Birthday luv

My people must know I love candles!! LOL The two larger ones were from church and the white one which came from my cousin Pat actually spells my name out in lights (literally...lol)!

And everyone knows I am a handbag addict (especially the friend who gave this to me). Not to mention a Disney Park lover. This bag will get some good use (hopefully in 2016)!

Clearly they know I am a jewelry connoisseur as well! Are these pieces not gorgeous? Bith of these presents came from members at our church. 

My older daughter Quisha treated me to a shopping trip to my favorite store in the whole wide world! I can't wait to try out all of the new fragrances! You all know I can't resist Bath and Bodyworks!

I was also given a bit of birthday money to spend so I picked up a few things that had been on my spring wish list. Including this black stripe skirt on my Pinterest! This one was way cheaper then anywhere else. I found it at Roses for $12.00!

My Easter Dress came from KandG (the accessories are courtesy of my hubby from my favorite retail shop Catos).

And a waffle textured robe that I had been eyeing forever at Target! I also picked up a few shirts from Cotton On but after I got them home I didn't like the way they fit so I am hoping to take them back or exchange for something else. As much as I love the presents the best part of my birthday was spending it with family and friends! Next up is my after Easter shopping (you all know how I do...the best bargains for decorating is after the holiday has passed...lol). 

How I Celebrate 50!

My birthday week started out great with our WABC family surprising me with balloons, cake and gifts (more on that later in a Birthday gift post).

Monday (the actual day of my birthday) Marc and I went with some friends to The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate the big day!

Marc and I drove to the Eastern Shore to get of all things a slush and some organic bacon. It had been a while since I traveled across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge so we turned the ride into and opportunity to just hang out and talk.

Marc works over on the Eastern Shore from time to time and while over there one day he had a client tell him about the Organic Market and about the best place in town to get a Slush! Leave it to him to turn that into a birthday trip. Its funny because the ride took us back to our military days when we would catch a hop from Germany and would have to drive to Delaware mid vacation to put our name on the list for the return trip home. Man does that seem like a long time ago now that I am 50! At the time we were in our mid 20's! 

My beautiful cards from family and friends!

Tuesday a friend treated me to breakfast at IHop!

Wednesday I had lunch with my cousin Michelle at Applebee's. 

Then Friday we had a late lunch with my aunt and uncle.

That evening Marc and I attended Good Friday service at Grove Baptist Church to hear three of the young preachers we knew speak on the 7 last sayings. We so seldom get to sit in service together that it was a great treat to the end of my birthday week! LOL Everyone kept asking me if I was planing a big 50's bash, Originally I thought about doing  that but in the end I just wanted to be able to spend the occasion relaxing, hanging out with friends and eating at some of my favorite spots! And that is exactly what I did! 

Dinner time (part 2)!

We ate at one of my favorites restaurants (Olive Garden and the Cheesecake Factory are my favorites).

I usually get Lasagna but for some reason this time I was really feeling the fettuccine.

Me with my posse! I love, love hanging with these ladies (and one young man..lol).

It doesn't take much for my family to have fun. Just being together seems to do the trick (especially when I have been feeling down or stressed out).

Even the baby sis traveled the two hours down to see me!

Don't we look good for 70, 50 and 40?

Me trying to hang with the young ones. If they had taken much longer with the pic somebody would have had to pick me up because leaning back I almost created a domino effect. LOL

My sister cousins!!! Thanks Pat for setting this all up. I said I didn't need some big and fancy party...I would be perfectly fine just hanging with my family! 

I can't believe next week I will be fifty years old! But I'm determined to embrace it and enjoy life (even when my body does not want to cooperate). I also plan to do a lot of first over the next couple of years. Nothing crazy like jumping out of a plane or anything but simple stuff (like watching the daffodil parade in your hometown for the first time). As I get older I really understand the importance of family, your roots and even appreciating where you grew up (as a teenage I couldn't wait to graduate high school to get out of dodge)! Home holds a whole new meaning for me now. It truly is wherever your heart/family is! 

Let the celebrations begin (part1)! The Daffodil Festival!

Friday I went home to hang out with my mom and my family. We had plans to eat together on Saturday to celebrate my 50th birthday which will be next week. Saturday morning I went to the Daffodil Festival with my cousins Babs and Trice!

The three of us watching the parade!

Some of the daffodils were already starting to feel the effects of this crazy weather we have been having but I managed to find a patch on Main Street that were fully bloomed and not on deaths door. LOL

This guy had loads of them for sale.

You did know Virginia is for Lovers right? 

In all of the years that I lived in G-Town I had never been to our Daffodil Festival.

Who knew our small town was soo popular Apparently last year they had 10,000 visitors for the event! The population is 30.000 tops! 

And who says you have to travel to New York to experience food trucks! 

My girls would not be joining us until much later that day so Trice had to hold down the dance floor all by herself! We were shocked when know one got out there to join her. Guess they were all to busy eating! LOL

I would love to be a part of setting something up like this. The event planner in me had all kind of ideas swirling around in my head.

They even had an Alpaca out there (I thought it was a miniature Llama...lol)! 

And I've been eating kettle korn for years and never knew they popped it in a big old kettle like this. I know....Kettle Korn. Something should have clicked. But it didn't! LOL The family has decided that next year we will make a full day of it (if the weather holds up like it did that day). Next post up will be about dinner with the family! I do believe I am right on track with my plans to spend time with family. I'm having a ball!