Fabulous 40th!

I must admit, I don't really care much about my age.  I totally get that it's just a number and because my job literally requires me to be playful and silly every day, I don't feel old at all.  But 40 is a significant milestone, I guess, and man did I get the royal treatment for reaching it this year!  I am just blown away by all my loved ones' generous and thoughtful gestures-- from a classroom full of decorations, to a mailbox full of gifts and cards, to a FB wall and inbox full of sweet greetings, to a lawn full of decorations and 40 balloons!

When I rolled in my driveway from school, this was the jaw-dropping surprise I found!  My wonderful and sneaky friends came over to decorate my house in the morning.  I and the girls were just delighted!  I didn't learn until later that it was Jetta and Amy who had gifted me with this fun, and I totally enjoyed the pictures Amy texted of them setting it up...

We enjoyed the 40 balloons until Wednesday and then I brought them to school to hand out to my students, which delighted them too!  So cute to watch all my kids walk out with a shiny Mylar balloon tied to their wrist and a huge smile on their face.  Thank you, Amy.  It was a good birthday, and this surprise was one of my favorite parts of it! :)

Dave and the girls gave me a really exciting gift too... which I'll tell you about later and get sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when our contractor church friend is able to come and do the work on our house.   I can't wait!  For now, Delia is amusing people by telling them, "We got my mom a puppy for her birthday!" :)  These 3 also took me to a restaurant we've been excited to try-- a brewery with delicious food and a fun outdoor atmosphere.  

Even though it was the big 4-0, I did not wake up on the 22nd expecting to feel any different, but I actually did.  I felt MORE loved and MORE appreciative of the amazing people in my life than I even realized.  Thank you, everyone!