The first family birthday is my sister-in law Julie. She turned 50 this year and embraced it well. The family got together at her house with some of her neighbors to enjoy tons of food and a cow cake. My mother-in-law had put together a CD with pictures of Julie from birth to recent. It was the highlight of the party with us laughing in good fun at the pictures of Julie and her siblings at a young age, not to mention my in-laws photos.
The fact that Julie is with us and celebrating her 50th is a blessing after suffering several brain aneurysms and surgeries eight years ago. She has since worked hard to get back to her old self and has had another daughter who is now five years old. Watching her blow out the candles is always a treat as we help her celebrate another year.
My birthday is a week after Julie's. My family and Kelly helped me celebrate at home with a football cake and lots of great gifts. My sister-in-law Nancy and her family took me out to dinner at Bone Fish Grill while in Orlando, and my mother-in-law treated me to dinner at my favorite restaurant E&E Stakeout Grill.
I only had the one cake this year, and after looking at this dorky photo of me taken by Kelly, I think that is a good thing. November and December suck as months to cut back on sugar with all the birthdays and holidays, but I guess exercising would help some in that direction....hmmmm.
The biggest birthday, along with Julie's 50th (tee hee) was Madison turning 16 years old. I wanted to get her an Elmo cake like the one we had for her first birthday, but Tom had asked her what colors she wanted on her cake and red was not one of them and so he refused to go for the Elmo theme. I'm thinking when she turns 18 I'll be able to swing that one.
Because Madison's birthday is around Thanksgiving she always gets cheated in the party department. People are always gone for the holidays and busy with worrying about Black Friday and shopping for the next holiday. I decorated her room with birthday streamers and balloons as well as our dining room table. Tom took her to New York City for a day and night and she got to go to Carl Valastro's, aka The Cake Boss, bakery in Hoboken, NJ where she bought delicious treats and met some of the women of the show (pics unfortunately on Tom's camera).
Tonight we celebrate again with the extended family at Olive Garden, one of Madison's favorite places to eat. We will eat Italian and have a cookie cake...maybe with Elmo on it! I'm trying hard not to get weepy about my eldest turning 16, but I have to say that she has made her father and me very proud. She was always a sweet and wonderful child and that hasn't changed as she has grown into a young lady. We love her dearly and wish her all the best that life has to offer her.
Now on with Christmas shopping!
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