The Big 3-0

Well the inevitable has come and gone. I turned 30 on June 18th. I'm not the least bit sad about entering a new decade and leaving my twenties behind. Hopefully I've gained some widsom and maturity to go along with those few extra pounds that have creeped up on me. :) So, what to do when one enters a new decade....throw a party, of course! We invited all of our friends (30 or so in total!) over to help both Keith and me celebrate our birthdays. Much food and fun was enjoyed by all, not to mention the sizable dent put into our keg and wine collection. That's a sign of a good party.


And that was not my first party of the season. My girlfriends threw a surprise party in my honor two weeks ago at a great local restaurant called Passion. I was truly shocked, as I was led to believe I was just going to dinner with one girlfriend. I certainly would have spiffed it up a bit more had I known. But that's all part of the fun. We ate, drank, laughed, and ate some more. It was a blast. I'm thankful to have such thoughtful friends.

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes this year. Let the 30's begin!!!

Busch Gardens Adventure!

Today we took Will on his first visit to Busch Gardens today. Aunt Jill even came along for the fun. It was so great! They opened a new Sesame Street Forest of Fun play area so we hit that first. Will rode a few rides and played in the water fountains. Then Elmo, Big Bird, Zoe, Abby, and Grover came out and did a musical show before walking through the Forest of Fun to meet and greet. Will was hilarious! As soon as he saw them, he ran over and started hugging the characters. It was so cute. He had the most excited expression on his face; he was a hug monster. He just kept going from one to the other hugging. He was in heaven!

We also arranged to take Will to a special lunch with Elmo and Friends. The food was okay (very good Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes!) but the visits from the characters more than made up for that mediocre food. We saw another show with Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, and Cookie Monster. Then they all came around to the tables to meet us, sing and dance, take pics, and even sign autographs. Again, Will was thrilled. It was the best money we've spent; we have never seen him happier. The Sesame Street gang are like his best friends!

We also rode a few other rides and played some games before heading home. Will went all day without a nap and held up pretty well. We kept anticipating a major meltdown but that didn't happen until the ride home. Bedtime an hour early and we'll be back to normal tomorrow. If you're ever in this area and have small people who enjoy Sesame Street, Busch Gardens is the way to go!