Turning 40 Is Not So Bad . . .

Ok, so turning 40 is not so bad when you get 40 presents! First, I have a confession, I am not the one turning 40, I have already been there, done that (a few years ago).

These are for my sister Jennie.
Doesn't it look pretty & super fun???

Now let me clarify this a little bit. My Mom, Aunt Cyndi, sister Becky and myself each bought 10 gifts for my sister Jennie. Some were little, some were big, but the plan was for each gift to invoke a memory of Jennie, whether from childhood or an adult. There were lots of great food gifts - Lays Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips, Twizzlers and wine, some unique gifts - a jar of cold cream (once thrown at me by the bday girl but my Neo-like (Matrix reference here) allowed me to duck and the cold cream hit a framed cross stitch instead of my face) and Mardi Gras beads (heading to New Orleans for Sugar Bowl games), and some fancy gifts - a Pandora bracelet with meaningful beads and a quilt.

I used chalkboard tags I bought on-line at
Save on Crafts and then wrote a brief little hint
as to what the gift might be.
These were candy eggs my sister adores. 

This is Gator plates and napkins.

Earlier in the day, we shopped (I will show you what little goody
I bought for myself later) and wined and dined ourselves.
Then we came home for some more appetizers,
some more wine and all the gift giving!

I tried a new recipe - Pull Apart Bloomin' Bread.
The overall opinion was okay to good.
Personally, I think I would like it better if I add
fresh garlic to the butter and use the full 16 oz. of cheese -
more is always better!

The birthday girl . . . 

is the Queen of Bumper Pool!

My mom pulled tons of old photos and we had a
great time remembering all our adventures and missteps -
like really bad bowl and asymmetrical haircuts!
(Note the clothing change, this event takes a long
time and that makes it super fun!).

The girls made a large chocolate chip cookie cake

and then helped eat it.

This is always one of my favorite weekends. Every time we get together, it always seems to be for a super busy holiday. It was nice just to mosey in downtown Ocala (yes, I said that) and visit with my family. Now I am off to go hang the souvenir gift I bought but that is for another post.