What a surprise!

Well, it's official. I'm 40! And did I enter it in style! My husband surprised me with the biggest party I have had since the roller skating party I had when I was 13. I'm still in awe....he's apparently been planning it since December. Compared to me, I consider Ken to be very spontaneous, so for him to have planned this for more than 5 days is in-and-of-itself a wonderful surprise. (my neighbors told me to be aware of the fact that he's apparently more sneaky than I thought!) My mom and dad, Terri and Chris were all in on it as well. And they totally orchestrated and executed a master plan.

First, we planned a few weeks ago to all have dinner together on Sunday night to celebrate my birthday. Terri 'made reservations' and we were set. I even had my new dress dry-cleaned! Then my mom called last week and offered to take Logan home with them after his basketball game on Saturday and would bring him to 'dinner' on Sunday. That gave Ken and I the evening to ourselves, since Madison, Joe and Tom were at their mom's. (PS..the culprits are seen in the photos below enjoying the basketball game the same day this all occurred. I can't believe they didn't spill the beans)

So Saturday came and Ken asked me where I wanted to go for dinner. I was undecided...nothing new. He offered to take me for sushi since I love it & he doesn't and will never go with me to enjoy it. So that was a nice offer. He just asked that I choose someplace that had food (like steak) so he could eat, too. So I chose, after some deliberation, my favorite restaurant, Oishii. They have wonderful Japanese fusion cuisine and a very nice select menu. He thought that sounded good and agreed. So if you haven't caught on yet, don't worry, neither did I ! He got me to choose (on my own) the place where he had 35 people waiting for me. I picked my own party location!

Naturally, I was convinced that this was a quiet dinner for 2 because up until 1:00, we supposedly had no idea where we were going. Needless to say, my family, friends and all 4 kids were there to surprise me. As Tom said, "the tears of truth" said I was surprised!

What a wonderful night...As you can see. I am so very fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life...not the least of whom is my loving husband. He totally got me!

He's in pretty good shape going into 2008, I'd say!

Thank you to everyone who sent me a card, gift and well-wishes for my birthday. I appreciate the fact that you thought of me.

Saturday at the Gym

While I would love to say that I actually went to a fitness-facility-type-gym and worked out all day, that is not the case with 3 boys in basketball. All the boys played today, Sat. 1/26. Tom and Logan played well, but unfortuately didn't win, again. Joe's team, however, has really gelled and they won by 10 points. Mammy and Pappy made the game today. They come to the games regularly on the weekends.

Joe played good defense today. He hustled up and down to court. The other team was really tall!

Bas-ket-ball is my favorite sport...I love to watch 'em dribble up and down the court...(Kurtis Blow 1984)

A large part of our family time is spent at kid-events. Joe, Tom and Logan are all playing basketball this winter. Luckily, Tom and Logan are on the same team, and Joe has moved up to the 11-12 year old league. (Logan is #3 and Tom #2 in green)
With 2-4 games per week, we spend alot of time at the nearby Middle School where their games are held. The boys are having fun, but are not necessarily having stellar seasons. We just want them to learn and grow each season. (I have, however, threatened a coaching-coup on the younger team if they don't start running plays)

Last night, Logan and Tom played the 'late' game at 8pm. Joe, Dad and Madison are big fans of the younger guys. Logan scored 2 points, and was everywhere on the court. He plays with alot of heart and passion.

Unfortunately, he does his fair share of arm-throwing and eye-rolling, out of frustration. He's so competitive, I wonder where he gets that? (It's very "telling" when your children exhibit you worst traits.)

Tom will tell you that "his" sport is soccer, but he enjoys playing b'ball with his bro's and played a good game last night.

Fishin' in Holly Springs

One of the things we love about living in Holly Springs is the ability to experience small-town living. One of the hidden jems in Holly Springs is our Retreat Center which is less than a mile from our home.

Ken and I were marrried

here and we still enjoy coming to the lake to fish or walk the nature trail. The boys brought bags with them on their last walk and picked up trash. We need to keep our park clean!

This summer, my mom and dad joined us for a morning of fishing...well the boys fished and the girls relaxed...

Recently, with the approval and direction of park staff, Ken and I purchased trees indigenous to the area and planted them in the park. We'll enjoy watching them grow and have given a little back to the community.

Happy 40th!

Happy 2008! I think we are all looking forward to this year and all of the events to come.

To begin the year, I turn 40 on January 27th and Ken follows suit on the 17th of February. 40... I think turning 40 will be easier than turning 30, at least for me. I've always been an old-soul, so I'll finally be in my element. And life is good approaching this milestone. We have a house full of healthy, active, kids; are gainfully employed; have two nickels to rub together; and are very excited about our newest addition...please! we're not that crazy...our new cabin in the mountains!!