Festivities!

I feel like I've been absent from the blogging world.

I've missed it!

I've missed y'all!

(and I have a special giveaway announcement coming up, too.)

I've had some celebrating to do.  My birthday was May 20.  My mom instilled in me a love for birthdays and celebrating, so the party just ended Wednesday night.  I know it's almost a month later.  Don't judge.

My birthday was filled with texts, phone calls, and Facebook wall posts.  It was fun to hear from so many people.  I was giddy all day.  Virginia took me to lunch at {100% Taquito}.  I have a minor obsession with that place and Virginia has never been, but I think I made a believer out of her.  It wasn't hard.  The tacos speak for themselves.

The kiddos each chose a pair of earrings for me.  So sweet!

Jeremy and his mom got me the camera bag I asked for!

But, my goodness, it was not canary yellow like the picture seemed.  It was a whole lot more mustard-y.  So it's going back and a pewter one is on the way.

Some of my friends brought gifts by my house.  Super sweet!

Meredith brought a fun nail color...

...complete with birthday balloon!

(And I know that she was crazy-busy that day, so it meant a lot that she stopped by to do that.)

 Ambre brought this cool sign.  She has all kinds of neat Bible verses and quotes around her house.

 I like having the reminder, too.  I may need to expand my collection of scripture-inspired decor!

Helen gave me this pretty and yummy Scentsy warmer.  {Scentsy}, where have you been all my life?  (That's a link to her consultant page.  Check it out!)

When I got home from work, the Carlisle family joined us for dinner at our place.  Jeremy made filet minon, roasted asparagus, and pita crisps.  He is a fantastic cook!

But that's not all...

Jeremy bought two dozen cake balls from Angie's Cake.  And they are TO DIE FOR!

My tummy is rumbling just looking at these photos again....

Top:  vanilla, Middle:  birthday cake, Bottom:  chocolate

Top: snickers, Middle: lemon, Bottom: s'mores

I had to make more cake balls after seeing these pictures.  Wish I had more pictures of the evening with friend and the delicious food to show you!

So.... that was pretty much an incredible day!  But it didn't end there.  The next day, my BFF & Sister, Jill, came to visit with my nephew, {Aaron} for the weekend.  I was beside myself when I found a great deal on tickets just a couple days before my birthday.  At last check, they had been $800!  What?!?  They dropped drastically, so she snatched one up.

We planned a little Girls Night Out.  We started out with dinner at Char House and watching the {JJ Worthen} trio play.  They played my current song obsession, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", just for me.  P.S.  JJ is Jess' husband, so she has a little pull that way. ;) 

me, Jess, Jill, Christie

 After that, we got our groove on, which was great!  Lots of fun.  (...except for being stepped on with a stiletto just 3/4" from my surgery site on my foot.  Yikes!  She was nice about it, but I had a perfect stiletto-shaped indented print in my foot the next morning.  It later turned into massive swelling.  Oy!  Totally worth it, though.)  Jill got to stay until Tuesday and it was so great to spend time with her.

The day Jill left, I met up with Amy for dinner at Japaneiros.  We talked life and mommyhood.  It was awesome to get to know her better and she surprised my by buying it as my birthday dinner!

The celebration was set on To Be Continued for a bit.  Life and travels got in the way, but we finished up this week!

Monday night, the girls from my small group went to dinner with me at Yia Yia Mary's.  I've been meaning to go there for years and hadnt' made it over there until Monday.  It was everything my inner Greek girl could hope for!

Gina, Martha, Ambre, me, Heidi, Erin
We had Saganaki Cheese-fried cheese fried tableside! Opa!

And last, but not least, on Wednesday, I had a Birthday dinner date at Japaneiro's with my mentor from church.  (Don't go judging on the Japaneiro's thing, either. I {heart} that place!)  Diana and I both have May birthdays, so we decided a while ago that we'd have to celebrate together!

It had been a while since we'd seen each other, so it was great to catch up!

Whew!  Party animal, right?!?  And completely spoiled beyong belief.  No wonder I'm tired!

Don't forget about the giveaway announcement!  Stay tuned... it may even be tonight.  I cannot wait to tell you about it!