Celebrate...

Celebrate good times come on....

I always manage to turn something that my kids say into a song.  It annoys them to no end.  Rylee can't understand how I can instantly break into song with a single word or phrase that she or Chandler is saying.  (But, now I am starting to see where she gets some of her random, spontaneous song outbursts from....).  I can't help it.  I love to be silly sometimes.  Unfortunately, I don't think my kids find it silly...just embarrassing.  Oh well..

So, speaking of celebrating, it's what I've been doing.  I love my birthday and I celebrate it for as long as possible.  Or for as long as it doesn't become totally obnoxious.  For me, it starts with Mother's Day.  I get a little attention and a little bit of spoiling and feel all special....and I kind of just run with it.  During May, the weather is warm and from my previous post, we all know how I feel about that.  More reason to celebrate--that summer is comin'.

After my final (and after I came out of my little funk of not getting the grade I so wanted), I pampered myself with a little massage.  From there, I did a lot of stuff around this house that had been neglected over the last few months.  Swept out and organized the garage a little.  Cleaned up the laundry room.  Cleaned up this desk and filed things away.  I read the first of "50 Shades of Grey" (oh my...).  And started "Bloom."  I am getting things checked off of my summer to do list early.

I find so many little things that make me happy.  So, the little things that help me celebrate are attending year-end school awards assemblies and banquets....for academics and for cheer.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing my girls work hard and be rewarded and acknowledged for their efforts and talents.  All the year end culmination is happy and fun and exciting and it all falls around my birthday.

Friday night after one of our cheer banquets, some of our families gathered by the pool where our banquet was held.  The kids swam and the adults sat with our adult beverages and snacks and we laughed and laughed and laughed.  My stomach hurt.  It was too much fun and just the perfect way to "officially" start my birthday weekend. 

Saturday morning, Chandler left for a beach trip with her high school cheer team and Rylee left for an all day/all night birthday party.  As of 10 am, I found myself by myself.  What to do...So, I made myself breakfast.  I ran an errand and then ventured into Sephora.  I love Sephora.  I just wandered and played with makeup for about an hour.  From there, I treated myself to a pedi.  Bright pink with green polka dots.  Fun.  Summery.  Birthday-ish, right?  From there, it was sushi for dinner with Craig.  A lovely, quiet day.

Sunday was just pretty chill around the house.  Had breakfast then Craig and I headed over to the Esmeralda pool where Rylee's birthday party was finishing up.  We met friends, had cocktails and laid in the pool and the weather was nothing short of perfect.  From there it was Chandler's high school cheer banquet and home.  Chandler's boyfriend came by to pick her up and brought me a little cupcake.  My only cake for the day.  Got to make a wish and blow out a candle.  Thanks Andrew.  We couldn't let the evening end without a trip to Coldstone.  Yummy Cake Batter ice cream with strawberries.  My fav.

And last night.  Mexican dinner and margaritas with some great girlfriends.  Oh my...the things we talk and laugh about.  It was great and I am so grateful to have such beautiful friends in my life.

Goodness gracious...I think I am done.  Time to cleanse and dry out for awhile.

So, another year older, and I hope, wiser.....Last summer I was pretty sure I was having a mid-life crisis.  I had this panic attack that I had so little time left to "be young."  And panicking about what I was going to do with the rest of my life.  Well, after finally being admitted to the nursing program, I am grateful that I will get to do what I have wanted to do for so long.  And while I was doing my clinicals this semester, I had a couple of patients that made an impact on me.  Our focus this semester was geriatrics and orthopedics.  I had one female patient who was 61 years of age.  Without giving too much info, let's just say she was HOT.  She was beautiful.  Natural.  She was in great shape...and like I said...she was, well...hot.  She was 61 and she might as well have been 41.  I had a couple of great conversations with her.  Another one of my patients was a 75 year old male.  Not kidding..he had the body of someone who was 30 years younger and in phenomenal shape.  Hardbody like you would not believe.  He told me that he and his wife have been married for 55 years.  And that his wife might as well be 50 years younger than him, because it's how she looked and acted.  Getting to know these two patients gave me reassurance that you truly are as old as you feel.  And obviously, if you take care of your body.  And if I ever second guessed myself about acting and feeling youthful or retaining my youth, these two patients were proof positive that it's not only A-OK, but it IS possible.  

We have more celebrating to do...only 2 more days of school this week!