Happy Birthday Week to Me!

It's official...I am another year older.  I have entered the final year of my fabulous 30s (and not all that happy about it...but what can you do?).  The actual date of my birth is April 18th, but the celebration this year started the 16th and went through the 19th and because of my sweet family and friends is was amazing! 

The first great thing was that Lance took the entire week off for me.  That made it possible on the 16th, for my friend Leslie and I to go to Fremont to use a Groupon at a day spa.  We got facials and massages!  Aaaahhh!  Nice way to start my week.

Tuesday the 17th was a jammed packed day.  We started by going to a special promotional ceremony for Lance.  Last November he was promoted to Lieutenant and last week he was sworn in.  His brother, Jack was there to pin his badge on him.  We were there just to show our love! 

After the ceremony, we grabbed our cupcakes (refreshments they were offering) and hit the road to go to Monterey. It was perfect weather and so much fun!  While Lance was checking us into the hotel, Sophie's front tooth finally fell out! It had been barely hanging on for a long time!

The weather was so nice we brought our suits and went swimming! It helped that the water was heated to 85 degrees!

 We had my birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Roy's.

Funny and rewarding story...About half way through our meal they sat a group of adults at the table next to us. One lady in the party said, as she was sitting down, "This is a beautiful table, except for..." she didn't finish her sentence out loud, but looked over at us with our 3 little girls indicating that she was certain the great view at the table wasn't going to be worth sitting next to a table full of children! I chuckled to myself a little. But the rewarding part of the story is as we were getting up to leave, a good 30 minutes later, the same lady turned to us and said that we had the best behaved children she had ever seen in a restaurant and wanted to thank us! Now, I know my children aren't perfect (just earlier that morning Sophie got in trouble for scowling at everyone who tried to talk to her at the promotional ceremony), but they are actually very well behaved and good at listening.  So eating out at nice restaurants is actually possible and pretty enjoyable!

On the 18th we got up and had a great breakfast and then went to the aquarium.  I love that place!  It is so hands on and that is perfect for my girls!

 After the aquarium, we had time to go to Dennis the Menace Play Place and get all the last bit of energy out for the ride home! That night I opened the gifts Sophie and Avery got me (Lance's gifts to me were projects around the house I wanted him to do for me) and we had Baskin Robbins Ice cream cake.

Thursday, I woke up to a breakfast of fresh crepes with strawberries and whipped creamed and the girls and Lance had decorated the dining room for me.  Then I went on a little half day shopping trip.  I went to Home Goods and Old Navy and shockingly mostly bought things for my girls. 

It was a really wonderful week. I really, really love going on trips with my family.  For me it is just pure joy and something I feel so blessed to be able to do.  I'm so grateful for all the gifts, cards and birthday wishes from my family and friends.  It just made the whole week so special!