the party

Alright, after sleeping much of the day I think I'm on the path to exhaustion recovery. It has been a great week, but VERY busy.

My birthday celebration began on the 12th in Tyler. Nana had prepared a Candy Bar Pie. It contained peanut butter and Snickers...delightful. The family sang and we had a low key celebration.

Things really got kicked off the next weekend. Tiger came in on Friday night. Saturday started off with pampering and shopping. The girls at The Limited knew just how to help me find the perfect outfit!! Hehe! I continued on to a few other stores and left feeling like Pretty Woman...a successful day at the mall!

My family arrived late afternoon. They brought snacks, cake, and lots of presents. The two hours passed pretty quickly and the 10 of us managed not to kill each other in the tiny space. I enjoyed them just being here in my home. I was completely surprised to receive a Flip Video camera and a new lens for my SLR! Two great new toys for me. Now I think I have a really good excuse to move towards that Mac this summer. Before long it was time to freshen up for the big party! The funniest part of the afternoon to me was when I came out of the restroom and the family all rose to leave, as if on cue...it made me feel like someone of importance. No one had been rushing me, but as soon as I was ready they were too. :)

Then we went to La Hacienda Ranch for dinner with 38 of my closest friends and family. Everything there went so smoothly! I would give strong recommendations to anyone to use this facility for a private event. I had the best time at the party. It was fun to have everyone together to see the different sides of my relationships--church friends who I live life with, work friends, and family. Of course, it was even neater to see how those lines are not always so defined.

Nana was a celebrity, especially with the girls from the homegroup. She was so flattered and had trouble containing her emotions. It was sweet! I believe she deserves all of the esteem that was bestowed on her. Other sensations of the night included the blessing with Pat Green's "What I'm For" playing in the background (which I thought was perfect!), my koozie (Thanks, Ashley! You were there in spirit.), the ring Nana recently passed on to me, and my high heels. It was ME and it all made me giggle!! All of this was amidst the Texas atmosphere and Mexican food that I love.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the night.

It was really hard for me to pick just six. Each of the images that Lori so lovingly captured are so dear to me. All of them say so much more to me than just what is evident in the image.

This day definitely ranked in my top five days ever! It was fabulous to celebrate with friends and family. I will forever hold this event close to my heart.