HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

My 62nd birthday was one of the best memories of birthdays! I was able to spend a wonderful weekend with my family in Biloxi MS. It was so much fun spoiling grand daughters, enjoying tasty meals prepared by our personal chefs (Mr & Mrs Clause), walking on the beach, eating Ben 'n Jerry's, playing in the pool, board games in the evenings and spending time together for a very concentrated period. It was so hard to get back into the "real" world on Monday. I wanted to go back in time and be there with everyone again. We discussed making this an annual event. I hope that we can. It was a little bit of heaven for three days.

I've had so many great birthday memories through my 62 years. I remember my 18th birthday was spent with close friends, Mom, Dad and my brother at Dup's Lounge in Plaquemine. The waitress wouldn't let them bring my cake inside, so I was surprised outside in the parking lot with my cake, candles and everyone singing happy birthday! It was hysterically funny.

For my 30th, I was in between divorces from Ron, but we were sort of dating off and on. I decided that I was 30, looking good and basically full of myself. I invited lots of friends, my ex-husband/dating partner, old boyfriends, current boyfriends, potential boyfriends, just plain friends and a few women friends. I wore my leather bikini to the pool where we all drank and made merry. I don't really know if I made any conquests that day or not. I just remember thinking "I'm thirty and it's gonna be momentous!"

At 40, I was remarried, had two beautiful babies and Ron took me to a restaurant on the bay near League City Texas where we had lobster, champagne and watched the sunset. This was when there was still a bit of romance in the marriage, so it was pretty sweet.

I know there were other great birthdays, but those are the ones that really stand out in my mind right now.

I am happy to be getting older, nearer retirement and grandchildren to play with and spoil as well as my two wonderful children, my sweet daughter-in-law and my soon-to-be born grandson's dad. I have the most amazing brother who is married to his best friend, who I call my sis-in-love. I miss Mom and Dad, but they left us a legacy of family, small that we may be, that is full of love and friendship. We are all so blessed!

So happy birthday to me. I hope I have many more so that I can continue to spend those days with my well-loved family!