No ad this year mom? :)

I love birthdays! They've always kinda been a big deal in our family. Just ask my mom who found it necessary to take out the following ad in our local newspaper letting the world (or at least Boardman) know that I was turning one, and celebrating Disney style! I wish I could find pictures of the elaborate cakes (yes, this is not a typo - plural as in cakes) my mom would get us for our birthdays. They rivaled some wedding cakes I've seen in my adult years.

As I've grown my family hasn't ceased to make me feel like a gift. This year, every single one of them begin the first conversation they had with me that day singing horribly out of tune renditions of "happy birthday." And, instead of telling me to 'grow up' or 'stop celebrating,' I'm lucky enough to have friends that want to join the party my family has started! They packed the weekend with fun surprises that made the not so fun surprises (snow storms, car accident, and flat tire) bearable.

My boyfriend (seriously can we please come up with another word for this so I don't feel like a 14 year old every time I use it - that will be the subject of another post!) left little love gestures everywhere, and I was so excited when he suggested we pop into an East Side bookstore staple I had never had the pleasure of visiting prior. We were browsing the Fitzgerald shelf and the first book I pulled, Tender is the Night, had yet another card stuffed inside.

He purchased the novel for us to read to each other (uber romantic I know!) in preparation for our stay at the F. Scott Fitzgerald room at the Syliva Beach Hotel in Oregon this June.

My incredible baby sister also planned a totally phat gift she knew I would love! I wanted to go roller skating last year for my birthday, but Ash was super prego and so we thought better of it (and judging by all the falls last night, this was a very wise decision). This year, however, she gathered the gang, ordered the outfits, did my makeup, teased my hair, and miraculously kept it all a surprise - this is very truly hard for her!

What is so funny is that my 8 year old's birthday invitation from December and mine were practically identical and held at the same venue (by choice!). We got a little more into the 80's theme then Liv cared to at hers (although last night after picking her up at her dad's, she said, and I quote, "You look so pretty. If you ever get married again you should wear that. Can I borrow those gloves tomorrow?").

I was so stoked to see my friends get all laced up and join me on the roller rink in all their neon glory. I even did a little backward skating to see if I still had 'it'. I did! This explains my shock when the skating ref came over and told Kim and I that we either had to wear wrist guards or exit the rink (I mean did he not just see me breaking it down in the reverse!). I felt he was being a bit ageist as he didn't appear to approach anybody else on the floor.

In the true spirit of the 80's, I embraced my rebel, and decided to go without the guards for a few more laps. I grew up in an era of bikes with no helmets, led based paint cribs, and screaming out the lyrics to Starship's We Built This City in the back of my bestie's parents' station wagon sans seat-belts. We certainly could go without wrist guards.

And then......

We realized we couldn't. I took out a 5 year old racing Ty, and then a 3 year old took me out. Kim ended up having to be escorted to her car and carried to bed by her son after sustaining her own fall and resulting injuries. It was 'bad' (and not in the 80's good way :l )

Kim - I hope you are feeling better! I'm grateful you came, and hope you share my sentiment that the bumps and bruises will heal, but what will stay is the memory of being surrounded by such a totally awesome, rad posse.

I snapped this pic at Liv's party in December: