When You FINALLY

after waiting for YEARS for that glorious moment when you turn FORTY..... whatever.....

But it was an excuse to have not ONE party - who would have only one party?!!?

Nope. I had TWO.

Nora was in charge of the decorations.

Sharon and Katie were in charge of looking opinionated and cynical.

Jeremy was in charge of being on time.... and of scavenging left-overs off of kids' plates for his dinner.

Susan and I were not at all interested in posing for pictures.

Really - it's hard to find more flattering pictures than these. Don't you think?
Preteens had secret chats...

The tv viewing was tremendously appropriate. (We think it was The Bachelor. And notice the volleyball net that the men were asked to assemble and put up. That took over 24 hours.)

Swim suits were optional.

The men were very helpful getting dinner ready in a timely manner.

Everyone wanted to see the presents!"Happy Birthday" was sung to me and Rose with a great amount of decorum.

Party Two was just as classy.

Fine dining in an elegant setting. (Notice the ribs arranged on Brent's plate.)

A serious mood filled the air.

I did NOT tease any children to tears.

The dress code was formal.

And minimum age requirements strictly enforced.

Matters of import were debated.

The men did their Top Gun Volleyball Scene renactment.

Good Sportsmanship abounded.

There was high-quality entertainment, too!

And, of course....

"Uhhh... I peed in the dining room."