The birthday pictures

Sometimes Debbie Downer takes over my blog, but I try not to let her stay for more than a day.  She had her fun yesterday - now its time for us to have ours! 

Since I didn't get a camera for my birthday, I had to rely on a friend to be the official party photographer.  Unfortunately that means getting no pictures of her.  :(  An oversight that will be corrected next time around.

My friend from South Carolina (the one that threw the kickin LOST party) came down with her husband and the 3 of us visited the new Titanic museum in town.

Its a go-at-your-own-pace/self guided tour so we spend a good portion of the afternoon taking it all in.  Then it was back to the house to welcome guests and decorating.  The decorations had to wait until after some of the guests arrived, since guest/friend Chasity volunteered to purchase them and make my house festive.  We're not tall girls, so the actual hanging was man's work.

We started out on the front porch, but despite the shade of the roof and the outdoor ceiling fan we decided it was too warm to eat outside.

We set up camp in the keeping room/hearth room/TV room.  (Maybe I should do a "name my catch all room" blog contest?)  Thankfully Melissa had brought a card table to provide some more table space.  (If you come to a party of mine don't ask if you can help if you're not prepared to!!)

(That's the little man getting throw back and forth by Jay & my BIL).

After an excellent meal of hot dogs (thanks to my master griller hubby), mac & cheese (thanks again Chasity!), baked beans (love you mom!), and spinach strawberry salad (thanks Super Boo :P) it was time to open presents.

My friend/coworker/training buddy got me the funniest.card.ever.  Seriously.

On the front was a picture of a cake stand with only crumbs left with the words "The democrats stole your birthday cake..."

Opening it up, it continued "They gave it to people not fortunate enough to have a birthday today."

Yes, I found it that amusing.

After presents, the guys got antsy and went outside for a round of croquet while the girls stayed inside for some general chatter and story telling.

This is me, demonstrating how I pouted until Jay fixed my closet for me.

Other stories included the "wucking wan" incident.

and "Sammy will take care of that for ya"

I'd tell you the stories, but then I'd have to kill you.  Then again...Sammy could take care of that.

I'll leave you with the card that my darling love made for me.  He gave it to me two days later, on my actual birthday, along with a Renee Zellweger movie he got for $3 and LOST season 4 on DVD.

The top right hand corner says "To: The most perfect, beautiful, fun, and loving 30 year old woman a man could have.  From: A dirty, older man.

Then under the flower in the top left he wrote: This is suppose to be a flower if you couldn't tell.  Don't ask me what kind because I don't know!

The 3rd blob on the right is his version of a mountain.  He drew a stick woman on top, and a stick man rolling down the side.  It reads: "You on top of mtn.  You kicked me off and I rolled down the hill."  He also labeled the green grass under the mountain and the river below that.  Apparently he heard his mother say "tell me about the picture" enough as a child to understand that sometimes his drawings are the most obvious.

Finally in the bottom left corner of the card is a butter fly that "lost his tentacle in a horrible scissor accident".

Who needs Hallmark when you've got a man willing to do what it takes to make you smile?

Even if that means twirling his finger in his chest hair to get it caught, just to make me smile.  (Last night was the most recent - however not the first nor last time - incident).  How can I not smile at a man willing to take the time to torture himself (then be at my mercy cutting him loose) just to keep me from being sad?

Hope everyone has a great weekend planned!