The best is yet to come

Think the fun is over once you hit 30? It might actually be quite the opposite! A recent survey came out stating that 33 is the happiest age of your life. The survey was conducted by the British social networking site Friends Reunited and has been all over the news. I found it very interesting and was excited that my best years are likely still to come! Click here to see the original press release.

Are you quickly approaching your 30th or 33rd birthday and need help planning your upcoming birthday? Here are a few party planning/entertaining websites for some inspiration. 

Another year older

While I’ve been away from the blog last month, I’ve entered into the final year of my twenties. So far, I’m about a month into the year leading up to the big one, and I have a feeling that this is going to be a really wonderful year. I’m hoping to try new things, make new friends (and grow deeper in my current friendships and relationships), explore new places, learn, grow, take chances and just live life and enjoy everything that God blesses me with or teaches me along the way.

To kick start this new year for me, the day after my actual b-day, my husband and I, along with two other couples from our Sunday School class (the “Johnsonses” – both with the same last name “Johnson” but not related), took a day trip south to Big D…Dallas, Texas. It’s where I’ve lived the third longest, first being Edmond, Oklahoma (my hometown); second is Waco, Texas (college); and then Dallas, Texas (internship)…so, I have a little bit of Texan in me.

What did we do while we were in the Lone Star state? All the things we can’t do in Oklahoma and I never did while I lived in Dallas, like…

Waiting in line 25 minutes in the big daddy of all drive-thru lines to get a cheeseburger at In-N-Out Burger.

Then, heading over to the cupcake place that started the whole cupcake craze…Sprinkles! The red velvet was fab, but I needed someone to roll me out of there after stuffing myself to the gills. 

So, we had to work off all the calories and sugar by going ice skating in the Galleria.

To finish off the evening, what else than Medieval Times! An interesting experience, but unfortunately our knight was the first to be defeated..boo, yellow knight.

Overall, it was a fun birthday experience with many “firsts” checked off the list! In-N-Out Burger…check, Sprinkles…check, Ice Skating at the Galleria…check, and Medieval Times…check! What next? I have a feeling we may be headed to San Antonio sometime in the next year, since one set of Johnsons is moving to San Antonio against our will.

Keys to summer fun

Remember me? I’m finally back to the blog after a little vacay and an extended break. I’ve actually been home for several weeks but have been in recovery mode and just needed some time to recharge these days. I've finally obliterated all the last remnants of sand, which would mysteriously appear around the house, and I've dug myself out of mountains of laundry piled up in our laundry room. Now, back to reality and back to posting.

So, wondering where I’ve been on vacation? Drumroll please…the Florida Keys (yes, that rhymes)! It was a fun last minute trip (like, I didn’t even know I was going until a week before I left) with a couple of my girlfriends. One of the said friends happens to rack up a ridiculous amount of frequent flier miles for her work and was kind enough to offer me a free plane ticket…woohoo! And she even put me in first class on my flight back home…double woohoo!! First time in first class and I felt like kind of a big deal. Of course I had to take a photo of my priority status.

And finally, a few photos from the trip: 

 

Spotted several of these on an Everglades airboat tour. 

 

I was quite enamored with the peacocks at the Everglades...however, the sentiment was not reciprocated.

 

We stayed in Key Largo but took a day trip to Key West and toured the area aboard one of these trolleys.

 

This was reportedly one of the most photographed spots in Key West - US mile marker 0.

 

 

Another popular tourist attraction - the southernmost point of the continental US. There was a line just to get a photo of this buoy thing, and I had to crop out the people around it just to snag this shot.  

 

This was the only shark sighting on this trip.

 

Ate lunch at the famous Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West...obviously it was pretty good, or I was starving.

 

For dessert, chocolate dipped key lime pie on a stick. You can't go to Key West without some key lime pie. This was seriously rich and sweet...I didn't even eat all of it. I would recommend forgoing the chocolate-dipped and just getting the plain old slice of key lime pie, which looked quite delicious.   

 

Blowing into a conch shell (okay, just pretending to - who knows how many people have plastered their grimy lips all over that thing)

 

How cute is this house? There were so many cute and colorful homes like this lining the quaint streets of Key West.

 

Roosters and chickens run rampant like pigeons around there.

 

Of course, the majority of the trip looked much like this, sans fun noodle. This particular photo is of Bahia Honda beach on Big Pine Key. 

Birthday vacay

Where in the world will I be for my birthday week? One of my friends generously offered me a free plane ticket to the destination below, so I'll be basking in the glow of warm sun on my face and sand between my toes with a couple of friends this week. I will be far away from the computer, so it'll be pretty quiet on here for a little while. Here's a hint of where I'm going...

Need another hint?

 I'll give you the full details after I return from my busy birthday week!