Catching Up December: My Birthday Celebrations With Friends

After my birthday I had 3 little get-togethers with friends that were kind enough to want to celebrate with me. (All of these photos were taken with my iPhone.)

The day after my birthday my sister and 2 other sweet friends took me to a delicious Italian restaurant called Bucca di Beppo. They made me feel so special... and thankfully, they shared this piece of birthday cake with me. :) (The day before, on my real birthday, Cooper had been very upset that I didn't have a birthday cake, so I was sure to take this photo for him.)

My niece, Claire, wrote on my birthday card that her mommy brought to me. This is the first time that I have seen my aunt-name written by one of my nieces or nephews... and the first time that she wrote it! I LOVE it! See? It says "MIMI". And don't miss the giraffe with spots on the left side. (She is such a cutie!)

A few nights later a couple of other friends took me to Starbucks for a cookie and coffee and some great conversation. I love those 2 gals a ton!

Then, the next week a friend took me to La Madeline for dinner... and I like I said on Facebook, it was a hat-day, and she loved me in spite of it! My wonderful friend gave me two mugs to go with my Fiestaware collection, and I adore them!

It's funny, as I get older I find that I value small gatherings of my loved ones so much! I love the feeling of getting to know my friends on a deeper level and them getting to know me that way too. So, these small gatherings of friends were a perfect match for me this year. I am so very thankful for my girlfriends and the relationships that we share! They are all so individualized and personal, and I can see the way that God has used them to fill in my life like pieces of a puzzle. Each one unique and meeting a different need. God has blessed me with a very special gift of authentic, deep relationships, and that is one of the best birthday gifts ever!