Pickle, Nirtz, and Phase 10. We also enjoyed eating 2 meals out, grilling in, visiting a few "old country" shops, driving through Brown County State Park, and snacking on salt water taffy and a variety of fudge.


3) Nertz! This is a game my sister learned in the Philippines, and my family has played hours & hours of Nertz this summer. It is a game that requires skill in quick reaction, awareness of cards being played simultaneously, and counting. My brother and I reign undefeated!

Simple Instructions:: Nertz can be played in teams of 2 or individually. Each player or team uses their own deck of cards in a solitaire–style competition and the object of each hand is to try to be the first team to call out “Nertz” by getting rid of their 13-card pile. The Lake (common area) is used by all players to score points by playing on piles in a suited order and increasing numeric sequence; the River (personal area) is used like the tableau piles in Solitaire in which you may only build down by alternating colors. The way to receive points during a hand is to play cards in to the common area. Each card a team plays into the common area is worth 1 point; also, each card remaining in a team's Nertz pile is worth -2 points. A game is usually played to a designated score like 100 or 150 points.

4) Aunt Sue's Tea Room
I love this "ladies" restaraunt at 225 W. Spencer Ave (Marion), set in a charmingly restored vintage house by the river. The food, tea, service, and atmosphere is wonderful! I have been there 3 or 4 times, and I always order "The Queen's Tea" ($10.95): Choice of 1 of 35 tea options, scones (with devonshire cream and lemon curd), fresh fruit, assorted finger sandwiches, desserts, soup, and/or salad. It's wonderful, I love going! Check it out at: http://www.auntsuestearoom.com/

5) I like that today is Friday! Returning to work (& the gym) after having been on vacation for 3 days really makes it feel like a Monday and I'm so glad it isn't! I enjoyed a special lunch with my sister and a friend, and her 4-yr-old daughter at Aunt Sue's this afternoon, and tonight I will enjoy scrapbooking with a few ladies at church, and a Starbucks run halfway through! My sister and I have plans to visit good friends tomorrow night (haven't visited with them in a few weeks), and I really need to tackle packing for college since I move in on Monday!