Party time!!!

I had my birthday this past Friday but I have been blessed with a celebration that has been stretched over several weeks. One of the best parts of being a summer birthday is that I have managed to surround myself with several friends that share the month of July - I guess Cancers stick together or are drawn to each other like magnets. We were able to come together often and celebrate each other together.

Last week, several girls got together for dinner and wine on Thursday and the next day, my counterparts in the counseling office took me to Chuy's for lunch. I wish that I would have thought to take pictures from each of these meals... There are such fantastic women in my life!

On the 8th, a group of ladies went to this fantastic place called Painting with a Twist. We were transformed into virtual Picassos. The entire experience was so much fun that I am definitely planning a return visit! This is the painting that we selected:

The beginning of my painting:

The birthday girls:

The painting group:

The final outcome which is now proudly hanging on the wall at home:




I decided that I wanted to celebrate the big day with my 2 favorite people, some friends, and great food. Tom had Italiano's brought in and he and Lauryn were gracious hosts to our friends and their families. Unfortunately, the camera sat idly by... Here is a shot of my 2 favorite people and me:



Tom got me the most amazing floral arrangement:




Lauryn has become quite the fruit plate designer:





Unfortunately, Jana and Derek were not able to join us for dinner Friday so we met at Chuy's for Saturday's dinner. Fun with them and my favorite restaurant is a win-win combination!

To cap off the birthday weekend, we ran some errands today. Poor Tom may be rethinking the whole plan of action at this moment. After leaving Sports Authority (we were looking for Under Armour polo shirts for Tom and I wanted to look into shoes for spin class), Lauryn and I went to Petsmart for dog treats and wet food for Bo. Tom had one more stop and was going to pick us up at Petsmart. We didn't make it out and Tom decided to come in and find us. What he found was two girls in love with a little white kitten named Elvis. He tried to walk away but tears were shed and he was defeated. Elvis will be coming home to us next weekend with a new name and pictures will follow!