Crystal Turns 30!

On Saturday, we gathered as a tribe under the giant blue and white umbrellas, as has hopefully become our new tradition.  Crystal was turning 30, in case you hadn't heard and we were ready to celebrate!  

We had a great time eating, laughing, and eating some more.  This was the first time we had met some of Crystal's girls from work and I believe that we bonded beautifully!  (I don't think you can help it when you are all cut from the same cloth!)  Mo-Mo the Magnificient brought plenty of hats for the birthday girl to wear (see previous post) and provided lots of entertainment as she danced and tried to convince the jerks in the band to let Crys sing with them!

I think it's safe to say that I good time was had by all!

On Sunday, we gathered at Crystal's parents, as per our usual tradition.  Since officially Crys is a "Yankee Doodle Dandy," we come together not to celebrate the birth of our country, but the birth of the woman we all know and love!  This year, the aunties brought something to make things a bit more celebratory. 

Here we are, birthday crowns and all.  We've been friends now for more than 10 years, believe it or not.  Why God would see fit to connect three stubborn, strong personalitied girls and have them sing together all this time I will never know.  I will also always be thankful!

Of course, there was another trio that wanted to get in on the act.  They've been together a bit longer than 10 years, but they are pretty, pretty princesses too!

If you read both our blogs you may remember that Crystal had a very specific birthday cake request.  Her youngest brother made sure that she got exactly what she wanted! 

"Look!  It's actually a triple decker!"  This cake was massive and rich (and I'm a girl who rarely ever says something like that about a dessert)!  But I will also say that there wasn't any of it left at the end of the day!

After all the food and the swimming and whatnot, we usually head into town to watch the fireworks!  Now in our town, they shoot off the display from the grandstand at the park.  This means that the best way to watch the fireworks is to sit in the cemetery.  You'd think it would actually be a little creepier than it actually is.  By the time we headed that way we had multiplied into quite a good size group and spread out into two full comforters and a bunch of lawn chairs.  We whooped and hollered and laughed (way to go, Skippy the fireworks captain!), and it gave me a chance to play with some settings on my camera I hadn't ever tried.  This is the night setting.

And this is the fireworks setting!  We were a a long way off, so I am pretty impressed! 

It was a great weekend, one of those golden ones you only get now and again.  I'd say that the 30s are going to be pretty awesome, Crys!  I can't wait to see where the next 10 years take us all!  (Of course, some of us won't be 30 for another year, so you will have to wait for me to catch up for the real fun to start!)