Birthday Balls and Nostalgia...

Yesterday was my 32nd Birthday. I'm finding that each year, my Birthday celebrations get better and better. I don't know why that is. Maybe because I get to be around the people who I love even more than I loved them last year? I love them a year better! Or maybe it's because it's an accomplishment to make it another year? Or maybe because it's just great to have one day out of the year when it is, in fact, all about me! At least that's how it works at our house! :)

Whatever the reason(s) may be, I enjoyed every moment of my Birthday celebration this year.

On Saturday night, some friends gathered to celebrate not just my Birthday, but also my sweet friends LynnAnn and Meggan. Mine is the 16th, LynnAnn's is the 18th and Megg's is the 19th! Throw St. Patty's Day in there, and you have quite a party week!

We (along with our husbands) had a wonderful meal at Sardine's in Fort Worth. Great food, great fun and....
BIRTHDAY BALLS! Our sweet friends, Kristin and Jessica, made the wonderful creation that (for lack of a better name) is the Birthday Ball! You can imagine how quickly the table conversation went south when out came the "balls" and we lit them on fire. You can't tell in the picture, but they're colored. Doug didn't hesitate to scream down the table that he'd like "one of the blue ones!" Hmmmmm.
Despite the raunchy conversation that evolved, the Birthday Ball is about the most awesome, tasty dessert I've ever had! Thanks again girls!

Blowing the balls out...see, no good thoughts come to mind as a result of this dessert!

Here's LynnAnn and me about to enjoy our...uh hum...balls.


And here are all three Birthday girls...funny to think that 32 years ago this week, all 3 of us were rocking our Mom and Dad's worlds with our crying, dirty diapers and baby shenanigans!


LynnAnn and her sweet husband, Paul

My Doggie (Jessica) and Me
Rach and Bonnie (aka Meggan)...

Sunday...the celebration continued!!! My Mom was so sweet to have our family over to her house for a truly wonderful lunch. She cooked her heart out, and made the day so special for me! Of course, you know one of the best parts for me was getting to spend time with my sweet nephew and niece, Brock and Chloe...

Uncle Doug is the best "player". By that, I mean he will play with Brock for hours without rolling his eyes, or acting tired, or like me, pretending to be sick or dead. He's so sweet to this little fellow, and in return he gets to be right near the top of this kiddo's list! Here they are playing some type of shovel game which later evolved into "Shovel Ball"...Faye and Me Oops, got this one on here twice and can't seem to get rid of it. Oh well, just another chance to glance at our sweeties!

Too bad nobody loves this little girl...

Monday...My "actual" Birthday, or as Doug calls it: "The day you emerged from your Mother's birth canal!" I'm still not sure if he's allowed to talk about my Mother's birth canal.

Anyway....

What a wonderful day it was for me! First of all, I was so excited that Doug and I were both able to get the day off from work. We slept in a little bit and then decided to head to the city of my birth...Big "D", Little "a", Double "l", a, s= DALLAS, TEXAS!

Our first stop was lunch at one of my most favorite restaurants, Patrizio's in Highland Park Village.


Thankfully, it was the perfect weather for sitting on the patio. That's the best place to be!! We enjoyed an awesome meal, and I even branched out! I have always gotten either pizza or salad. But Doug and I got two amazing pasta dishes and did a "split and split". It was yummy in the tummy!

On to stop #2: Yes, the hospital.

No, we were not sick or injured.

But, I was BORN here...
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

now called by this other name...but whatever.

This is the place where 32 years ago, after being only 3 and 1/2 weeks late, I came walking out of my Mother's "birth canal". I'm sure she's so happy that her canal has now been mentioned twice.

Here we are...Mother and Daughter.

I'm pretty sure she liked me a lot then, and seems to still like me a lot today! What a blessing!

Is it strange that I decided that I needed my picture taken outside the very same nursery where I stayed 32 years ago? Probably. But the nurses sure didn't think so...they loved it! It probably would have been pushing it to ask if I could just climb into one of those cribs, right?

After a little stay under the sun lamp at the hospital (I had jaundice), and after Mom recovered from the 9 pound person walking out of her you know what, we ditched the hospital and returned home here...

3708 Centenary

Which is where I got to meet these two for the first time...

Behind the tree on the far right, is a window. In that window hung some wooden shutters. I'm told that anytime my sisters and their friends would play out in the front yard, I would grab hold of those shutters and jump up and down in my crib like a monkey. It looked like this...

If you drive through the old neighborhood these days, you'll find million dollar mansions built where there once stood modest homes. There's not many remnants of the way it used to be. That is, unless you go to 3708 Centenary...And there stands the very house that I was brought home to 32 years ago to live with my precious family. Yes, it's updated, modernized and they've added onto the back making it more mansion-esque. But, the house itself still stands. So, of course, we had to take a picture. Wonder what the current owners thought about me posing on their front walk?

And right behind the big tree is the little window, covered by the same wooden shutters which peeks into the little nursery where my Mama rocked me to sleep each night. And no, I didn't peek in the window. But, you better believe I was tempted!

I know this was a marathon post, but I got to feeling a bit nostalgic on my Birthday...thinking about my birthplace and roots. I'm looking forward to this 32nd year and all that will come with it. Thanks to everyone who called, sent cards and showed me so much love on my special day! Love you all!!!!!