Happy Friday! This has been quite a week and there were a bunch of favorites but I’m going to share my favorites from turning 40 today. I’m linking up with the girls.
In late 2019 I decided that I was going to celebrate 40 in a VERY BIG way! I was going to travel a bunch. We were going to do some big home improvements. We were going to celebrate with all of our friends. It was going to be AMAZING!!
I started with some Cora’s Den earrings to commemorate 2020. I wore them on New Year’s Eve to welcome in this big, fun year.
We kicked off the travel with an amazing trip to Aruba. I had never been and it was beautiful!! Through all the strife in 2020 our group keeps saying, “Let’s just go back to Aruba!” The resort where we stayed keeps sending fantastic deals and it is so tempting!
We were home for a few weeks and I jumped right back on a plane to Atlanta. I grabbed my sister Annie and headed to Asheville. It was her bachelorette party, but it was my first time there and I was celebrating!! We toasted each other all weekend long with delicious wine and these fun champagne glass earrings.
The very next weekend, my mom and I hopped on a plane to Hilton Head Island for Annie’s shower. We celebrated Annie with her friends and it was so nice to be back in Hilton Head. I took advantage of good scheduling and ran my first beach race ever. I was ready to take 40 by storm. It was such a fun run!
After Hilton Head, I was looking forward to a Charleston trip for Annie’s wedding with our whole family. Jeff has a bunch of family there so we were going to make it into a very long trip full of love and family! But it was cancelled due to COVID. Not long after that our trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights (my dream), a trip to Jamaica with my high school girlfriends, our summer trips to see new parts of the world, and just about everything else were cancelled. The only scheduled stop on my 40th birthday world tour was home for the foreseeable future.
We had a little pivot this summer. Usually the boys and I go on a vacation together in August to visit my sister. That wasn’t really possible this year so we went back to the beach together. We spent a lot of time at the beach this summer and enjoyed every minute of it. We surfed, stand up paddle boarded, boogie boarded, fished, went boating, watched the sun come up, and hunted for ghost crabs.
As we got closer to September, I started to get a little down. I was so excited to travel big this year and celebrate the big 4-0 and all of it was gone. We also kept pushing back our home project because we were changing our mind after meeting with the architect and then builders and went back and forth. It just stunk.
Don’t worry, it gets better!! The Saturday before my birthday we had a party with some local friends in our bubble. The grown ups and kids had so much fun! We had delicious takeout, key lime crushes, and a delicious peanut butter chocolate dessert! I got to wear a tiara, a sash, and giant balloons proclaiming just how 40 I was!
On my actual birthday, I woke up to a birthday flock of flamingos! it was a mystery all day until my mom finally owned up to being the flocker!
Our kids had practices that night so we had a fun happy hour on our back deck – hopefully one of the last ones on that deck! My mom brought giant pink balloons proclaiming my 40-ness!
I wore that 40 tiara until I went to bed that night. It was the day of Sarah! I didn’t do dishes, I didn’t make any meals, I didn’t clean anything. I enjoyed the day and celebrated with the people I love!
This was one of the first birthdays that I didn’t run my age (4.0 miles) on my birthday because my foot was still hurting. As an extra 40 celebration, I got to pick up orthotics the day after my birthday. 😂
Guess what?? I’m not done celebrating yet! Our Iceland trip is still canceled, but I am determined to reschedule it! Our Jamaica trip is still canceled, but we are still getting together that weekend. We are staying local (Deep Creek Lake) and pretending that the hot tub at our place is the Caribbean Sea.
I am really enjoying being 40! All of those experiences weren’t all about turning 40, but we celebrated in little moments along the way. I can’t wait to see what the next 350 days of 40 hold for me!
You know I can’t turn 40 without a book to commemorate it! I found The Year We Turned 40 by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. It’s on my bookshelf right now and I’m going to read it soon to add to the celebration of the year I turned 40!
We have a fun weekend ahead of us. My parents and I are headed to visit my sister in Atlanta for her virtual baby shower. Luke has a soccer tournament and Jack has a golf tournament. Jeff’s got it all under control, I am sure of it! Have a great weekend full of sunshine and books!
Happy 40th birthday! Glad you are getting in some celebrations, even though everything does look different in 2020!
Thank you!
Oh Sarah- Happy Happy Birthday! I hope as we hit 2021 you will be able to enjoy those fun trips..you deserve the best!!
Thanks Holly! My fingers are crossed for 2021!! Have a super day!
What a fun post! You sure know how to celebrate turning 40! (& have a great attitude about the canceled trips!) Aruba looks amazing …& I hope you get to Iceland soon. Happy 40th!
Thanks! Aruba was amazing!! There are very few places I want to go back to and Aruba is one of them. Have a super day!
I read that same book the year I turned 40! You weren’t kidding when you said 2020 was going to be a year of travel– wowza! Sorry so many of your trips were canceled but it sure looks like you have had an amazing year and wonderful time celebrating the big 4-0!
What did you think of the book? We are still having fun for sure!
Happy birthday! I had a big birthday this year too and mine fell when basically everything was locked down this spring. So I totally hear you. Hope you have the Best weekend!
Patty
Goodbetterbestfood.blogspot.com
Your Aruba trip looks like a blast! Happy 40th Birthday! I’m glad you got to travel and celebrate it!