Happy Birthday To Me!

I got to have a really fun week this week! I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday, but I got to celebrate all week long!

On Monday, my sweet friend Kimberly suggested that we go out to breakfast with some friends and neighbors. We went to Cracker's and Co. which is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE place to eat breakfast! It was delicious. I had the french toast and scrambled eggs. Yummy!!!

Then, on my actual big day, Kimberly and I took the youngin's to lunch at Jason's Deli. I took B with me too because he was getting ready to take a trip out to MD to visit his Grandpa Allan, so I wanted to have some time with him before he left. He got off well (and has had a great time... more on his trip later). I then got my sister's kids to spend the week with us. Now, most of you would say that doesn't really sound like a fun way to celebrate a birthday, but it has been so fun having them! They were all perfect and so sweet to me. It only enhanced my day!

I got a surprise in the afternoon. My midwestern-BFF's sent me this beautiful bouquet! The other flowers are from my neighbor's. He was out pruning and he let the girls get some. They are all beautiful and really brighten my kitchen table!

For dinner, Dave invited the family over for a picnic at the park. This is the only thing I have pictures of! It was lots of fun. Thanks, honey for putting all this together!

Mary, Elsie, Julia, Andria, Max, Me, Dave

Dave lighting my birthday candles

Blowing them out... what a pretty picture!

I had hoped to announce that I had a new nephew born on my day, but I guess he wanted the day for himself. I'm still counting him a late birthday present. Baby L was born to Jon and Katie on Friday. I can't wait to see him!

Today, for my big present, Dave let me get tickets to go to Project Book Babe. It was an event where 12 authors came to do a fundraiser for a friend of theirs who is battling breast cancer. 2 authors that I love were both there: Stephenie Meyer and Shannon Hale. I know everyone has heard of Stephenie Meyer, but maybe not Shannon Hale. She won a Newberry Prize for her book Princess Academy (which I actually haven't read). She mostly write young adult/children novels which I know L will really enjoy reading in the next few years. But she has also written 1 adult book which is called Austenland. That book was so great, it was almost autobiographical! For all you Jane Austen fans out there who really know deep in your heart of hearts that Collin Firth really is Mr. Darcy, this is the book for you! Anyway, I have tons of pictures of being there and I had planned to include it in this post, but I decided it really deserves a post all to itself, so I'll do that in a day or two. I just want say how fortunate I am! It was a great birthday spent with the people I love most in the world! It got to continue thanks to a loving husband who is willing to indulge my crazy obsesessivness (and 1 fabulous neighbor who was willing to watch some of the kids while I was out enjoying myself!). Thanks everyone!