happiness is............................

friends, 2 party boats tied together, a lake, yummy food, refreshing drinks, tiaras for all, a princess crown for me, presents :), ending early enough so I could go to the camera store and buy my new camera (thanks to all my family and friends - more on my new toy later).

Thanks to these two ladies for all their planning - it was a success and I LOVED it!
Thank you Kelly and Cathi - I love you................

The crew.....................

I felt so loved and special - I am blessed.

I would love to post more pics and write more but I'm off to Bass Lake in an hour and I'm not even packed yet! I promise to do more when I get a chance - ta ta :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday - my dreaded 40! There is just something about not being able to say I'm thirty something! I feel old. Don't get me wrong - I'm thankful for my life and I'm blessed with so many wonderful family and friends!! I just hate saying the word - forty. Maybe I just won't say it.

I did get this great cruiser from my family!

And I did get help blowing out the candles!I had a wonderful evening bbqing at the Lake with my family, the Keller's and the Hamen's. I will post more pics later but right now I'm off to another celebration with some friends - I'm not sure what cuz they will not tell me! But I'll be back..........

Love these............

Anyone who knows me (or has seen my blog, which you have - cuz' you are reading it now) knows that I love photography! I always have my camera in my hand when I leave the house - and sometimes in the house :) I have found the cutest things - they are camera strap covers! I think they are soooo cute and functional. Since I can't sew - I buy :} Check them out on Shealynn's cute etsy shop.

Camping at Mission Bay 08'

My Big, Wonderful, Crazy Family

~loving them~

No longer a teen.................

My oldest is now OLD.

I have a 20 year old - and am having a hard time accepting it!

We celebrated his birthday this weekend while we were at Sean and Lindsey's for Silas' 1 year party - that is kind of strange also - my brother has a one year old and I have a 20 year old!
What a good sport (he's gonna kill me)I love this boy

and it's a good thing because he is now back living with me (temporarily).

And he brings little ones

One is a little puppy.

So that makes 4, yes 4, dogs at my house.

It's a little bit chaotic.

I'm a little bit on edge.

I think I need the Dog Whisperer!

Happy Birthday Drew & welcome home.......

All I ask is that you pick up the dog mess in the backyard :)

While the kids are away........the Mom will play :)

Soooo my kids are back after a week at camp. I was alone, well I was supposed to be. I ended up with a full house on a majority of the nights. Which was ok with me - sleep overs are fun!!!! The week started with a wedding (pic's down below). Then was my friend Jill's Birthday party, after that was a little get together with some of my friends whose kids where also at camp. I went to two concerts (Colbie Caillat and John Mayer & Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams), a concert/picnic in the park with 80's music), and of course Thursday beach night. And I worked during some of the days - Whewwwww, I can't say that I was well rested and ready for the kids to come back! I did miss them a lot - my house was way to quiet (when I was home). I don't have many pictures because the girls had both my cameras but I do have those wedding pics :)

So what else do you do at a wedding where you really don't know anyone

except some long lost relatives................

dance and get crazy (and eat the good food)

This would be us at the beginning of the night (before dancing & wine)

Aunt Lois and Uncle Ray & my Mom and Dad had a dance-off and wow can they still bust-a-move! And I wish I had pictures of my Mom trying to breakdance (pee-your-pants hilarious)! David was definitely the entertainment for the night - you should see some of his own made up dance moves!!

Even Grandma Katie was booging!

This is the lovely, sweaty, end result......

So we are back to normal life (if you can call my life normal). I have to say that even though this week was very full and fun, I realized what my life would be like without my kids and I'm so thankful for this chaos that is mine!!!!