Blowing out the candles on another birthday cake

Wednesday we celebrated my birthday... and MAN, was it awesome!

Read My Best Days Are Ahead of Me Lyrics here.

"Blowing out the candles on another birthday cake

Old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes

Young enough to look at the future and like what I see

My best days are ahead of me "

I woke up to Mike singing the birthday song (by the Beatles, a Guenther family tradition)... and got the world's sweetest gift from him... not one, but two photo sessions with Sara Turner of S. Turner Photos. She is an amazingly talented photographer and we are SO EXCITED!

Of course he put some pictures similar to this one...

Not EXACTLY what we're going for... but makes me smile. We are doing a maternity photo session with her first, to document this special time in our lives. AND a newborn shoot once the little monkey gets here.

So, once I got off the phone with Mike... I heard a gunshot downstairs. Okay, not really a gunshot, more like a popping balloon... Kerry and Brad surprised me with the Birthday Sign and Balloons! The birthday sign is another family tradition, that should never be overlooked, even if the one you have is falling to pieces- ours is up EVERY birthday! We made plans to go to Bonefish for dinner- Bang, Bang Shrimp= absolutely amazing!

Work was fun too- though no one should have to work on their birthday! :) We went to Carolina Ale House to watch the end of the World Cup game- GO USA!

After work I met Daddy, Kerry and Brad at home and all went out to dinner. Bonefish was PACKED... but totally worth the wait! Mom couldn't make it because she is in Rhode Island with Buddy- but we had an awesome time and know she was there in spirit!

Mom and Dad got me a gift certificate to My Island Spa- YAY! Love to get the piggies painted! No seriously, if this baby was a girl, I might name her "Jennifer" after my favorite girl at the spa. She is amazing. And with the feet swollen to look like sausages, at least they look pretty!

And Kerry and Brad gave us two tickets to .............

!! YAY!! September 23rd at Koka Booth in Cary... I'm so excited! Mike and I both REALLY wanted to go, but debated spending the money on the tickets... Now all we need is a babysitter... Mom? Dad?

(p.s. minor freakout... I am a babysitter...

I'm not old enough to have my own child who needs a babysitter!!

I think I'll stay 29 forever.. thanks.)

Our first baby is THREE!

Today we celebrate Cinco de LuLu! Our LuLu Belle Clifton is three years old!

For those of you who don't know, we adopted LuLu when she was about three months old. Her mom was chained up to a car in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. She had 8 brothers and sisters who were given to all of the people who lived on her street. The nice family who was taking care of her was moving into government housing and couldn't take her with them. Shaun and Erin to the rescue! They sent us the picture below... and we fell in LOVE! Her name was "Kisses" and though we changed that in a hurry- she certainly is a lover girl!

We named her LuLu on our drive home from Shaun and Erins. (Back story: At DJ's ranch there was a cool chimpanzee named LuLu Belle, pictured below.) So when we drove by the Charlotte restaurant LuLu, we both loved it and LuLu she became!

The original LuLu

Lu has brought SO much fun, joy and good memories to our lives. Thank you Shaun and Erin for helping to bring LuLu into her forever home!