And there was Much Rejoicing!!!

Well, I guess I've got to stop celebrating my 40th birthday at some point. I've celebrated for a full week now and it's been SO much fun. It's hard to stop all the partying (so I don't guess I will...not quite yet!)

This past weekend, we celebrated non-stop with all sorts of fun get-togethers and excursions. Why don't I let you experience all the fun with me?

On Saturday, we got together with my parents for our family get-together. (We always have a meal, and gifts, and the requested cake from the birthday boy or girl.) An added benefit to the celebration is that my friend, Cheryl, and her daughters came and celebrated with us (Cheryl and I have been friends since high school, were college roommates, bridesmaids in each others' weddings, etc.). It was great to see her, and our kids all hit it off! (that's mine, and hers, and my nephews)...

I got some GREAT gifts (candles, bubble bath, books, even birthday money), including some awesome Alabama stuff (my birthday always coincides with the football season kickoff, so I usually get some fun Alabama-themed gifts). I got earrings and a travel mug and a shirt and this cool jacket...

This picture cracked me up, because it looks like the kids are all very interested in this new set of washclothes I got. LOL...

The two Cheryls (tell me we don't look 40! We still think we're 20 on the inside!!)...

And then it was time for cake...

My request was Mom's homemade Italian Creme Cheese Cake. It was, as always, delicious...


We returned home in time to prepare for the Alabama vs. Clemson game, which was the primetime "big" game of the evening. I had a huge spread of food--buffalo wings, Mexican chicken, barbecue sandwiches, chips and dip, mississippi mud cake--although I have no pictures of them (just believe me, there was enough food for all of us and all of you!!). And then we got ready for The Game!!

We yelled and yelled, and jumped up and down, and high-fived, and yelled some more, and did cartwheels, and did "Roll Tides," and yelled some more (seriously, I had to record the game to watch again on Sunday afternoon, since I didn't hear one word that the commentators said the entire time!). And, yes, I even got an embarrassing picture of myself getting all excited after a great play (but, we're all friends here...so who am I to keep a silly picture like this all to myself?)


At halftime, Sydney invited everyone to the Football Tea Party in her room (she had talked about this tea party for WEEKS and the teenagers were all so sweet to come to the party, indulge her cuteness, and even drink from their cups with their pinkies held out properly).

Sometime during the second half, I asked the girls to act like the Clemson fans and players...who all looked incredibly dejected on the sidelines and in the stands. (Because...by the way, if I haven't mentioned it yet...Bama won 34-10 and looked dominating in every way!!!) This picture turned out to be my favorite!! LOL (I know, I know...I'm mean when it comes to my football!)

The partying continued on Sunday (my actual birthday, finally!!! LOL) with me getting my present from Gary and the girls. And, lookie at what I got!!! It is BEYOND cool!!


The Kindle is like an electronic book; you are automatically hooked up to Amazon and you can order books and they're directly downloaded to your Kindle. You turn pages, bookmark pages, etc.--it's just done electronically instead. It will never replace "real" books, but I can see how cool it would be to have on a trip (when you run out of books to read and need one) or when you're waiting at a doctor's office or whatever. The only downside I've discovered is that I can't take it into the bathtub with me!!

Along with the Kindle, the girls each bought me a "book" for it. Sydney got me The Host by Stephanie Meyer (which I started over the weekend and it is very good so far!); Delaney got me Janet Evanovich's new book; and McKenna got me The Book Thief, which looks very interesting.

The partying continued yesterday on Labor Day. We usually have a birthday tradition of going out bowling on my birthday, but we didn't do it for the first time in ages because my back has been killing me (is this what happens when I turn 40? My body starts falling apart!!!). So, we went to a movie and out to eat instead. And, yes, the entire wait staff had to sing Happy Birthday to me and bring me another goodie to eat (how much weight did I gain during this partying week? I don't want to know!). It was a sweet ending to a weekend full of birthday happiness!


I'm off to extend my celebrating just a little bit longer. I'm meeting a friend for lunch (she is a restaurant reviewer and we are trying out some Korean food) and then I'm going to go spend some of my birthday money at the scrapbook store. (Sydney and I are also shopping for cleats and shorts for her first softball practice...which I'm sure will be a whole entire blog post very soon! LOL)

I hope all of you had a wonderful, long weekend and that it was full of good things!

Talk to you all again real soon!