Forty & Fabulous

So today I celebrate my 40th birthday!

Everyone keeps asking me if I feel old but honestly I don’t…until you ask. LOL My wonderful family & some pretty sneaky friends threw me a surprise party and made many of my pinterest dreams come true but I will share their wonderful party skills later. Lauryn was asked to come up with 40 life events to put on a board and said she struggled a bit with this so I thought I would share he first 10 today.

1. Summer 1972 – No I wasn’t born but apparently I cut short a fun family camping trip out West while still in my mother’s belly. My mom and oldest sister flew back home to Florida while the rest of the family drove back.

2. December 17 1972 – This would be the day of my birth

3. August 1977 – I started kindergarten and my teacher was Mrs. Bellhorn. This was extra special because she taught both my brothers and my sisters.

4. September 1978 – My first piano lesson at Rollins College. My teacher, Mrs. Hunting, burst in the room and without looking up blurted out something about redheads being mean (she was a redhead). What she didn’t know was that sitting at one of the pianos in the back was an extremely shy redheaded girl.

5. 1978-1979 – We would drive up to my grandparents house in Waynesville, NC and I would play with Bonnie, the girl next door. She had a strong southern accent; a cat named Pepper and a dog named Bern-a-de-atte (can you hear the twang?)

6. Summers – Every year our family spend a week or two at New Symrna Beach. We lived 45 minutes away but I swear it would take forever to finally get there!

7. Summer 1981 – My siblings were much older and beach vacation often ended up being mom and I there the whole week while everyone else popped in and out based on work and school schedules. This included my dad. This one trip we had bought a yellow Hawaiian Punch inflatable raft to ride the waves and dad took me out as far as I dared and we spent the afternoon riding the waves.

8. 1983-1986 – Joined the Jackson Heights Middle School band and played the clarinet

9. September 1986 – I gave my mom a black eye! Yup you read right. I was in 8th grade and I  accidentally hit her in the face with a tennis racket.

10. 1986 – I can’t remember which month but in 8th grade I was Student of the Month.