My, How the Times Change Us!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes~ all fo my friends are so great! And, I have an amazing family who has made my birthday so very special as well! Johnny was so excited about gift giving, he wanted me to open up my Mother's Day and birthday gift last night. He is amazing. While I was out of town he framed snapshots of B and I in a very nice frame, made my Mother's Day card, and bought a handful of other super special, from the heart items. He wrapped each one and hid the bag from me-- NOT that I would have looked for it! I was more than suprised when I opened everything up! Today B and I attended our monthly La Leche League meeting which is always a good time, we took a good long afternoon nap, and now we're hanging out waiting for our family trip to Oceano dunes tomorrow for camping and riding!

As I sit here tonight, I was thinking back on the past several years of birthdays, and thought it mught be fun (and funny) to reminisce... those of you who were there for them will totally agree!

2001- I turned 21 in a boring old fashioned way. I went to dinner and drank a margarita with someone that I can't stand then went home for bed because I had few friends in Tennessee and had to work the next day anyway. It sucked for sure.

2002- Ugh. Maybe I should have started this on my 23rd birthday. I was very ill in 2002.

2003- Dan had just returned from war and was injured. We traveled to Omaha for a huge party. My birthday was overlooked due to his homecoming, but I had one hell of a time at the party! Plus, I think I had just gotten back a rather large tax return so I spent it all shopping on ME! I do believe this was the time that I left my sister in the care of HEATHER (the trusted babysitter) and H let Jess stay home from school..without my approval of course. Yep, that was the last time she was in control of my kid, and she gets the biggest kick out of this story!

2004- I lived on Jared Court. I had a huge backyard with a nice deck. For some strange reason, we had a pizza freezer (a deep freezer kind)and everyone that we invited over brought beer of some sort and we put it in the pizza freezer on the back deck. (Jess, are you reflecting with a smile?) This was the beginning of the beer stockpile of 2004. We had a wicked BBQ with tons of friends. I drove Bagwell's jeep on post to pick up Frank and the radiator exploded! We drank lunchboxes in the parking lot of the shoppette while we tried to figure the Jeep out. It was a mess and I felt horrible. We got picked up and returned to the party, leaving the Jeep behind! If my memory serves me correctly, we then hit up every knook and cranny in C'ville, ending at Tropicana, I participated in a wet t-shirt contest and won $100.00! I bought a round for my friends! I regretted my alcohol consupmtion the next day, but what the hell, I had just turned 24!

2005- Lisa (my boss!) ditched out of work with me and we went to have our hair done! It was the first of many times that I would decide to go blonde in my life. We later rounded up Dan (who had a hand cast on from a ridiculous accident on a mechanical bull), Marc Johnson (my beloved neighbor) and Danny (Lisa's old man) and hit up Tippers. Big mistake! Marc rubbed someone the wrong way, they in turn got their friends together and wanted to rough up Dan (half broken man already. I was paniced, Danny was passed ou tin the back of my car within the first hour, and hello??? It's my birthday! The group of idiots were kicked out of the bar. But that wasn't going to stop them. They waited outside for 2 hours for us to leave at closing! They then followed us and at a stop sign jumped out of their truck and came up to Dan's truck (which was in front of theirs) and hit Marc in the face through the rolled down passenger window. I was in my car behind this scene. I freaked out and called the police. Long story short, the guys were in the army, we found them., and they definitley wished they had not have messed with us! Whew, that was 2005!

2006- My last year in Tennessee. Hope and Mosher took me out to the then current hang out spot- The Lodge. I proceeded to consume more alcohol than I should have.. the rest is a blur... but Hope has pictures to prove everything!

2007- Ack! I called into work and said I was sick. I lounged by the pool with Nina, then she took me out to dinner at my fave Florida Mexican place.. Ole Ole. That weekend after Dave and Steph (my old roomates) returned from their cruise, they took me out to dinner at J Alexander's (mmm..delish) and then we galavanted off to Bar Maniac- a Flair bar with too much flair. I made a fool out of myself! We ended the night with me on the living room floor! It was one hell of a time!

2008- My last day of work as I still know it! Delena bought me a mother's day cake and arranged a little party for me before I left at noon! I was 5 months pregnant. Looking back, this was one of the best days of my life! I met all of my friends at Hallover Beach and basked one last time in the Florida sun. We then went home and packed everything that we could fit into our car, and Johnny, Heather and Tommy pressented me with a cheesecake and a bottle fo wine to drink at a later date, and sang Happy Birthday! It was a suprise and I cried (HORMONES!!!) On May 9th Johnny and I drove out of the state of Florida for new beginnings! :( My first birthday in a long long while...sober.

2009!!!!! I have spent a wonderful day with my son, am prepared for a wonderful weekend with my closest friends, and will get to celebrate my first Mother's day! I have a wonderful man and so many people that love and care about me! Now there is a baby, I am sober- but not to be confused with boring!

I look back on my life and understand the path more clearly and releft with a smile! There is a time and place for everything, and I wouldn't trade my past (the good and bad!) for anything in the world~ it's the reason I have what I have today! So cheers to me for a good birthday, thanks to all of you have made a past birthday bright- I certainly haven't forgotten any of it, and a good luck wish for many many more!