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Celebrating Another Year Together

12 years ago we celebrated my 25th birthday at the lake as newlyweds with our new newlywed friends, Mandy and Charlie. She made me a monkey bread birthday cake full of candles. 

She also made me a birhday breakfast feast and I knew I'd be friends with her forever. We had fun that weekend thinking we were on top of the world and big stuff with all four of us finally using our degrees in good jobs. We were so young and carefree. Such simple days. 

We rode the jet ski on my birthday and laughed all day. If only I could get those arms back that I thought were fat back then. If only. I've held my baby with those arms since then and done a lot of reaching and digging to get where I am today, so I'll accept what they look like now, I reckon. 



By my 26th we were celebrating in our newly built home and had added another couple to our group. Mandy and Charlie had also just purchased their first home. We were growing up a lot that year and super excited about it. I had the best homemade cake with the cutest candles and friends standing with me in my new red kitchen. 

  
The years have come and gone and Mandy and Charlie moved away and we moved away. All those sweet times as newlyweds were distant memories we held close in our hearts and often remembered with a smile or laugh. Then last year God moved them back to north Mississippi. They have had two children and we have had one. We live 90 minutes from each other, with Memphis as an even quicker meeting point. It's simply the best! 
So, Mandy had us over for my "birthday eve" and she made me a beautiful angel food cake and a wonderful meal to celebrate my 37th. 


Laughing with Mandy is my favorite. It's like we have gained all those years back and we have met each other right where we are. She and her crew came after my thyroid surgery in the spring and helped care for me and cook and distract me for a couple days. That meant so much to me. We all four sat in the den and watched our favorite movie together after all those years and laughed so hard until my incision hurt. God has blessed me with many precious friends. I'm glad he saw fit to bring this girl back to me to cook for me again. She can do it up in the kitchen and we laugh so hard. Laughing is my favorite. My birthday has been special for many of my adult years because of Mandy. 


Yet I have to say my most memorable birthday as an adult was this one. My 24th and my favorite cake made by my other sister, my cousin Hollye. I lived in Memphis with my aunt and uncle as a new college graduate and a girl lucky in love. This birthday held suprises I only wished would come true...and this tiny little cutie in the corner helping me blow out that trick candle. They all knew and I had no idea when this picture was taken that things were about to get real...


13 yrs ago I turned 24 and my first and only love proposed to me with a light up ring box with the perfect platinum marquis inside, along with his proposal written in this engagement journal. This trumps every birthday before this and after. I landed the best gift in him. 
I am one blessed birthday girl. 

Abby Jo 

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