My Birthday Weekend

Not only was this past weekend Memorial Day weekend, it was also my birthday weekend!

Last year, I turned the Big 3-0, and on Sunday, I turned 31, which is officially "30-something". {sigh}

Growing up, I didn't like having my birthday over Memorial Day weekend.
Every Memorial Day/Birthday my family & I would head out of town to the Central Valley to visit my Grandma, Aunt, Uncle & cousins. While I love them very much, when you are a kid & it's your birthday, the last thing you want to do is drive 3 hours to a cow town where you don't know anyone. You want to spend it with your friends!

But, as an adult, I LOVE having my birthday over Memorial Day weekend!
It means (as a teacher) that summer is almost here, you get an extra day off work & it is a weekend full of BBQ's & hanging out!

This Memorial Day/Birthday Weekend was packed full of fun & parties!

On Saturday, we went to a wedding of one of our old youth group kids (who is also a dear family friend).
Kevin & I at the wedding:

Side note: The dress I am wearing is the dress I wore to our rehearsal dinner 8 years ago! I'm just happy it still fits!

My sisters & I:

The ceremony:

The happy couple!

Kelly, Elyse & I with our lemon drops during cocktail hour. My favorite cocktail!

The first dance:

Newlyweds!

Father/Daughter & Mother/Son dance:

Guess who caught the bouquet? My younger sister, Rebecca!

We may or may not have picture texted her boyfriend (who was home with the stomach flu) right after she caught the bouquet...

They had a photo booth at the wedding.
Apparantly, these are all the rage & the new thing that people have at weddings.
Let me tell you, they are FUN!
We may or may not have been obsessed with the photo booth....

Sisters being silly:

I wish I photo booth at our wedding!

When we got home from the wedding late Saturday night, we drove up to our house & our new neighbors put a birthday sign on our garage! Seriously, our new neighbors are so great! We feel so welcomed!

My in laws watched the girls over night since we were at the wedding so I got to sleep in on the morning of my birthday (best birthday present ever!) I slept in until almost 10 am. It was heaven!
My birthday breakfast, my favorite scone that my sister brought me & of course coffee!

Then we picked up the girls & headed to a BBQ birthday party for another friend (her birthday was on Friday).
Kate was very confused that we were going to someone else's birthday party on my birthday.
Kate actually wasn't feeling too well at the BBQ (and she ended up having a fever)
Claire's newest obsession is straws:

After the BBQ, we headed back to our house because our court was having (another) block party! We have lived here 2 weeks & this was the 2nd block party they have had! Love it!
While the block party was going on, we had to get ready for yet another party!
We were having our parents & siblings over to our house for dinner!

Here is Claire with Auntie Bots.
My white trash baby with no shirt & chocolate all over her face :)
Here I am with my birthday cake.
I am actually not a big fan of birthday cake, so growing up, my mom would always make brownies for my birthday & we would have brownies & ice cream.
Now, as I have gotten older, I either have brownies, or my older sister Elyse makes mud pie for my birthday. YUM!
No one remembered to bring candles, so here I am "fake" blowing out candles while everyone sang Happy Birthday.

Kate & I posing for a birthday photo:

And, I want to show you a close up of the necklace I am wearing that I got for my birthday.
It came in the mail on Friday from my friend Erin & was made by my friend Heather.
Photo from Heather's shop, click here to see her handmade jewelry!

Thanks Erin & Heather, that was such a fun surprise! I LOVE my oh, snap necklace!

After our party, we went back outside because the block party was STILL going on.
All the men on our court were now playing cards, I told Kevin to join them (and so I could go catch up on my Tivo'd episode of The Bacherlorette. Yes, I watch it, it is like a train wreck, I just have to!)

On Monday we had a productive day....unpacking more boxes, doing yard work, cleaning our house & being thankful for those who have fought & lost their lives for the freedom we have in the United States. Thank you to those who serve our country!
Needless to say, we were exhausted after such a busy, but fun weekend!
It was a great birthday weekend and I felt loved & celebrated by family & friends!
Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend...Summer is almost here!