Happy Birthday to ME!

This was me when I was 16 years old. Wow, 16 was a long time ago....today I turned 43! I still can't believe I'm 43. I feel so young. I really enjoyed my youth. I have so many happy memories growing up with my family and "church family" friends. I found a box of old pictures in the attic the other day. My mom and sister came over yesterday to celebrate my birthday, and what a GREAT time we had going through the box. We found so many great pictures.......I put a lot of them up on facebook today, and hearing all the comments from old friends has really brought back so many happy memories.

I had a wonderful childhood. We were brought up in Queens, NY, (and yes I have a NY accent, and I'm proud of it!). Our whole life was surrounded by church activities since my Dad was the pastor many years ago. Life was good. Back then I wanted to be older and do older things, but I'm glad my parents instilled good morals in me, and I will forever be grateful to them. Today I'm doing the same with my 12 year old daughter Becca...hopefully she will take to heart the things I've been talking to her about...we'll see.

Here are more pictures of me when I was younger. I always "stood" out amongst all my friends back then. I was the tallest girl in the world back then, well at least I thought I was. I was 6' at age 13.......and sometimes I felt really awkward. When I was 15, I had scoliosis surgery, my spine was in an "S"....so I had to have surgery on my spine, a steel rod was inserted to hold my spine straight...I still have it too! It was a hard time for me and my parents. The pain was awful afterwards, and I had to wear a body-cast for 7 1/2 months.....no showers, no swimming, and it was during the very hot summer months, and I loved the water, and giving up swimming was very hard for me. I had great support from my family and friends during those hard and trying months. Finally after those long 7 1/2 months, I got my cast taken off, and we all celebrated with my Sweet 16 party...had over 50 of my friends at our house...what a great time we all had.

Mom and Me with the body cast on 1981

My best friends Lisa and Suzy

My Sweet Sixteen Party....that's Dad on the Right!
Suzy, my sister Lois, Me, and Janice
Thank you all for your wonderful birthday wishes....I really had a wonderful day. I went out for coffee with my friends Christine, Sue and Beth. We laughed so hard all morning long. Then I came home to find my hubby preparing lunch, crab cakes and pasta salad (store bought, of course). We had a very quiet day, a very wonderful birthday indeed. I missed my parents phone call this morning...the one with them both singing to me. Mom and Dad would always call first thing in the morning and sing happy birthday to me. This year Mom called but didn't have the heart to sing. But the phone rang off the hook with many birthday wishes.....I am loved!