12 Days - Day 4: Carley's 11th Birthday

All of the posts so far have been catch-up posts. Four posts so far. That's a great start!

Carley turned 11 in November! She loves getting older and celebrating any occasion, especially her birthday. This year we kept it simple. We celebrated with her requested dinner, chicken pot pie, and cupcakes on her actual birthday. 

For her birthday party, she invited three friends to our house. We all went to a local bowling alley where the girls played games in the arcade and played a couple rounds of laser tag, all purchased with a Groupon to help reduce costs. We then went home so the girls could hang out and eat Carley's requested cake, cheesecake. 

I personally did not have to do much for this party. While the girls played at the bowling alley, Walt and I sat and chatted or played on our phones. While the girls hung out at our house, I laid on the couch or hid in the bedroom. To me, it felt like a completely boring party. When I asked Carley how she felt about the party, I believe the response was "the best party ever!" And that's all that counts. 

Way Back in January ...

Most of you know that I had a birthday in January. The big four oh! 

Talk of how to celebrate started months before my birthday. After several ideas, plans settled into a limo wine tasting trip with close friends and a big bash at home later that night. 

Two of my sisters made arrangements to fly in for the weekend. The limo had been booked, alcohol and food bought, etc. Then I got sick with the flu just a week before the party. 

I hadn't had the flu in years! And this time it was bad. I was getting worse every day for nearly a week, even after being prescribed Tamaflu. A day or two before the party I was starting to feel a tiny bit better but there was no guarantee I would feel good enough to celebrate or wouldn't spread my flu germs. With much disappointment, I postponed the party plans until two weeks later. 

Shelly cancelled her flight but Ashley, who was in the Bay Area for work, came that weekend anyway. What I hadn't known and Walt shared with me after postponing the party was that an online friend, Tiffany, who I'd known for years but had never met in person, was already in town to surprise me at my birthday party! 

Since I was on the upswing, I made it out to dinner and drinks on Saturday night to meet  up with Tiffany! Tiffany's friend, Paris, Ashley and Walt joined us. We spent hours in the restaurant catching up like we'd done it for years.  

On the morning of my birthday, the family and Ashley went out to a Mexican brunch buffet. Delicious. Other than that, we had a pretty mellow weekend. 

Tiffany, Paris, me

El Torito brunch

Ashley and me

Because of the flu and postponing, it was as if I got to celebrate my birthday twice! 

Two weeks later, on the first of February, I did get to take the limo wine tasting trip and have a small party at home. Shelly was able to fly down and spend the day with us too. Everything worked out fine, after all. 

Gearing up for our limo ride!

Heidi, Shelly, April, me, Walt, Christy, Wendy, Susan

This was my first time in a limo. Fan-freakin-tastic!

I loved having Walt on the wine trip with us.

Shelly and me

 

Carley loved the photobooth that we set up in the living room.

Thanks ladies, and a few gentlemen, for celebrating with me.

And I mostly like 40. 

November Can't Be Over Already!

November went by as a whirlwind. Other than the first weekend, November 2nd and 3rd, we had something pretty important going each weekend.

November 9th and 10th was Carley's birthday sleepover party. She had seven friends stay the night. The main theme of the party was a spa party. Thankfully two of my cousins and one friend came over to help paint the girls nails. I also set up at "photo booth" for the girls to get fun pictures. The party turned out great with very limited girl drama. After little sleep and a hearty breakfast, we all went to the playground to burn off the last bit of energy before sending the girls home with pretty nails and cool photo booth prints.












November 16th and 17th we were in southern California for my brother's wedding and to visit Walt's mom. We drove down to Carpinteria on Thursday evening. Friday afternoon we continued to Thousand Oaks for a family dinner with my brother, family and new in-laws. The wedding, which was absolutely beautiful, was Saturday. After the wedding and reception we drove back to Carpinteria for two nights before heading home to reality.






Me and my brothers, Barry and Corey.






November 23rd my mom and my Dave flew in for Thanksgiving week. November 24th Walt and I left to the coast for a two-night getaway without the kids. Josh and Carley were out of school for the entire week of Thanksgiving so they got to have several days alone with Grammy and Grampy. Thanksgiving dinner and small family gathering was hosted at our house. Other than my mom and Dave, we had four more family members join us.





The views from the cabin we stayed in were breathtaking.




My mom's cousin, Jan, and sister, Janeice. Walt is obviously out of wine.




I guess that leaves Saturday, November 30th, as a half weekend but we didn't do anything exciting. We are recovering from our busy, busy November and are gearing up for Christmas season. That's a whole other story.

Carley turned 10!

Okay, okay. It has been forever since a post. 

Here's a video to pretend that never happened. 

Josh's 13th Birthday, A Month Late

A month ago, already, Josh turned 13!


It's hard to believe my little baby boy is a teenager. But he is.


Josh had his three closest friends over for a sleepover party.


The same three friends that have come to his birthday parties since his 9th birthday.


We made homemade pizza. The boys rolled and topped their own crust.




We played games like "pop each others balloons."




And "move the marshmallow to the cup with only a straw."




And "get all of the gummy fish out of the plate of whipped cream."






I thought the boys would be all teenager attitude on me and reluctantly play the games but they didn't. Everyone had a great time playing the games. We even played an hour of Sardines (reverse hide and seek) after the planned games.

In the morning we made a Harlem Shake video. It was all the YouTube rage about two months ago.

After Harlem Shake and breakfast, Walt took all four boys paintballing. They were gone for the rest of the afternoon. Even Walt had a blast doing that!





I think it was a birthday party sleepover that Josh and his friends will always remember.

Life List #50: Share a Bottle of Expensive Champagne With Someone Special and Also My Birthday

39!

As it turns out, 39 is the birthday where I just wanted to dig in my heels and run the other way. I have always looked forward to every age and every birthday but that attitude seems to be gone. I don't know what it is about 39 but I finally get the "anniversary of my 29th birthday" thing.


This is my "no way ever am I turning 39" face.

(Actually it's the "okay kid, hurry up and take the picture" face.)

This year my birthday coincided with the three-day weekend to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and so we escaped to Tahoe for the long weekend. Our friends, Wendy and Chris, went in on a rental house with us.  Even though the trip wasn't to celebrate my birthday, we did, in fact, celebrate my birthday while we were there.


I swore up and down that I did not want a present this year; getting away with the family was gift enough. Walt wouldn't have it though. He bought a gift and brought it along.


His gift was two new champagne toasting flutes and a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne.

A bottle of Dom Perignon!


Apparently he knew it was on my Life List. Life List #50: Share a Bottle of Expensive Champagne With Someone Special. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect. The occasion was special but not over the top. The champagne became the celebration, not me turning 39. At least that's the way I spun it in my head.

Dom Perignon Brut was light and bubbly and delicious, completely unlike the $10 bottle I drink on New Years Eve. I have never had champagne like that before and hope to have it again someday.


I'm officially 39. It is going to be a good year.

Cheers.