I can't complain, it really doesn't feel any different than being 49. We had a very quiet, very nice day. I enjoyed it. We just kind if messed around all day, and I spent some quality time with my sewing machine. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, Red Robin, for dinner with Lisa, Charles and the kids -- then came home to a cake baked and decorated by Mike and Faith. 
It was delicious. I blew out the obligatory candles, the kids both helped! Then, we opened a few gifts. 
Lisa and Charles got me a new hand mixer, and Mike got me the remote control of my dreams. YAHOO! Our current TV/DVD player/TIVO/CD player set up is quite complicated, requiring a minimum of 2 remotes and a sequence of button pushing events to watch TV and play DVD's. I usually end up with a blank blue screen and have to call someone to rescue me. With this new fabulous, wonderful, remote; I can push "watch a DVD", or "watch TV", and have all the button sequencing done for me. I am SO happy! 
David and Stacy were not able to join us, as Stacy is about to POP. She is going to give me the BEST birthday present ever next Friday at 12:30 p.m. Our new grandson will be born at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. I will post pictures as soon as we get home from visiting!I will close with this thought: A year ago, I sat with my best friend Marion as she celebrated her 49th birthday. We had been friends for 29 years, and joked a lot over the years about turning 50 together. We both dreaded it, teased about joining the "Red Hat Society", and growing old. This year was different though --the week before, she had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. The prognosis was not good, and she had decided to forgo chemotherapy. She gave me a hug and said, "Jan, remember when we used to dread turning 50? Now I pray that I will. We need to thank God for each and every day He gives us, and thank Him for every passing year. It's a gift, not something to dread." So now, instead of complaining, I will say THANK YOU GOD, FOR ALLOWING ME TO CELEBRATE MY 50th BIRTHDAY!
Here is a picture of Marion and me, about a month before her diagnosis. She went home to Jesus on December 28, 2006.
Of course there were lots of gifts, and the kids all had fun wacthing Brody open his presents.
After the presents, David and Stacy escorted us all to the "Buid-A-Bear Workshop", and they gave each of the kids a gift certificate to create his/her own bear. 
The kids all had a good time selecting their stuffed animal. Most of the kids got bears, but Jack got a monkey. After you find the one you want, you take it to the stuffing machine, where you get to help stuff your bear. Here are Brody and Faith helping to stuff their bears:
After it is stuffed to the desired "squishiness", you get to give your bear a red satin heart. Each of the kids kissed the heart, and made a wish before the bear was sewn closed. Then the moms and dads helped the kids pick out an outfit for the newly stuffed and named animals. Grandma and Grandpa bought Brody's bear an Angel's baseball outfit, in honor of their successes this season, and Grandpa's undying devotion to the team (smile). Faith chose a mermaid costume and a Jasmine costume.
Jack's monkey proudly wears a pair of boxer shorts. He looks just like Jack's daddy!
Even the new baby (scheduled to arrive October 5th) got his very first bear! 
We all had a wonderful time. HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, BRODY!!
It was a very traditional birthday evening -- we had the yearly birthday dinner of eggplant parmigiana and spaghetti, along with the yearly birthday dessert of pineapple upside down cake. We shared the evening with Lisa, Charles and the kids. Faith enjoyed the balloons and insisted that Grandpa wear a birthday hat. The fun really started when it came time to light the candles. The highlight of Faith's evening was watching 3 adults frantically trying to get 50 them all lit at the same time. The challenge was to get the 50th lit before the 1st one was burned down. 
Success! Happy birthday, Mike!
