Table for Eight

Bam's 20th birthday was a beautiful day. (She's kind because she spent her day with us--which I really really am grateful for, because as our kids get older I realize their lives are going to be increasingly independent of ours. Eeek!) Love you, Bam. Happy 20th Birthday! Really amazing cupcakes her BFF Heather had made for her--Alice in Wonderland Theme (which is her all-time favorite book and movie). So much detail. Made by a bakery called Swirly Girls. Bam doesn't really like cake, so for the last few years we have made candy cakes for her. This just cracks me up because she and Papaya made her candy cake this year (vs. me). Birthday dinner. Her choice: steak, pasta, raspberries and bread. Bam's cat CityKitty is really the best cat. SO funny. The two bambinos Bam and Papaya tend each week. They are so cute. And CityKitty is a good sport with them.

Whitney Duncan and I on Day 28 of Survivor South Pacific. Just a few hours after we left Redemption Island/lost our dual and ended the game. (PS: Too much info, but we both ended the game at 112 pounds.) One of the trippiest things about playing Survivor is that it makes such a strong imprint on your life: it literally changes you and your world view. Forever, I think. I know it seems ridonkulous that a "reality" tv show would have such a profound impact on you, but it really does. Now granted, I'm a player who experienced some pretty incredible HIGHS and LOWS in my two games, but I don't think I'm unique in this response; almost everyone I know who has played Survivor is incredibly changed as a result of their time in casting, traveling, pre-game, playing, having the game air on tv, and then returning to "normal" life. Here are some of the things I've been thinking about lately (related to this): 1) Our whole family looks a...