More Birthday Celebrations!

This past weekend was my real birthday and it was full of celebrations.

First we headed into downtown Chicago on Friday to meet up with my sister and brother in law who flew in from Rochester.  I was SO happy to see them, especially since we know we won't be together for Christmas this year.
We went straight to the American Girl Place for Tia's big birthday present.  Her birthday is a month away but we promised her an American Girl doll this year, and since we were already downtown, we figured we'd get that out of the way (I told you we celebrate for weeks at a time!).

That's the one!

She couldn't have been more thrilled.  She kept saying "I'm a very lucky girl to be able to have one of these".  I'm glad she realizes that because more than one is out of the question unless she gets a part time job!

Then on Saturday was the BIG RACE.  I haven't written much about it but this year the Chicago Lung Run 5K, to benefit lung cancer treatment and research, was being held on my 40th birthday.  To me, that was a sure sign that I was meant to run that thing!  What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday.

Mommy's Cheerleaders!

I've been training for a few months and was determined to beat my time from 2 years ago when I first ran this race (that time was 45 minutes).  I'm pleased to announce that I blew that time right out of the water.
I  must say, turning 40 feels GREAT!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day...

My team!

#1 Sister

One last good luck kiss

One last good luck hug

Yup, I wore the birthday sash for the whole race!

We finished it together!

The girls were so excited to cross the finish line with me.  Gia kept saying "We won, we won!".
Don't pay attention to that clock on the right, that was for the 10K racers...my clock said 38 minutes but since it took me a minute to get to the starting line, my finish time was 37 minutes.  WAY better than the time from 2 years ago!
What a great day for a run, for a good cause.  I had a blast and couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday.
Later in the day we went on an architectural river boat tour.  That was a nice way to see our favorite city.  Here are a couple pictures from that...

Navy Pier

Hanging with Aunt Kimmie

Look Dad, Look!

My bestest sister!

Gotta' love Marilyn

I think I can now safely say that all the birthday celebrations have finally come to an end.  It's been one heck of a week!
Thanks to everyone who participated in helping me ring in this milestone year with a bang!

And the Birthday Celebrations Begin!

I've mentioned before that in my husbands family, birthdays are a big deal and are celebrated for extended periods of time.

When D.R. asked me a while back how I'd like to celebrate my 40th birthday, I told him I wanted to go into downtown Chicago for a weekend and run the annual Chicago Lung Run.  That's it, no party, no fancy dinner, just some family time in the city.
We've been planning the Chicago weekend for months now, even my sister is flying in for the occasion.  So imagine my surprise when I walked into our friends house and was greeted by a boisterous "SURPRISE!".

Apparently my friend Nilu and my adorable hubby have been secretly corresponding for a month, and planning a party.

Here are a few shots from the evening...

Tia chose the cake and design

adult drinky time!

That's the sneaky friend Nilu on the right!

Me and the secret-keeping hubby

It was a great time with lots of fun, laughter, and even games.  They did a fantastic job in all the planning and of course, keeping the secret.  I sure do have a great group of friends and a very thoughtful husband.

Turning 40 feels great!