Food and Friends...

Last weekend was a good one. Candace and I enjoyed a lovely date night on Friday. We headed to Plymouth and had a meal in a nice restaurant there. I was really happy to find traditional fish and chips, complete with tartar sauce! 

The next day we hosted our Mercy Ships friends for dinner and some games. I cooked lasagna for supper, and Candace made amazing chocolate eclairs for dessert. It was a really good time, sharing fellowship with lots of laughter. :)

Candace and I at the restaurant in Plymouth.

With our Mercy Ships friends the following evening.

Candace made delicious chocolate eclairs for pudding. Yum!

Riaan's Lego Beacon of Minas Tirith...

Hot on the heels of Weathertop, we have another original Lego build from Riaan - the Beacon of Minas Tirith. In the movie, the beacon is lit by Pippin and culminates in a breathtaking scene as successive signal beacons, perched on high peaks, erupt in fire as the message is carried to distant Rohan.

Aragorn: "The Beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid."

"And Rohan will answer. Muster the Rohirrim!" replies King Theoden.

Pippin climbs down the precarious rocks after lighting the beacon.

Riaan's Lego Weathertop...

"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl. We will rest here tonight." So says Strider as they reach Weathertop, not knowing the terrors that lie in store for the hobbits.

Riaan continues his amazing The Lord of The Rings creations with another classic scene. Although Lego did release The Lord of The Rings Weathertop as an official set back around 2012, Riaan constructed his own version - complete with a Ringwraith, a terrified Frodo Baggins, and Strider leaping to the rescue.

A really cool little scene. :)

Winter Hike at Maybury State Park...

We took our traditional winter hike at Maybury State Park last weekend. (15th February.) It was a lovely day with temperatures well above freezing, which meant that we didn't need heavy coats on this hike - despite the lingering snow clinging to the ground. Our hike took us to the highest point of Wayne County, Michigan, like Riaan and I did back in October. :)

Animal path through the forest.

Hiking along the ridge.

View towards a clearing in the woods.

The highest point of Wayne County. :)

Sunset Walk...

I love my early evening walks around our neighbourhood, especially when the skies are so pretty. :)

Eliza's Eighth Birthday...

Eliza closed out our birthday season with her eighth birthday on the 8th of February. It was her Crown or Golden birthday, and she felt really special throughout the day. She opened presents and cards from around the world, and later in the day enjoyed delicious coffee cupcakes (with coffee icing) for her birthday cake. A couple of days later I took her out for a celebratory ice-cream.  

You can see how much she has changed by clicking through to last year's birthday post. :)

The birthday girl with her birthday badge.

Opening presents with Anya.

Reading a card from Granny and Grandad in South Africa.

An artist's water colour pad from Grandma and Grandpa in Indiana.

She was really excited to receive Lego!

Building the set before church.

Ice-cream date with me.

Riaan's Lego Helm's Deep...

Riaan recreated another classic scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It seems to be his favourite thing to do these days, after the Nazgul he built in October. 

Half of this is an official Lego set, but the continuing wall on the right is Riaan's own construction, complete with the little culvert under the wall - where the Uruk-hai place the explosive device that tears the wall apart. Watch the short video below to see the explosion!

A close up of Riaan's Helm's Deep wall.

This is so impressive! :)