4 celebrations = 61!!!

How many birthday parties does it take to take the sting out of turning 61?! I did my best with 4 celebrations on 4 different days:

1. Lee went to Macy's to do some birthday shopping by himself. He wanted to get me a new suit, and after narrowing it down to two, he picked the one the clerk suggested. He was nervous about whether it would fit, and he wanted me to have it to wear on Sunday, so he gave it to me to try on a few days early. It fit a little snug (thanks to my "menopause middle") so we decided to take it back and try on some of the other choices. As it turned out, I chose the one of the two that Lee didn't get the first time, and it fit great. The best part was that it was the same size as the first suit, just another maker, so my self-esteem was somewhat restored! Then, we celebrated with Chinese lunch. Party #1 = shopping and lunch with Lee.

2. Alex and Amy felt a little bad that there was not going to be any type of fun on my actual birth date, so they invited me to join them at Alee's for lunch. We feasted on take-out favorites from Gringo's, and I blew out the candles on a yummy chocolate chip cookie-cake. Party #2 = lunch and cookie-cake with Amy, Alex, and Leo.

3. A few days later, we met up with good friends, Tracy, Ashley, and Brittney Meier, for our traditional birthday lunch celebration. We met at Salata, and had a great time visiting and eating. Party #3 = lunch and visiting with Amy & Olivia, Alex & Leo, and Tracy, Ashley, and Brittney.

4. A birthday celebration with the family was planned for the weekend after my birthday on purpose because Tara was coming over for the Memorial Day weekend. We had lunch on the patio, including Café Rio sweet pork burritos/salads, homemade guacamole, and fresh fruit. The kids put on their swimsuits and tried catching water balloons and played in the "water wiggle" sprinkler. Tara was responsible for dessert so she sent Nick & Alee to the movie to have popcorn, and took the rest of us to Bahama Buck's for yummy sno! Party #4 = family fun on the patio.

Thoughtful and generous gifts, a variety of fun food, and 4 parties with my favorite people definitely helps to ease the pain of 61 years!!!!