Round 2

Happy Friday friends! It is that glorious day when everything seems to be right in this world. The day that puts all other days to shame. Yes, it's Friday and nothing can bring me down...oh, except having to teach in about 15 minutes, but other than that...

Anyway, in an effort to proceed onward and forward with the happenings of my life over the past 3 months, I will keep these "updates" (if you will) as brief as possible.

Family birthdays

Between weeks filled with football games, volleyball games, pep rallies, team events, open houses, and the like, I celebrated my "halfway to 50" birthday, Haylee's 1st birthday, my sister's b-day and my mom's birthday.

In order to get me ready for my birthday celebration, Hailey surprised me with a shopping trip to Forever 21 where she bought me my birthday dress, earrings and necklace. It was totally unexpected and so sweet of her...much too generous! I had big plans for my birthday this year. We were going to begin with dinner at Jasper's (one of my favorites) and then dance the night away to the vocal stylings of TOP at Martini Park. Well, let's just say that dinner was a bit too good and I failed to make it for any of TOP. My apologies, again, go out to those that joined me for the celebration. Nonetheless, it was really special having my friends help me celebrate the passing (or beginning) of another year. Here are some pics:

I celebrated my "real birthday" the next day with a gluttonous brunch at Blue Mesa and just chilled with my family all day. I was also treated to a cassata birthday cake which was amazing, and really the best birthday present a girl could ask for!

Moving on, it was Haylee's turn next, and I think her birthday party put everyone else's to shame! She had a "Backyardigans" themed party, and my sis did an amazing job planning, organizing and hosting the birthday bash. Her house was totally themed out, and there was even a miniature bounce house which was a definite hit with all the kids. The cake turned out perfect and I assisted the event with my culinary skills. To go with the outdoor theme, I made ants on a log and PB&Js in the shaped of butterflies and flowers. Haylee got a ton of fun toys and cute clothes. She especially liked the Backyardigans DVD that her Aunt Rachie gave her! Here are some pics:

Alright friends, that's all of have time for today. I have a dance class in my room just dying to get started. Happy Friday again to you all! Until next time, keep it classy!

I may be down, but I'm not out!

Greetings to my fellow bloggers and blog readers!

My apologies for taking about a 3-month leave of absence from my blog post. As I so accurately predicted, my life has not been my own since we last met. Those summer days of blogging between trips to the pool are but a distant memory to me, but I decided I had deprived you (my 1 reader - I know you're out there) long enough.

Yes my friends, it has been far too long since I last regaled you with the sordid details of my glamorous life. Allow me to bring you "up to speed" on the nitty gritty story that happens to be my life. So much (and yet so little) has happened since we last met. In order to expedite the process, I will divide the past 3 months into a few sections (with helpful headings to follow along).

Brooke & Freeland's wedding (September)

I had the distinct honor of participating in the union of my dear friend Brooke and her now husband, Freeland. It was such a fun and special weekend, and I am so grateful I got to be a part of everything.

We arrived on Friday night for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (which included super yummy food courtesy of their awesome neighbors). Everything went very smoothly and we got to go back to Brooke's that night for her lingerie shower. She got some really cute stuff and my menu idea (which was done for Kori) was a real hit!

The next day we did lunch at the Earle Harrison House and just hung out until the wedding started. It was really nice to just be with everyone. I really enjoyed all of Brooke's friends from school! Anyway, the actual wedding was really beautiful and they could not have picked a better location. Being outdoors with the trees and the perfect green grass, it was amazing! Brooke looked absolutely gorgeous, and again, I loved her dress! I, of course, was a crying fool, but that seems to be pretty much "par for the course" these days.

After the two lovebirds tied the knot, we got to get down in the tent. We danced until we couldn't dance anymore (and had some great cake too)! Everything was so nice, and I know everyone had a great time. All in all, it was a super-fun weekend and I am so thrilled that I got to be a part of it all.

Here are some pics:

Whew! I'm spent! I'm definitely out of practice. I think that's all I can do for today, but I hope you enjoyed this morsel. Up next, family birthdays -- woo hoo!

Until then, Keep it Classy!!!