Then

The very first birthday I remember celebrating was at Peppermint Park in Houston.
Goofy thrill-less rides that screamed the 1970's.

I'm pretty sure my mother sewed this same pantsuit for me.



Then there was my 7th birthday, and I had the most beautiful Cinderella cake with delicious purple icing.
We will skip over the beating I got that night...thank you, father of the year (sarcasm).




Then there was my 13th birthday when my mother took me and a friend to Galveston and we were determined to lay out.  Ignoring the water spout over the water, we coated up with Coppertone and laid on our towels...within 5 minutes we literally looked like glazed cinnamon sugar covered donuts courtesy of water spouts, wild winds, sand, and Coppertone.




Then there was my 16th birthday, where I received my first dozen of roses...again thank you, Mommie Dearest and a cake in the shape of a foot accompanied with brown coconut for toe hairs, thanks to the BFF.
P.S. (I hate feet).

I couldn't bare to put a foot cake photo up here.

Then there was my 30th  birthday, where I danced on a table at Joe's Crab Shack, followed by a night of dancing at Polyesters where I met the Canadian Snow Angels, their version of our Blue Angels and a beautiful guy who looked like George Clooney when he smiled, and who I ended up dating for the Summer. I broke up with him in a Shakespeare poem.
HEY! Don't judge me, it was my first year as an English teacher.

Pilots and Shakespeare Geeks Rule!

Then along came the 40th birthday, I spent it laying next to my grandmother in her hospital bed while she talked about random things, not really sure if she knew it was my birthday, but in my heart I knew it would be the last one I would get to spend with her.

I soaked it up and still cherish every minute of that night with her.



Then today I turned 43. I have survived the past 11 months with severe depression after a breakup with sociopath, lost my home involving a flood during a drought, attempted to get pregnant for almost a year and still not a parent (yet), gained almost 50 lbs, returned to apartment life, and am now looking to change careers.

And you know what? I think this is one of the best birthdays ever.