Birthday Weekend

Last weekend I went on a women's retreat with my friend Liza. I took Andon to his Hockey practice, but missed Devin's first wrestling meet :(  (they were at the same time, same day, different locations). After hockey practice I met Deon at Liza's house, passed the kids on to him and headed to the store for snacks and then Estes Park bound!
We got there just past lunch time and the second activity of the day was starting: I did Ukraine egg painting. It was fun, mine did not look like the one on the sheet, but I learned tips in case I ever do it again :)  We had free time after, Liza and I headed to do some window shopping, when we returned it was yoga time for an hour, we went on a mini hike instead. Then it was time for dinner. Dinner was good, followed by a sermon about the role our hands play in our lives. We changed partners and chatted with several different people.
Liza and I were the youngest, most were 50+. The best part of the weekend {besides the mountain views} was all the ladies thought we were college age kids and were surprised when I told them my age and the age of my kids! Liza too.
While I was there, I thought about my grandma a lot! I think it started when I first got there, it was sing-a-long time and they were singing a couple songs my grandma would sing in church. Then I got asked a question from the scavenger hunt about a childhood memory {paper doll cut outs at my grandma's house},  I just felt a connection with her over the weekend.
I woke up on my birthday in the mountains feeling refreshed! Liza treated me to Starbucks and more window shopping in Estes before the drive home.
Home for my birthday...The kids overfilled my 'cup' with gifts, I got cards with .36 cents because I am 36, a card with a heart that pops out, and a bracelet from para cord.  Deon is in the process of making a towel hook instead of a towel bar for the bathroom {it was on my wish list}. We went to dinner at Nordy's and picked up an ice cream cake at DQ!  I got birthday wishes from my mother-in-law, mom, sisters and BFF plus all the FB wishes.
Every year my birthday seems to get better and better despite the fact that I get older and older.