The Big 4-0

As far back as I can remember, as soon as I heard going on trips for your 40th birthday was a "thing", I made the unequivocal decision that for MY 40th birthday I WOULD be going on a trip.  Come hell or high water.  With my husband, with my family, with my friends, or by myself - that wasn't as important - what mattered was that I would be on a trip.  A bucket list trip, preferably.  This is the moment to splurge.

So, as you can imagine, I was beyond ecstatic when Matt and I booked a dreamy Bora Bora vacation for my 40th.  Complete with a stay in one of those overwater bungalows with the glass floors so you can see the fish swimming under you (thanks to Mom and Dad's birthday gift).  HUGE bucket list trip, in the most amazingingly romantic location in the world, with the man I love most in the world - what could go wrong?  Enter:  COVID 19.  UGH.  

So instead of Bora Bora, I had Lake Foresta Lake Foresta, while still in shelter-in-place Phase 3.  Disappointing, yes, but in the grand scheme of things - no biggie.  I feel certain I will get there someday.

And Matt went so out of his way to make sure that my alternate birthday was as special as it could possibly be, given the circumstances.  My family and friends made me feel very special.  I got so many calls and emails and texts.  I felt very loved.  Thank you to everyone!!  I am the luckiest 40 year old I know!

Matt decorated the house and bought me these gorgeous flowers

Birthday gift from both Kristin and Katie - great minds think alike!  I love them!

Took the day off of work and it was a perfect day

Morning coffee and alfresco breakfast in the sunshine

Canoe trip - TRADITION!

Didn't quite avoid that downed tree, sorry Matt!

Picnic lunch

Time for Mom to sit back and relax

And Claire apparently!  Ha!

Matt and the kids gave me this gorgeous bracelet that has birthstones for Luke and Claire (and Matt, since he and Claire are born in the same month) along with diamonds.  I love it!  I'm one lucky 40 year old, that's for sure!

Super special takeout dinner of Alaskan King Crab Legs

Super special Atomic Cake, all the way from Downers Grove, gift from Donna and Emil.  My favorite!!

Matt cranked up the pool heater to be the temperature of a hot tub

Bob Chinn's Famous Mai Tai's

I invited my two dear friends, Kate and Rebecca, to socially distance celebrate with me in the hot-tub-pool

Matt was so sweet and made me a Bora Bora slide show video that he had looping on the projector screen, and there was tropical music playing and we had tropical drinks.  It was amazing!

The next day at work my team had a Zoom birthday party for me where my friend Jacob did a tutorial on how to make the perfect Mojito

Everyone put their tropical backgrounds on and sang me happy birthday, it was really nice of them, we had a lot of laughs.