❤ ❤ ❤ⓗⓐⓟⓟⓨ~ⓜⓞⓣⓗⓔⓡⓢ~ⓓⓐⓨ❤ ❤ ❤ PART 2

We had a lovely family day.

After receiving the BEST gift EVER (see my video in the post below!!!!), D & I went out to bagels for breakfast. We came home and relaxed a while.

Then we met the rest of the family (Grampie, Grammie, Elle, Drew, and even Jade's friend, Kyle - but not Sar because she had to work :( at the movie theater for IRON MAN 2.

Then we went to Islands for dinner. FUN - as always!

After that, to Cherry on Top for frozen yogurt (thankfully, they had caramel mocha with heath bar topping for Grammie - YAY!).

Grammie opening her Brighton nightlight.

Grammie in her favorite spot she created to eat her yogurt!

Grammie obsessed with Titanic :)

Then they all stopped by our house to see how the closet is coming along (I LOVE to show it off).

Then everyone quickly dispersed. Lando headed back to school, Jade took Sara out for a date, Elle headed home, G&G also went home (Grampie just got back from Thailand and is BEAT).

All in all an enjoyable and love and family filled day.

And now it's REAL people, because I blogged about it!... so you can relax, it actually happened!

Oh No! Say It Isn't So! I (finally) Turned The Big FOUR-O!

Wow!

A beautiful black & white extravaganza!

I wasn't really dreading turning 40... but I WAS kinda dreading the party celebrating it.

The day after Christmas is a tough day to ask people to do something. I didn't want to put my friends out (ESPECIALLY the ones planning it!!!)

So I buried my head in the sand and blissfully carried on my December preparations & celebrations in denial while my amazing husband, friends, and Mom planned away.

I DID have the job of shopping for a red dress & shoes... I secured the dress early... the shoes were a booger and Miss M and I finally found them on my birthday - the day of the party (phew! couldn't have done it without her!!!).

It was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!... Could NOT have been prettier! The black & white, the tulle, the flowers, the lights & lanterns, the apothecary jars filled with treats, the candles, and the CAKE (nore on that later)... It was a real grown-up party (I guess that means I really am a grown-up now that I am 40?).

It was gorgeous and I could've gone home happy after just seeing the decorations... but NO... there was a party to follow. People came and ate and seemed to have a good time. I even had a good time (D said to him, I never even look like I feel or am uncomfortable - I should go into ACTING, for sure!!! :) It was fun though and I felt very loved... again... especially by D, Shel, Suez, & Tyra.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now on to the pictures thanks to official Momarazzi photographer extraordinaire, Shelly!

Me & my LOVE - definitely the "Host with the Most"!!!

Oh Baby!

Me & my party planner sistas - look at their amazing decorating talent!

Me & my personal shopper

The delectable, all edible work of art, by MASTER baker (for love, not money), could-have-her- own-Ace-of-Cakes-show: Tyra

Cake topper - spectacular individually handmade gumpaste flowers & sparkly fondant balls (by Sophia) & fondant rolled by Leon (truly a family affair)

Me & Ty

Mom & Dad

The gorgeous yard - check out the lights & lanterns

Me resting my wimpy feet with Suez & Charmane

Eating tacos (appreciate the all WHITE flowers - with one red rose tucked in - so creative!)

Serving tacos - Mmmmmmm

The toast (look at the beautiful decorations!!!)

B&W toast at a B&W party

Antols

Gurzis

The whole Maslyn clan

Forced family fun (haha)

Tired from a LONG night (& day!!!)

Thanks all!!!!!!!!!!

What a FUN, happy birthday for me!

xo

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 was full and blessed.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Miss M's turn - reading the Christmas story from the Bible

Mom's turn

Uncle Drew

Thankfuls & Hopefuls

Happy birthday Jesus

CHRISTMAS MORN

Traditional Christmas morning stairs shot.

Santa came!!!!!!!!!!

Bijou LOVES opening gifts!

Jackets from Gramma & Grampa

Mom's gift! Awesome!!!

Breaking out Dad's gift.

Did he know what it was?

He "cannot tell a lie... Yes."

Opening the box
Admiring the gift
Oooooooo... lots of space

CHRISTMAS DAY

At G&G's

Opening gifts

Miss M's new end table (mid-century modern)

Poor Dad - with his back out - opens gifts

Miss M sleeping

&

Grampie doing something unexpected :)

Carving the horseradish-crusted prime rib

Full of gratitude for a blessed day & year!

Thank you God.

My Church

These are my girls.

These are with whom I fellowship and study the Bible and pray and find community.

This is my church.

In back: Shelly, Lynn, Jen, Andria, Me, Suez / In front: Kim Kathi, V.

Love you!!!!!!!!!

VA Sara Family Lunch

Jade went to Virginia to visit his girlfriend Sara, whom you may remember he met on our recent family vacation to Washington DC & Manhattan (on our brief interlude in Virginia when we visited Monticello & Willliamsburg). Then she came HERE for 10 days to visit Jade, see California, and meet the Fam.

She stayed with Elle and met most of us piece by piece however, we wanted to make sure she got to participate in one of our world famous family dinners. However, our schedules just couldn't seem to make it work, so instead, we had a not-so-famous family lunch. No Grammie's spaghetti - sadly - but we're no slouches in the CA hospitality department, we DID get to share a unique & delectable CA treat:

In-N-Out.

('Course everyone is trying to be stinkin' vegetarians, so they ate in-n-out "burgers" with no meat... a sacrilege, I tell you!)

Everybody got to bring a friend:

Jade & Sara

Miss M & Mary Kate

Lando & Em

Deevs & Xbox (Katie was not able to come - she had family day too)

Enjoying the calories - animal style

D & Sons

Mom & Uncle Drew

Dad & Grammie