Birthday Shenanigans

I brag all of the time about how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends.  I know it probably gets tedious to hear, but get ready.  Because I'm going to do it again :) 

My main squeeze isn't too bad either....

(TEN and I last night at my birthday celebration)

There is a group here in Smalltown, VA that gets together for Monday Funday.  It is all organized by my friend JP.  JP is organizer extraordinaire, and wasn't it just my luck that my birthday fell on a Monday this year :)  I didn't have to plan a thing!  I just invited everyone out to Monday Funday. 

There were 3 of us who had birthdays yesterday.  We all had the same idea.  And so JP bought a HUGE birthday cake, and we all celebrated together.  Wasn't that lovely?

Last Thursday, Babbo Natale & her BF celebrated with TEN & I at my house.  We grilled out filets wrapped in bacon with corn on the cob & a potato medley.  Mmmm.....

Babbo Natale made the most amazing cupcakes, and then gave me the neatest prizes!  Look here at one of them:

(Cotton Dinner Napkins In a Roll)

She knows about my affinity for "real" napkins with dinner.  You know, fabric napkins....rather than paper.  We ate with them for every meal growing up, and I suppose old habits die hard.  Anyhoo...Babbo Natale found the most amazing prize for me, and I've never seen anything like it!!  A roll of cotton napkins that can be washed and re-used in HOKIE ORANGE.  They are the newest thing here in Smalltown, VA, of course, and Babbo Natale just had to get me some.  LOVE THEM!

While at the lake, BFF showered me with these prizes:

Then, TEN and I celebrated my birthday on Sunday night when I got back from the lake.  We  went to dinner, and I opened my prizes.  I showed you THIS prize yesterday:

But he also gave me this :-o

Aren't I spoiled?  He decided I really needed one because he has watched me struggle with my Slap Chop.  And, with the low budget mandolin I purchased :(  And he just couldn't stand to watch me moan about it anymore, so he fixed it!  Yay :)  And still...he's taking me to dinner at this fancy pants new restaurant I've been DYING to try. Excitement!

Then, mrs.mfc spoiled me silly yesterday morning with a whole BUNCH of prizes.  Here are a few of them:

(hand cheese grater)

(terracotta garlic storage bin to keep garlic fresh!)

(Tuscan seasoning)

And, it was all piled into this, with even more treats:

After work I went to the Monday Funday celebration where Daisy gave me these fabulous prizes:

(plastic chopping board that adjusts to fit over my sink!)

(fruit & veggie keep that allows for adjustment of moisture depending on what you put in it)

(herb and veggie chopper like Daisy has.  yay!!)

Oh, and the flamingo glasses!  She gave me those too.  You know...the pair I'm wearing above.

Shew!  See what I mean?  And that doesn't even include the lovely prizes my mother sent me in a birthday package.   She sent the most presh card, and it said she was proud of me.  And it said "T - you've come such a long way"...and this picture fell out.  Of me.   On my second birthday.  And I have a cake in front of me, and I'm waving my arm around and probably ordering someone to do something.  It was awesome :)  It meant the world to me, and it made me laugh out loud.  And smile bunches.  Maybe I'll scan it in and show you sometime.  Maybe I'll use it for the heading for next "series" HEY Y'ALL!  LISTEN HERE!  I'M TRYIN-A TELL YOU SOMTHIN!  Just kidding. 

So mother sent me the most lovely birthday prizes, some of which were:

(I have wanted this book since it was first released.  Yay!)

(very similar to mine, but mine just has my last initial on it)

(new make-up brush bag.  perfect timing!  with all of this traveling i will so enjoy a fresh new brush bag :)

And she even sent Louis a little prezzie!  Perfect timing, because he surely will need a reward for not being such a good boy while we had a house guest ;)

See what I mean?  See how spoiled ROTTEN I am?  See how blessed I am?  Not just because I have all of these fabulous new prizes, of course, but because my friends treasure me enough to give them to me.  And every year at this time I am reminded of that.  And I am reminded of how lucky I am.  Because some people don't have friends like I do.  Friends that would give their right arm for you.  And friends that know you so well that they want to shower you with kitchen/cooking prizes because they know how obsessed you are with learning how to cook, at the moment. 

That is what true friendship is all about.  Being there.  Always. 

And giving.  Without expecting anything in return. 

But when you do get fabulous prezzies, it's okay to love them : )  Don't you think?

T