Forty is Fab With Four to Go

Moving isn't the only thing that's been keeping me busy the last few months. Two things that were on my list of things to do to celebrate turning 40 have been going on as well.

Round 1, Game 1, April 20th against the Lakers

In April, my BFF and I started going to all the NBA home playoff games for our beloved San Antonio Spurs and watching all the away games as well. It's all Spurs all the time right now and it is so exciting, because the Spurs are officially the Best in the West, having won the Western Conference last Monday night! They will face either the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals starting June 6th.

When I fangirl, I fangirl hard.

The Spurs have been to and won the Finals four times previously (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007), but it's been six long years since their last title win. It is so amazing that they have made it back and that we've been a part of it, at games in person! I am praying they win it all and would love for the deciding game to be at home-it would be amazing to be there!

My favorite part of the experience is not just the games and the winning, although I love that! It's the ritual of driving to the games early with my friend, parking in Lot 4, grabbing a bite to eat somewhere in the AT&T Center, catching up with other people we know, watching all the players warm up, hearing some amazing performances of the national anthem, enjoying the hoopla surrounding the Spurs introductions, alternately cursing, cheering, and dancing throughout the game, getting bottomless soda refills and deciding what to stress-eat in the second half (popcorn, cotton candy, or regular candy), walking elatedly to our car after a win, and listening to post-game sports talk while dissecting the game on the way home. We only have a few games left to enjoy it for this year (Four to Go!) and I'm starting to miss it a little already, but I'm hoping for a wonderful winning end to the experience. Go Spurs Go!

View from our seats in the second row of the upper level.

In the midst of all the Spurs fun, my actual birthday arrived and I threw together a small birthday party at our house in about two weeks' time, once I figured out when our Spurs games were going to be. It was actually fantastic, as the Spurs won the semi-finals just after midnight ON my birthday, we had the party the next day, and then the first game of the Western Conference Finals was the following day and the Spurs won that game too. So much Spurs goodness! But, back to the party...

J worked hard all week putting lights up in our trees overhanging the deck, mowing the grass, and generally cleaning up the yard and deck for the party. I ordered Tex Mex food from my favorite restaurant and a cake from my favorite bakery and invited my three girlfriends to come over with their families. I bought bubbles for all the kids and pulled some of Sophie's toys outside for entertainment purposes. We set up the food inside, but we ate on our tables outside. I also made margaritas for the first time probably since Sophie was born and everyone seemed to enjoy them!

I have great friends.

 

And we all have great kids.

 

Love these ladies.

Thank goodness Sophie didn't make J put 40 candles on the cake-this was enough!

 

Sweet girl helped me blow them out!

Party deck!

Many years of friendship in this picture.

I had originally thought about having a much bigger party, but in the end, the size of the party was perfect. I felt like I got to talk to everyone, the kids played great together, and it was relaxed and chill.

On my actual birthday-getting my glam on with Sophie at the kiddie salon.

Forty has been pretty fabulous so far (my boss even arranged for all my client teams to serenade me on the :40 mark of each hour when we celebrated my birthday at work!). Looking around at my party, I just felt happy and blessed to have such good friends, to live in our new house, and to have such a sweet family. And since I'm lucky enough to have all of that in my life, I made the same wish when I blew out candles on two different birthday cakes this year. And based on the rest of this post, you can probably guess what I wished for. :)

Let's do this Spurs! Go Spurs Go!