Happy 30th Birthday To All Of Us!

Nine years ago we celebrated Russell's 21st birthday at his parents house, in the pool, on the deck and beside an unfinished fireplace that holds the stories of that night forever in black sharpie, covered now by rock and hidden from all those that weren't there. The party was out of control and the stories of that night will follow me (haunt me!!!) to my grave. I will never, ever live that night down. Ever. Now, it serves as a reminder of how fun we all were in our college days.


me and Ang, 9 years ago. hahaha

 
me and Ang, now.

This year we all turn 30, so we celebrated again. Russell, Ang, Andrea, Amy, Chelsea, Dean, Ryan, Blaine. All the names on the cake.
I joked to Russ that I would be at approximately 50% compared to the last party. I mean, my kids and husband would be there - shit was not going to get out of control, right?

( I formerly had a strict policy to not post bad/ridiculous pictures of other people, but I have to break that rule right now. It's too funny not to!)



Maybe the party didn't get started at noon with a case of beer in the pool, it was more like two twisted teas in the pool at 3:00, but I can say with certainty that I was not at 50%, maybe closer to 85%.... There were no midnight shenanigans in the pool, I think that counts for at least 10%.

 
I wish I wasn't blurry. hahahaha


I couldn't tell ya, even if I wanted to.  

I don't think I will always remember how much we drank or who was the drunkest (me? Russell?) (drunk Russell = one of my most favorite people in the whole word), but I will always remember the laughing. The hilarity that ensues when charades are suddenly busted out. The songs that are played that are meant to spark old memories but instead turn into an impromptu one woman dance party. The laughing. Oh man, the laughing. The free liquor store fedora. The Ellen app. The lunges. The wine tasting test. The ruined tank top. The fact that I woke up and saw THIS on instagram.



Which apparently was my own idea.

I had big plans of making a video with all the pictures from back in the day, but I totally did not have time to scan 300 photos to make the slide show. Plus the fact that all my pictures from back then came from a film camera and have legit negatives was a little depressing so I passed on that and just brought the photo albums along instead. Again, the laughing. And the style. Or, in my case, lack thereof. YIKES!!!!
College was so long ago. Look how much has happened since then. Look how many kids have come along! It seems like a life time ago, and it kind of was. I was 21 when I left my super fun life of being a broke college kid in search of a grown up life, that was hopefully still fun, with a little less of the broke part. But those people, those people that came into my life in college are my people. My life long friends that shaped the direction the rest of my life has gone. The people that I celebrated turning 21 with, now 30 and with any luck, also 40.


missing a few key players!
 
This party serves as a reminder that time, distance and age don't change who we are. We are still the same people we were back then, just with spouses, kids and a higher intolerance to hangovers. We are STILL fun. Nothing is going to change that.
Thanks for a super fun 30th birthday celebration. This one won't soon be forgotten either.
Also, I have been singing this song for two days now. That tag line sums it all up.