Royal Times

It was not my intentions to leave you hanging all week long. It has literally taken me the past couple of days to recover from the Bestest Birthday EVAH. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it was and how I will never forget it as long as I live. I will tell you what I told all the girls as I sat at my party Tuesday evening.

*paraphrasing*

"When a female puts a tiara on her head, her whole demeanor changes. It doesn't matter if it's plastic or real diamonds. You BECOME royal immediately. You stand up taller, you move with grace, and you have big hair." I wore that pink and silver plastic tiara all during the day with grace and style.

I have asked three of my girls to guest blog for the occasion. Carla was the mastermind behind it all. She is the Queen of Party Planning. Her parties are always researched and planned to the tiniest detail. When she told me months ago she was working on mine? I got ten kinds of excited because I knew girlfriend was going to make it a day to go down in history. She did not disappoint. I am blown away by her thoughtfulness and love. She had some partners in crime who just make my heart squeeze with joy to know them.

And now I present my girls, the ones who make my life so good here in Georgia!!!

Carla:

Internets, this is Carla. I am guest blogging for Hope's big day. I had ideas for her day months beforehand... We were going to kidnap her at midnight for a breakfast to start her day...but I thought better of not telling her. I knew she would be in the bed and NOT answer the door. Dulcie, Megan and I met over at Hope's house close to midnight and we all rode with Debbie in the Suburban(along with Jaime and Donna). We are mostly big girls so it was a tight fit seeing as how there were 7 of us in it!!!!!!!!LOL Half of us didn't even wear our seatbelts. We met Jordy at Waffle House. The 8 of us had such a great time. We laughed so hard and just cut up constantly. The waitress actually thought we had been drinking. We told her NO that this was just a FUN group of girls! LOL And to make it more fun...we were all in pajamas. Some were even in slippers. We were definitely a sight to see. Some of us ordered breakfast but Dulcie and I ordered hashbrowns ALL THE WAY. Dulcie's stomach still hasn't forgiven me I don't think. But, I must have a stomach of iron because I didnt have any problems. LOL

Our Walmart trip(at 2:00 a.m.) to get Hope some toilet paper turned into almost an hour of running all over the store looking at different things and taking tons of pictures in various poses. Dulcie, our resident photographer, has enough pictures on us to blackmail us for YEARS to come.

I had presents made up for her to open all day long starting at 8am and going every two hours until the party. I even made her take them with her to run errands so she would be on time. I think I had as much fun watching her open them as she did opening them.

Our evening party was a hoot. We were all wearing pink boas and of course Hope had her Tiara on. She even had pageant hair to go with it. She was beautiful as usual. We played a few games and just cut up again. At one time when we were all there, it was a party of 12 with one big dog. My house was full to say the least. Our first game we had to go around the room and describe our first kiss and our worst kiss....I won't name names but this one had us laughing for sure!

Hope, you are my best friend...and a true friend. I hope you had a blessed day. I had such fun planning this for you. I have cherished our friendship over the last year more than you will ever know... it saved me from a year of depression I swear! I tried to show you with your "royal day". I love you girl!

Next we have Miss Emily. She and Dulcie kept the cameras flashing for sure!

Thoughts from the Bartender...

What a pleasure it was to spend the evening with Miss Hope. I say evening because I wasn't able to partake in the midnight or noon festivities. Blame it on two things - #1, this whole single parent gig I'm in the middle of courtesy of the Navy, and #2 - a little thing I affectionately refer to as, "The 24 Georgia Bug from h-e-double hockey sticks!" So thanks to a good nap in the afternoon, followed by some chicken noodle soup and a few glasses of Cherry 7Up, I was good to go! Heck, I HAD to be there...what would the party-goers drink if I wasn't in attendance? Probably just some plain old punch. Pitiful.

I got to Carla's house early. Bout 4pm. I walked into the land of pretty pretty princess. There was so much pink a 6 year old would be jealous. All this for a lady who is turning how old?? Hmmm.. I hope she's worth it!

And she is!

Once the guests started arriving, it was all good from there. We laughed, we wore pink boas, we ate, we giggled. Just a bunch of good ol' fashioned girl time. And I must say for all of us...it was much needed!

I served up some pink deliciousness (not too much, Hope's Mama. We're all too old, with kids who wake up at early hours of the morning), and we got to gabbing some more. Finally, it was time for PRESENTS! Now if you're coming from SWC - not those kinda presents, real ones...that you purchase and wrap up in pretty paper. You with me?

I had to save mine for toward the end cause I knew Hope was looking forward to it just that much. I had her a purse made. Designed specifically for her. Throw in some pineappley swag for her house? She was good. I'd like to say my gifts were the creamo-of-the-croppo, but dang! Miss Hope made out good. She sure scored some high quality stuff!

My favorite part of the night was this, though....

No, it wasn't the laughter. It wasn't the drinks. It wasn't the good food. It wasn't even the pink feather boa that will be put to good use la-ter!

It was watching Hope with tears in her eyes as she thanked all of us from the bottom of her heart. It was feeling tears come to my own eyes as she talked of her first year in Georgia and how different things are for her now. It was knowing that she's here...and she's happy.

I looked around the room and saw a smile on every single woman's face. We all knew exactly how Hope was feeling because we've all been there. We've all been "the new person" in town. We've all been forced to make new friends. We've all been pushed and prodded out of our comfort zones. And we've all...succeeded.

Here we sat in the comfort of friends. Here we sat celebrating one heck of a woman. Here we sat so thankful that she's a part of our lives.

Yes, it was one great night.

Hope - this is just for you... I am so thankful that you are here in Georgia. God knew what he was doing when he pulled you away by the heels from your house in South Carolina. God knew that you had work that needed to be done here. God knew that after a lonely season your first year here, you'd have your pants blessed off by so many friends! God knew that you'd now be so busy you couldn't even see straight. God knew that He was leading you to another place you could call home. God knew that you would make some friends you'd be honored enough to call family. God knew that you'd be happy. He just knew it. Don't ever doubt it for a second, girl. All this that you have right here? God knew it was just what you needed. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life. Thank you for sharing your life and the lives of your family with me. I'm honored to call you friend, but I'm even more honored to call you family.

See? I am just blessed. I will come back and add a word or two from Dulcie. Her Mama is ill at the moment and all her focus is on her. As it should be. Thoughts for her would greatly appreciated.

Now come pictures. I love pictures. I'm not happy with how I look in them, but that can't be helped. I am what I am right now. Remodeling is coming up on the body of Miss Hope (saving that for a future post).

So, getting past what I look like...or don't look like....what I am?

Is happy.

Miss Mandi, maker of all cakes that are good, made this beauty. And it was really really good.

Now how many people on this Earth can say they've opened presents at the Waffle House at midnight on their birthday in pajamas while wearing a tiara? I thought so.

That had to be a scary site..seeing this group of gals walk in with nightclothes on. In the middle of the night. I know the old guy working had to think we were up to no good. Look at Miss Hope in the middle turning back to wave. My foot kicks up with flair no matter what time it is. I swear it was the tiara!