I am 40 years old today!!!

Wow!!

I am 40 years old yesterday!

This feels huge to me!

Huge, and super good.

I am no longer young, but I'm sure not old.

I am the PERFECT age!!

Half my life might be over......

Look at how much I have learned.

Think of the totally dumb and pathetic mistakes

  I will never make again!

I am better than that!

I am a mature, spicy, sassy, fun lady who has

learned a thing or two....

dang it.

I'm 40 and I know it!!!

I feel liberated some how....I don't know why....but I do.

I popped out of bed yesterday at 5:00am....

so excited for my day.

No particular reason except for 

that.... I'M 40 TODAY!

My sweet heart is still out of the country,

so I knew this would probably be a pretty mellow B-day,

but that's ok.

I get to get up and go work out with some of my 

favorite people.  

I had worked the previous night to get a tough Brazilian Butt

workout put together.

I was ready to get out there and kick some hinney!

When I got to Gleason and parked

it was just Barb and I,

not unusual for she and I to be early.

I got out and started rounding up my gear,

grabbed the high heeled shoes Tina asked me to bring so she could 

borrow them,

and went over to greet Barb.

Good morning Melissa!

Hi there.

I am going to kid nap you and take you away.

We will not be working out here today.

What?

NOOOOOOO....You are kidding me!

Nope, I am not kidding.

Get in the car, and let me put this blindfold on you.

Oh my gosh!!

This is soooooo very crazy and 

I AM OUT OF MY MIND EXCITED!!!

I am crazed with delight.

I knew my girl friends would not forget me on my birthday.

I pictured having a little cup of oj, maybe some Choffy,

a Birthday jingle and I would have been totally happy with that.

But this!!!

THIS was truly unexpected.....AND I did not know what to expect!

Barb is winding here and there,

trying to throw me off the scent....

she is feeding me one fake clue after another. 

I am taking it in and getting pumped.

She said we would not be working out here.....

so what location....?

hmmmmmm.

Barb comes to a stop.

She says we are at 711 and she needs to get something and I 

will be coming in with her.

OK boss.

Lead me well dear friend.

She takes my hand and we gingerly walk forward,

my other hand out....

 searching......

searching?

 for what?  

walls, or random trees that

may "happen" to be in my path.

I couldn't help it.

We come to a door and it opens,

 Loud, exciting music pours out .....

I am shaking with anticipation.

I am pretty sure I know exactly where we are at!!

Barb removes my blindfold.

And it is TRUE!!

A beautiful, wonderful group of my sweet friends are all

lined up by their very own poles.

WE ARE AT "FLIRTY FITNESS"!!

shhhhh...don't tell anyone.

Tina asked me way back what I'd like to do on my Big 

4.   0.

I said I don't know....

something fun and crazy....

Wouldn't it be a blast to go to flirty fitness?!

A few of the girls were NOT on board.

 They said NO WAY.

They would not be caught dead in that cheap place

(maybe not those exact words, but same meaning).

Me, T, and maybe Barb were like,

 you guys are n.u.t.s.

Anyway, it was dropped, swept under the rug.

..........UNTIL TODAY!

I could not believe my eyes!

I was so touched at my friends thoughtfulness.

Even my friends that said they would never set foot in this place,

were there.

They made an exception for ME.

I dropped my stuff and ran around for hugs, and to share the thrill of it all.

 I can't think of what to compare it to....

it was better than a kid in a candy store.

WAY better than a kids first time at Disney....

all I know is I could not hold in my 

shrieks of joy and dancing.

They donned my head with my royal paper crown,

and pinned my loud and proud 

40 badge on me.

We were ready for our first lesson.

What a good sport the owner was.

She gets a call from T, asking her if she would please open

at 5:00am for a session.

??????

It is a new place, so I am sure she wanted to be extra 

accommodating, so she said sure.

What alcohol would you like to drink?

Oh, no thanks, we don't drink.

???????

All righty.

I put on my high heels....the ones Tina had me bring for her.

I should have known T would never borrow my shoes.

I had told her my feet were bigger than hers, 

but she said that in fact, no, lately she had been 

wearing a bigger size.

I am thinking,

geeeee that is pretty sad, having your feet growing like crazy.

Plus, I know T better than that,

she would NEVER wear a shoe that did not belong to her.

Anyway, she was very convincing.

 Fun.

Fun to see everyone looking ridiculous.

Looking sassy, and attempting something we had never done before,

and likely will never do again.

Looking like they were having a great time....well, maybe 

it was still a little tough on one or two of us.

But over all, it was hands down

THE   B E S T,  most memorable, 

Birthday of my LIFE!!

After our fitness lesson,

we ate a YUMMY breakfast of baked oatmeal, made 

by Christi.....oh how delicious it was with whip cream,

blueberries, and strawberries...

Recipe us now!!

OJ and Choffy as well.

Somehow we didn't end up with utensils.....

who cares!

 Luckily the owner had a few chop sticks,

a knife, we found a few random plastic forks, and one of us used the 

serving spoon.

It was just that much more scrumptious because of the effort 

to get it in our mouths.

I feel so very blessed.

These pictures don't lie.  There were quite a few naturals.

Show offs!

Wish I was in that group,

but no.

But I was in the whole group, laughing, letting go of a few

inhibitions....

because WHY NOT.....I'm 40!!

It is now or never baby!

This is the time of our lives.....lets enjoy it today!

You girls look after me so very well in Kevin's absence.

Thank you.

Back Row:

Stacey (Bishops wife, and primary secretary), Brandi (amazing interior designer and fashionista), 

me (I'm 40), Karen (Ethan's seminary teacher), Vanessa (beautiful mother of 7, and performer/singer extraordinaire), Sonia (has her Doctorate (correct me if I am saying that wrong), and works at NASA,

for the space program for crying out loud!!, she sets off rockets!, 2nd counselor in the primary)

Front Row: 

Maria (Choffy sista, and fitness Zumba superstar, I am sure you can't tell), 

Tina (Choffy Boss, has 57 distributors under her!!! PTO President, 1st Counselor in the primary, 

and is way too generous a person), Christie (Social worker, horse owner, ward missionary, marathoner), 

Barb ( Some kind of very important therapist, for children, busy also with PTO,

pole super star, and kid knapper!)

I love you guys!

I will just call you the dream makers from now on!

Get a load of this shot.

This last picture is so much my favorite.

Can I possibly look any more happy? 

Heck....

I'm 40 years old today.

I have so much good ahead of me.

I am blessed beyond measure.

With a Birthday like this,

and K coming home tonight....

how can life get any better?