My 35th birthday party!!!

A few of you know, some of you have overheard, and many of you have no idea of my state of health this time last year.  It's not the time, nor the place, to go into details, rather, a time to rejoice!!!  God is my hope.  He is my Rock.  He is my everything.  I'm so thankful to celebrate another year of life!

Believe me... my life is a miracle, and I'm so thankful to celebrate with my Tonio and our precious little treasure!  I threw myself a birthday party!  Look!

A few gifts.

You know I love to decorate with pictures.  Nothing new.

One picture for each year of my life.

Like my new hair color?

Just throw a few balloons on the ground - instant party!

Guess who?

So, the theme (because I absolutely LOVE dressing up) was dress up as something or someone that starts with the letter L.

Ladybug and Leia, the princess, that is.

Lab worker, Lion, Linus, Leonardo DiCaprio

Lavender and Love

Bébé and Maman Léopard

Another "shot" (haha) of Ladybug and Princess Leia

Leonardo DiCaprio and Lionel Messi

So, Tonio is Lionel Messi, a very famous football (soccer) player, and our friend Wil came as ME, Lindsey!!!  He secretly borrowed MY jersey.  Haha!  Good idea Wil, but your hair is just a bit short and dark =).

Leia and Lio.

We love dress up parties!!!

Lady Genvieve and Lancelot

And in France, you can put a candle in a ginormous macaoron and call it a birthday cake.

Soaking in the Joyeux Anniversaie song from friends.

Hey, we must have kids... look at those toys =).

Thank you all for coming!

Some of the crew.

La famille Léopard - well done Sandra!

And the pictures by age group... Baby and preschool.

Elementary School.

Junior High School.

High School.

University.

After University.

My life with Tonio (and then, of course, Daphné).

More with my T and my D.

Voilà, la dernière photo.

Thanks everyone for your emails, cards, texts, notes, gifts, calls... I'm a blessed woman to have you all in my life!

Love Linz

Auntie Kikik

This is Tata Cricri, Tata Kikik, Auntie Christiane... We named Daphné after her... it's sweet to see them together.  We love you Tata Cricri!!!

Love Linz

my baby dress

My mom sent me a box with a few odds and ends, valentine gifts, birthday gifts, etc... and in the box, was this gem.  A dress given to me when I was a baby that me and my sister both wore.  Now Daphné gets to wear it =).  She's so very cute and girly.

Thanks Mama! 

Love your daughter and your granddaughter

Painting round 2

Like I said, we signed up for 4 painting sessions in 4 weeks... today was the 2nd one.  No tears this time, and she kind of seemed a little bit more interested in what I was doing.  I'll take her playing with this bottle of blue paint as a step in a positive direction =).

I'm so proud of her for facing new adventures with her crazy mama!

And as you saw, I had fun paining =).  The goal of the class is to expose the littles to new elements and colors AND to allow mama to have fun expressing herself through paint... goals met.  Oh, and I must mention... Daphné did "paint" a little... you see that read burst that looks like a sun?  She rolled a little car through a puddle of red paint before putting the car in her mouth, which in turn gave her very red lipstick - ha!  Again, goals met.

Love Linz

Late birthday box

My mom kept sending me texts asking if it arrived yet... I kept saying that it would probably come tomorrow.  This went on for a couple weeks.

Then, Monday the 8th of February, it arrived!!!  Upon closer inspection, I found a sticker that read : "Missent to Sydney, Australia."  Oh là là, as the French would say.

Needless to say, this was a well-traveled birthday box, filled with love, care and lots of adventure and stories to tell if it could talk.  Daphné enjoyed opening it... she didn't know the difference =)

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the Daphné gifts and for the other little odds and ends.  We love you guys!!!

Love Linz-o-matic