OH, NO, I'm 50!!!!!

Well, yesterday was my birthday! I turned 50! I can hardly believe it. But I'm fine with it, I've earned every year!

Some fun things happened. I went to work at 7:30 am to the Doctor's office Friday morning and they had a big celebrate sign up and a beautifully wrapped gift on my desk waiting for me! The appropriate thing to do would have been to wait for the Doctor to come and open it in front of him.......but no, I ripped it open and found the most amazing Dooney Bourke wallet inside! It matches my Coach purse (my Christmas present from the Doc) pretty darn good. I love it! Now I just need to register it so if anything happens to it they will fix it! yay!



After I got off work at 12:30, I was scheduled to go visiting teaching with my partner (MAS) to one of my sisters (BW) and all of a sudden they decided they were picking me up....then Allison was coming too.....I started getting suspicious, next thing I know, I'm opening a musical card that's singing....."Celebrate good times, Come on" and wearing BIG jewelry and carrying a big princess wand with streamers etc.... that all say "OVER THE HILL" thank you very much. We went to "Babes" in Burleson, which I had never been to, and wow oh wow was that good food. Then I opened presents that had a million bows on them and had to wear them on a hat ---- yes there are pictures! Anyway it was a blast.....never had so much fun visiting teaching in my life!



Then that evening, since my husband was in charge of the Youth Temple Trip, another of my dear friends (RA) picked me up and we went to see "Night at the Museum 2" where she proceeded to ask if I got a senior discount now....funny R~ Just for her asking everyone from the ticket seller to the concession stand people that question about the senior discount. I ordered lots of concessions (not really, although she did keep adding to the order, I was only going to get a Diet Coke....) it was too too fun! Oh, and more presents! I'm so spoiled. Beautiful turquoise ear rings.

Alan, and my girls got me season two of "Burn Notice" due to arrive on Monday or Tuesday I think....as that is the soonest it is available...so they really had to plan to pre-order....how cute is that. Plus I wanted "He's just not that into you" so we all watched that right at Midnight the night before my birthday!

Anne Marie called, people facebooked me, and some text'd me. The cutest thing is that my son-in-law called me as well! I really like this having a son thing.....I could get use to this!

So all in all.....it was a FABULOUS DAY! Happy Birthday to Me! Thanks everyone it was the greatest!

It's a Bridal Shower!

Two of Allison's Young Women's leaders at various times of her youth gave Allison a Bridal shower today! A couple of other of her leaders brought food as well. It was a wonderful time and as you can tell by Allison's face she had a great time! This is the first weekend after school is out so several people were out of town....but she had an amazing turn out in spite of that! She definitely knows how much she is loved! I too felt loved, in awe, so grateful for dear friends and was so thrilled for Allison. Here are a few pictures of the morning!

As you can see by the table and the island their was amazing food to enjoy!

Here is who attended.....Thank you very much!!!!

And oh the fun of opening gifts.....ya gotta love it!

(If you click on the collages you can see them at a larger size)

Thanks to everyone it was a wonderful party!

Picking John up at the airport!

Yes, It was fun to see them be so happy to see each other! My daughter is bright and bubbly again! I, however am sicker than I have ever been, not good I know! I can't even talk, which for me, if you know me is really a trial! Luckily John and Allison don't need me to entertain them, they have all kinds of things to do and places to go....but I feel like it is really quite unbelievable!

We received the invitations from the printers this week! They are perfect and it is very exciting. We also received the thank you notes from a different printing source and they are awesome.....the bridesmaids dresses are turning out great so its starting to get really exciting. We have ordered the guestbook and cake topper etc.... Bridal shower invitations have been sent out...... so things are starting to be fun, instead of just the idea of them.....they are actual things now!!!!!

Aileen approves very much of John!

And he brought me a box of "See's Candies"! He was definately raised right!

"You're never lost if you can see the Temple"

Tonight was our qtrly Enrichment Night for Relief Society. Our Presidency and Enrichment Night leaders and committee planned such a great time for us. They sent all the sisters the invite you see on the left here in the Mail, which always makes you feel like something really amazing is in store! And it did not disappoint!

We had a nice dinner and then the program started. We had a beautiful duet by two sisters in our Ward about the Temple and how it is a place of faith, and prayer, and learning. It was beautiful. Then we had 3 sisters share their different experiences about the Temple. One sister who works with her husband in the Temple every week. One sister who just got sealed to her husband recently, and one sister whose husband is not a member but told us what it meant to her to be able to go and get those Temple blessings! All very touching testimonies!

The next section, we all were able to make these beautiful temple pictures with silver leafing! I made one of the Dallas Temple for my parents as this is the Temple that they have been Temple workers at and I know that even though this is not the temple they were married in, the Dallas Temple is special to them! It was a joint Mother's Day and Father's Day gift. I am going to make a Salt Lake Temple one for Allison for one of her Wedding Shower gifts. I can't wait to see how that turns out!

The last part of our evening was a lesson on making our homes Sacred places like the temple! It was very well done and beautifully presented. It reminded us what we need to be focusing on in our homes! Then we ended up with cake and punch. We really were treated to a special night!

Landscaping.....

Allison has been willing to take on any odd job to make money this summer since 24 Hr. Fitness has been very slow at transferring her here this summer (new management that doesn't know how great she is). This is the slowest it has ever taken them to get her working hours so that she can work and earn money for getting married and helping with all the expenses that come in getting a new apartment etc... after you are married!

So she was offered a job to redo some landscaping in Dallas this week. She just got home tonight at 10:00 and is beat!

It took 4 days working two 12 hour days and two 10 hour days. Her body hurts like it has never hurt before. She had to re-shape the flowerbeds, which actually took them back closer to the house in some places, and then extended them out further some places. They had to lay the bricks around the flower beds, break up all the clots and lay down new dirt etc.... then they had to dig the holes for the trees and the bushes and the plants. The flowers of course were fast but everything else was back breaking lifting, hauling, and digging. And every hole they dug had tree roots they had to break through....it was a long old process. It looks beautiful now, but I'm not sure it really shows what they had to do.....it was way more than just planting plants and flowers!

Tickets! We don't need no stinkin tickets!

So funny thing....ever since Allison has said "I'm getting Married" the darnedest things have been happening. We have had car repairs on every car we own and twice on mine....which is bad enough....but then Alan got one of those lovely tickets in the mail from the camera's showing that he ran a red light! Uggh! And I said to him....we need to be using our money for wedding stuff so be careful...right? Well today he had to go pay a ticket for not wearing a seat belt! Really are you kidding me? Alan!!!!! But I love him....he's a keeper!