And another year wiser . . .

Yep. It's true. I'm another year older, another year wiser and definitely another year better-looking. :) Here's some of my birthday fun:

Deb and her trick candles - I almost lit myself on fire. Not really, but I could have.

Jack and me enjoying the Costco stork cake. Yum.

Some awesome friends who came to celebrate.

Showing off my tiara and wand.

Liz liked the tiara too.

As did Lisa. Doesn't she look so sweet?

Mindy doesn't get out much. This was kind of a big deal for her.

Megan is wondering how in the world I could be so old, so wise and so beautiful. It is a mystery, Meg, it is.

Tea at 2:00

Remember how Megan had a birthday? Well, we not only had cake, we had tea. A few of us gathered to celebrate in style. Megan invited us to dress up, including a fabulous hat. As you can see, we did not let her down.

The lady of the hour and me

How cute is our tea room?

Hmmm. I wonder if I could dress like this every day? I was definitely born in the wrong decade.

Yes, I could get used to this get-up.

*BTW, that's my grandma's hat I'm wearing. Isn't is just fab-u?

3rd Annual L.A.A.

Have I ever mentioned that my friends and I like to do fun things where we dress up and eat good food and laugh and then laugh some more? We do. My friend Mindy started up the Ludicrous Academy Awards a couple of years ago, and it was a hit, so we've done it three years now. Here are some shots from this year's festivities.

Deb and me looking quite stunning

Jack and Camille are all smiles for the paparazzi

The much-anticipated arrival of Megan

Mork and Mindy working it for the camera

Deb looking quite smart on the red carpet

I was thrilled at all the fans who showed up.

Megan takes her speech-making very seriously.

Rob and Shelly were in a serious, pensive mood.

Mindy awarding Deb one of her two awards.

Carey and Jodi presenting.

Megan is so humble she was shocked she won.

As was I.

This pretty much shows you how the night went. Yes. Awesome.

Meg's Berfday

Betty Crocker doesn't have to worry about losing her place in the baking world or anything, but I had to share the cake I made for Meg's birthday. Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm not super confident in the kitchen, so I was proud of myself for this one turning out so well. I made the cake from a mix, but the frosting and strawberry decor were all me.

See? M for Meg. And strawberry hearts. Yum.

I sure like this lady. Happy late birthday, Meg!

2:16:08

Once in a while I do something that warrants a little pat on the back. So, here's my pat-pat. Last weekend I went down to Moab so I could run the Canyonlands Half Marathon {for the third time, thankyouverymuch}. I'm not a die-hard runner or anything. It's good exercise, and races are fun to do {especially if your friends do them too}. And as I always do with my friends, I had a blast! The race was good {got my best time ever - holla!}, but it was just great to have a mini road trip with my friends and cram so much laughter into two days. Next year, ladies?

Our objective - the finish line

Ah yeah - the amazing women who just rocked 13.1 miles

And how I really felt after I stopped running

We tried to make Zac proud

Really, I just run races for all the free food they give out

The whole crew after the race

*It must be noted that brillant me forgot to bring her running pants with her, so a special thanks goes out to Camille for being an overpacker and having an extra pair that I borrowed. Friends are great in so many ways - lending you pants is just one of them.

Someday

My niece woke up in the middle of the night, and when my sister went in to see what she needed, Banana said, "I don't have enough love. I need a hug."

I wish I could make the same request in the middle of the night and get such a prompt response. Ah, the joys of singlehood. Someday . . .

Phew

If I'm honest, this is a relief to me.

I recommend . . .

I love that people keep sending me these great blogs to read. One of my sisters just sent me this one. All my single friends, get ready for your cakes. I'm ready to bake and celebrate.

Really?

Headlines found on MSN's website today:

"Statue of Colonel Sanders Pulled from Japanese River"
"Do Icelandic Elves Exist?"

Is it that slow of a news day?

I recommend . . .

This blog was introduced to me by a great friend. She has a "Best Of" section and I read this one (partly because I love purple). It is so, so, so, so good. Oh, the joys of singledom.

Voice of Reason: When I am a Smug Married I will wear purple. And a muzzle.

Happy to be

Isn't life good? I love that no matter what happens in our lives there is always reason to be happy and thankful. Sure, there are times when we get more challenges and difficulties thrown at us than we think we can handle, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, a hope for something better. I'm so glad I have that knowledge, and that I also have the ability to act on it.

Thank you to everyone who is that light to me. I feel your warmth everyday.

A couple of things . . .

-Did you hear the news story about the guy who put his girlfriend's engagement ring in her Frosty and she ate it? That's every girl's dream, isn't it? Here honey, I'm proposing to you in a fast-food establishment with a non-dairy, chocolate-flavored dessert. Yeah, true love lives.

-Lynda Carter {aka Wonder Woman} is releasing another album. I'm not sure how I feel about this, especially since I've never heard any of her other albums. But it sure makes me wish there were more live action super hero TV shows on.

Reason #743 why I love being an aunt

In less than a month I get to go spend a long weekend with these two sweet girls {and their parents}. Is it April yet?