A Little P.P.D.

(post party details)

Turning 55 is hard work! Who knew??

Seriously, I had an amazing fun weekend celebrating with some of the best people ever put on this earth and I lived up to my name, Rockin' Robyn, but this morning, I am dragging!! Blame it on too many nights of insomnia, too much sugar and embracing life at warp speed, but my gosh, rolling out of bed this morning just wasn't happening! I got hubby off to work and tumbled back into my bed! ( disclosure: it's after lunch, I have not walked today and I am still in my jammies!) It's all good though. I am just leaning back and reliving the moments of fun.

To begin, this is the invitation we came up with for my party... 

(identifying info has been removed for protection)

Keeping with the 1950's theme...

 my friend and her hubby who were hosting had Bruce and I and my sister and her husband 

join them for dinner before the party...

I would have LOVED to have found a "June Cleaver" style dress or something else that was 50's but the closest I came was this awesome leopard print jacket!!

My friend Wendy took special care for decorations 

and my sister was a big help in the kitchen the night of the party.

When the guests arrived we played a couple of fun games... the first was actually almost a little stressful!! My sister had everyone tell how they knew me and what their first impression was when they met me!! 

Oh. My. 

The the tables were turned and I had to tell all my beloved friends what my first impression was of all of them! It was really very fun and very affirming but it was a lot of brain work trying to remember some stuff!!

In between snacking and yakking, we also passed around a jar with questions in them, taken from the Ungame. These are leading questions designed to inspire good conversation as well as help you learn more about your circle of friends! I love this game! We also tried to hula hoop... but we decided the hula hoops were defective, because none of us could get them to stay up around our hips!!

Then, I opened my gifts--- which I have to say, I am like a kid in a candy store about presents!! 

Maybe gifts is one of my love languages. 

Saturday's party was, to me, a huge success and I loved every minute of it and came away feeling very loved, very cherished, very affirmed. At one point I looked around the room at all these loving faces and said "I am rich. I am blessed. And every single one of you in this room is going to be in Heaven with me some day! That is totally awesome!!" 

What more could a birthday girl ask for? 

Sunday, the ACTUAL day of my birth, we attended church, came home for a quick lunch, headed to my mom's and then with her along, went to our son and daughter-in-law's annual Christmas open house,  what they call their "Jingle Mingle". 

Our very creative daughter in law, set up a little photo station where we could play with an assortment of props for picture taking. Oh, we had a lot of fun with that!

After the Jingle Mingle (don't you just love the name?) We took my mom back to her place and she gave us a little tour of all the Christmas decorations on display there. Pretty! 

Intermixed with all this fal~de~ral was several phone calls from friends and family (including my grandkids) and the lovely facebook birthday greetings and wishes. Love it!

Then... finally... it was Date Night for the Love-Burkes!  Bruce took me to dinner at a fairly new eatery in town. Its in a location of a former restaurant that was one of my favorite places to go and I was sad when it closed. Having a new restaurant there meant, we had to go check it out! It is right on the waterfront and in the summer this is a delightful place to visit. We warmed up with some delicious hot buttered rum while waiting for our dinner. Good food and I saved room for dessert...   salted caramel topping on a butterscotch flavored creme brulee. I DIE!!!

Yes, between the cupcakes and cocoa puffs and all the other delectables on Saturday, a good score of chocolate in the middle of Sunday followed by a decadent dinner and dessert, I really shouldn't be SKIPPING MY WALK TODAY!!! But, I guess a recovery day is needed, so I'm taking it. 

Thank you THANK YOU to all my family and friends who made my birthday week such a memorable one.  God is good. 

Welcome to Burke's Cafe; a real hole-in-the-wall establishment

Recipe for laughter and fun: Take 5 couples of all ages and various stages of life, add a potluck supper and misc. board games and mix well. Serve with lots of laughter in an open room. 

Last night we were able to do something we have talked and talked and talked about doing. Something we could NOT have done a week ago. We invited some friends over for a potluck supper and game night and watched the crowd spill across the room from dining to living room with ease. That hole in the wall made it possible.

In the past we would have been divided up between rooms making real connections between the couples more challenging. In times past we would not have invited that many people to our home!

well, Okay, we might have had our family over and that would have been a large crowd and at that point the walls dividing some of us would have been needed and much appreciated. LOL.

"no matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best"

 I like that we could even set up a card table for some folks and still feel connected to the group around the dining room table.

serious chatter happening here

 And even with everyone congregating in one area, it didn't feel tight and claustrophobic.

After dinner it was into the living room for a rousing game of Taboo.

Good times. Good people.