Happy Birthday Week to me!

 
I kicked off my birthday week yesterday and shared the day with my daddy.  We had a huge dinner, then presents and cake and ice cream.

Here's the cake!  Red velvet with cream cheese icing.  My absolute favorite cake.  Ami made the little Happy Birthday flag for me.  She's so crafty.  She makes the most beautiful things!!  She made me a 45th Birthday badge, too, that I wore all day.  Mama put the lei on me.  I was a princess.  :)  A tie-dyed princess.  We couldn't get over how my shirt matched everything!

I got lots of cool things!!  A cute pair of 'jamas and a Chilly Pad towel (that will no doubt SAVE MY LIFE this summer in that hangar) from Ami and Brian, a double-insulated cup to keep my ice water in at work, some sunflower bath stuff and an adorable little toy hippie van from Ricky and Audra, Larry got me a beautiful electric glass kettle and the cutest little mice measuring cups.  He also did something pretty spooky.  I've been wanting this penguin humidifier (YES, the pediatric kind, shut up) but I never mentioned it to him.  I'd just look at it at Target and decide that I didn't need it.  Well, that's what he got me!  Not the dog, not the elephant, not the panda, the PENGUIN.  The one I wanted.  We do stuff like that all the time, read each other's minds and stuff.  It's pretty incredible.  I got a big roomy t-shirt (to wear to work and promptly destroy with hydraulic fluid) and Mary McDonough's book that I've been wanting to read forever, Lessons From The Mountain: What I Learned From Erin Walton from Mama and Daddy.  Y'all know I love me some Waltons.  When I was at home those seven weeks after I quit my job at Dr. Niebaum's office and before I started at the base, I watched The Waltons pretty much round the clock.  I saw the entire series (all nine seasons!) twice and some episodes three or four times.  I laughed and cried and was reminded of my childhood in every single episode.  I can't even SEE Grandpa or hear his voice without squalling.  I'm friends with Mary on Facebook and I have been dying to read her book.  Well, now I can.  Actually I started it today.  :)

Ever since I started my job at the base, Larry has called me his "gubmint mule".  So, for my birthday, he got me one.  A stuffed donkey that we have named Sammy, you know, for The Man.  

 

When I first opened the box, all I could see was legs and feet and I thought there was a dead cat in the box!  See my face right here??  Bwahahaha!!  This picture cracks me up.

Here's me and Sammy sharing gubmint secrets on Mama and Daddy's back porch.  I told him that everything is a conspiracy and he wholeheartedly agreed.  He is gonna SO love living with me!!  :)

 

After dinner, Ami and Brian 
and I went riding around out in the country.  We came up on a couple of old Georgia red clay roads and we had to get out and play (AKA take pictures!) and pick blackberries.  I love how this picture turned out (I think Brian took it).  The blackberry has red clay on it!!  Squeeee!  I'm pretty sure I ate this one, just like it was.  :)

 Happy feet!!

We came back and I raided Mama and Daddy's garden of the squash and cherry tomatoes that were ready.


We had a wonderful day!!  And it was the perfect kick-off for my birthday week!!  I'm celebrating all week long 'cause it's not every year a girl turns 45.