some fun, old (and embarrassing photos)

These are photos from my birthday scrapbook, which is very possibly my favorite gift ever.




A friend I made while I was in Ireland. This was one of the Irish isles, Innishmoore, I believe. My dad loves this photos, because he is not sure who looks more uncertain.





I have always been a mermaid (with land legs, unfortunately), so it makes sense that I would want to learn how to scuba dive and snorkel so I could spend lots of time under water. This is from a christmas morning, when I was in early high school. Photographed with me is Baby, from the short-lived show, Dinosaurs. He had a string on his back, and if you pulled it, he would say things like "Not the Mama!" and "I'm the baby, gotta love me." For some reason, he cracked me up.






Oh the pants. The humiliation of seeing this pants. And the horror of the knotted shirt. And yet I am blogging about them. What is the internet for, if not to show off embarrassing moments? This was on a nighttime party cruise in Aruba. I went there with my parents after my high school graduation. I remember thinking how great I looked in that outfit. Ah, the wisdom that comes with hindsight....

Picture pages, picture pages

Some photos from the birthday cookout/gathering/party








Me and Mikki












Mikki and T











RM, me and Mik










RM, me, Tracy, Mik






















Me, as a silly dancing queen











The homeboys

30, Flirty and Thriving

Me, at my beach after my 30th birthday party

I had so much fun turning 30, it was really perfect in just about every way. The flight home was easy-peasy (an hour and a half, how cool is that?!). It was so short we didn't feel like we had been traveling at all.

Friday night, my parents gave me the best present they have ever given me -- they made me a scrapbook with pictures from the time I was a baby on up. This is huge. My mother is not someone who does creative projects. And she is not someone who makes homemade gifts, or generally appreciates them. She made a scrapbook for my aunt that came out excellent, and I just raved about how thoughtful it was, so she listened and made me one.

I can't describe how much I love it, how much I love that they put in all this time and effort, choosing the right pictures, the right layouts, the right accent decorations. I will treasure it always.

Saturday was the party, or cookout, or gathering, as I started calling it. I hate things where I am the center of attention, and I haven't had anything for my birthday, other than just my parents, since I was 16. But this was a lot of fun. Some of my closest friends were there. My parents and some longtime family friends, family on my mom's side.

While I obviously didn't get to spend as much time with everyone as I would have liked, it was great to see everyone all in one place. Seeing my friends again only served to remind me how much I miss them, but now I can get back to see most of them on a more regular basis.

Sunday was my actual birthday, and I spent it in such a perfectly me way. We went to my beach, I got to play in the water for a long time since it was really nice and comfortable. Tim even came in with me for a while. After the beach, I went up to the scuba shop to see my second family, the family I babysat for growing up, and then stopped in at another store to say hi to Bailey, their daughter.

It was fun and special and I will now always have great memories of turning 30. Can't wait to see what this new decade will bring!

Traveling!

We will be back in Mass tomorrow night, for the first time since Christmas, and we are both more than ready. One of the many cool parts: we only have a two hour flight to get there!!

Other cool parts: My parents are flying us up

We're having a cookout at my parents on Saturday, and I will get to see almost everyone I really care about all in one place.

I get to go to my beach, one of my favorite places in the world.

And oh yeah, I turn 30 on Sunday. That's not too bad either.