"SWEET ESCAPE"

I should probably introduce everyone first. Normally these fabulous women would never allow me to post pictures of them on my blog. I had to finagle a deal. So I agreed to put a really dorky picture of myself on here if they would let me attach pics of them. They agreed.




I am saddened that I did not have a pic of Ms. Florida and myself so I will have to add one of her with someone else. I gave them geographic names that they will know the meaning of. It will make it easier to understand.


This is my friend Ms. Michigan, she is my advisor, my sounding board, who I go to with questions of etiquette, yet she is the first one who can make me spew beverage out of my nose with laughter. She can be funky and ladylike all at the same time.


This is Ms. Arizona. She is a constant crack up. She pulls pranks and teases like no other. But when it comes to the teen woes, she always understands. We have such a similar way in keeping our finger on our teens while still wanting them to make memories and have fun. I have often called her my partner PI. (shhh she's also ontopofmygame)



This is Ms. Wisconsin. She and I try to bond weekly over our reality shows. She watches all the same ones I listed the other day if not more. She is always there to lend a hand and never asks for anything in return. I try to learn from her. She is an amazing mom/wife and to me a friend.


This is Ms. Texas. She is the type of women who is the first to jump in the pool and the last to get out. She can be the sweetest nurturing person yet she has a competitive spirit. She has been my guide through many of the questions I have had in raising a daughter. She is a fabulous mother.



This is Ms. Florida (sitting with Ms. Michigan) Ms. Florida and I quickly bonded on our knowledge that we met for a reason. On our faith that there are no coincidences. She is one of the most giving women I know and has a tremendous amount of information about so many different things. We both feel strongly about our spirituality.

This was the theme of our girls weekend for my 40th birthday/Mothers Day weekend celebration. A weekend at the beach with your best girlfriends who as I said to them are all so different yet the same. Amazing, respectable, loving, accepting, family driven women I am proud to call my friends.

It started out a little chilly but on the beach the sun was shining.



I had written them all a poem about how much they all meant to me and my family. In the same moments they handed me a gift for my birthday. It was a Tiffany's box with a beautiful white ribbon tied ever so perfectly as to not be disturbed, but as a woman knows it had to be untied!!! My beautiful friends gave me a ring to signify our circle of friendship.
Ms. Texas asked....."Does it fit?"
I said, "Perfectly!"
Then she asked,"Do you already have that one?"
This of course made me chuckle out loud, because seriously......."I don't own ANYTHING from Tiffany's!"


We ordered in that night and then my friend Ms. Texas revealed the CHOCOLATE CAKE! She has a gift you know....I cannot ever write with the frosting but she did it with ease. Along with lighting 40 candles, that took three big huffs and puffs to blow out.



This is a sign I found in the back room on our last day there. It was so fitting I had to add it. Only Ms. Florida could have found such a thing. We actually had one day when Ms. Michigan had us do an assignment where we wrote down a compliment to each of the women and then read them to each other. It was emotional yet one of those most memorable parts of the trip. Besides trying to ride my new bike up a hill. Ms. Arizona was injured so when the other girls ran and such she stayed back with me. Although I did bike one day and walked on the beach another day.


My friend Ms. Florida was our gracious hostess. She owns the lake house. It was beautifully decorated right out from a magazine. She has impeccable taste. And though there is a full size bathroom indoors the rule was we had to try the outdoor shower at least once. It was blissful. Really hot water under the trees, but if I had to admit it, my first time out there, I was quite skittish. Ms. Texas and Ms. Arizona tend to be pranksters...I didn't know what to expect. But it was relaxing. Ms. Wisconsin was the first to partake, and Ms. Texas was trying to come up with something to do.




So here it is......FINALLY the dorky picture of me that I know my friends have all been waiting for:




But on my own behalf, this particular day was very windy and the cold air was really hurting my ears. It became a
painfree or beauty decision and as you can all see........I chose pain free!!!!

So that summed up my "Sweet Escape" with the girls but I should probably add that the very next day Monday to be exact. I had to go back to the Chicago area with my eldest for a field trip from 6:30 am to 9:30 pm. I chaperoned 8 teenage boys around the city and only lost one!!!!
It isn't often that my eldest wants me around his friends....you know....because then they tend to chat around me.
So I couldn't pass this one up. Here we both are at Millennium Park resting my blisters.