the birthday girls (plus some happy times in tuscaloosa)

last weekend i took a solo trip to alabama. yes, sadly lee had to stay home and miss out on fun times in tuscaloosa and prattville, but we did what we had to do.

the main purpose for the trip was a final meeting with my research committee. aka "find out if i am graduating or not" meeting. and drum roll please.........i am all finished & a graduate (again) of the university of alabama! i must say i feel very accomplished and proud of what i did, particularly the bulk of the work that i did on my own here in houston after we moved last summer.

i also spent one night with kaylie & had panera for breakfast with her, had lunch with karly, dinner & a night at morgan's, breakfast with kimberly, and shopping at target with my mom in a matter of 36 hours. i know how to make the most of a trip, people!

saturday and sunday in prattville were the added bonus days of the trip spent with the fam! rachel and aunt beth have forever shared family birthday parties, and i was so thankful that my weekend in alabama coincided with their party. as always, everyone outdid themselves when it came to the food. i only got an after shot of the food spread, but as you can see, it was fabulous. also, isn't rachel's cake adorable? my aunt is the best cake baker/decorator ever.the gifts and blowing out of the candles were full of laughs at unexpected gifts and everyone's terrible but hilarious rendition of "happy birthday."seriously, have you ever seen anyone receive an icee sign for their birthday? this girl loves her some icees!

rachel's reaction to her awesome tickets to "little house on the prairie: the musical." she's quite the "little house" fanatic.
our beautiful grandmother :)
my aunt's reaction to the truly awful "happy birthday" being sung as she prepared to blow out her candles. ha!