With girls it's not about the Birthday suit....

Man I hit one of those milestones this weekend...with a VENGEANCE!  

This was the first year I hadn't gone out of my way to solidify a huge plan....but my friends and family took care of that for me!

Friday started off with breakfast in bed cooked by my hubby and kids. 

What a treat as my hubby usually leaves at 4am!  He stayed home a bit longer to pamper me!

Next my mom took us out so I could pick up a new swimsuit...which was a major treat seeing as I normally wont spend money on something like that, at least not for myself!  

Then we were off on a trip to our local 'beach' where my sister decided to make me carry around this beast:

I won't deny the title.  It's true...every syllable of it ;)

Normally I can lounge around 'the beach' for hours and waste the day away.

But this day, I needed to make it to a 2pm hair appointment.  Inspite of our short 3 hour window, I was able to catch up with girlfriends, get my tan on and play with my nephew in the water

...so it was worth every minute of it!

My hair turned out fierce....with a little fire engine red thrown in. 

And when momma looks pretty she FEELS pretty :D

So next, I drove back to my mom's to pick up the kids.

There she blessed me with MORE gifts....this time for our new backyard.  She knows me too well.

A bougainvillea to plant outside our side yard where we have a large window looking onto a fence.

As well as a new hose set up...since I had been watering my plants with a bucket.  I'm resourceful, no?

My van was packed with happy kids and a happy momma... 

I rested up, finally showered, and headed out to the city for dinner. 

In the summer it's always amazing to leave 90 degree weather at home and head 45 minutes away....

To the low 70s.  It really makes it hard to dress for a night out.  Either you're sweating when you leave or you're freezing that night.

But I digress.......my girls had a great night planned. 

Joan did a little Yelping and came up with this adventure: 

And yes, the girls mocked me when I reacted to the thought of Burmese food!

As IF they had eaten it all that much!.....well, ok, Joan had, but I wasn't the ONLY rookie....

So if you have an inkling for a taste of heaven influenced by India, Thai and other Asian cuisine...then you MUST visit Burma Superstar!

And order the Mint Chicken....you won't be sorry:

Do call ahead....we didn't and we had an entertaining hour and a half or so to wait.  I will say there was a fantastic gallery up the block and some great coffee shops to explore while we waited.

The dinner was perfect....full of giggles. 

It's never a dull moment with these two.  What a gift to share the night with them:

The next morning I had a leisurely time getting ready for a day out on the Delta with another fantastic crew of women:

We sunbathed and took a boat ride out to a waterfront restaurant.

We waited ever so patiently for our lunch which took almost an hour to be served. 

But really...when you're in good company the time flies!

The water was a bit too choppy to do the tubing/kneeboarding we'd had in mind.

But our friend's boat dock turned out to be the perfect place to 'dive in' and lie around.

I'm so grateful for these girls who keep me honest and don't mind sharing their bday celebrations with me.

Next time I'll update you on the family side of my birthday....they had quite a few tricks up their sleeve on my special day.

But I'm still waiting for their gift to be delivered....and when it does, I'll finish up that post ;)

Until then I'm just thankful to be surrounded by beautiful girl power!

I mean, if I've learned anything in my *gasp* 35 years on this earth, it's that life can be filled with drama, or it can be filled with laughter.  And in the world filled with news stories about kidnapping, sleepover deaths and burglaries, I'll take as much laughter as I can get.

For some reason I love me some birthdays.  I'm mocked for my love of birthdays, but I really think it's so great to have a reason to celebrate the love and friendship in my life.  

It's not about the presents, though I received a killer bracelet and a hose house this year.  Sigh, I am complete!

But it's more about the excuse to share time with those I love.

Even though I only got to see a fraction of those whom I love.....I am grateful for the time and effort they put forth!

Amen, I feel blessed!