Another Fabulous Forty

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPHANIE!!! My dear friend turns 40 today, and this photo pretty much emcompasses how we ALL feel about reaching that inevitable milestone...go Steph! She and her husband John most generously took us ALL out to celebrate last night at the amazing Chambers Kitchen, downtown Minneapolis. (meaning Cory and I, Kim and Brian.) The fact that one of Stephanie's request for her birthday was for all of us to go out is just about the sweetest thing...and talk about getting to benefit from someone else's birthday! But then again, it was MY 40th birthday, too...;-) Have I mentioned that...??

Upon arriving at the restaurant we were taken down to a lower level over to a round table/booth in the corner....how did they know to put us as far away from other guests as possible?? As it is I think we were getting some disapproving looks from others for our loud raucous laughter. (okay...MY loud raucous laughter.) But do we care?! No! We had a ball. The food was amazing, the wine was superb, and the warm molten chocolate cake I had for dessert was to die for. Our water glasses were never more than half empty at any moment...and we were even given the choice of three different kinds of water to drink! After dinner we walked out to this courtyard area--surrounded by the rooms of that Chambers Hotel. We were transported to another city as we talked around a giant fire pit of which the flames came out of black pieces of glass that looked like crystals. Next to this was a little hut-like building complete with a bar made of ice and carved ice tables to set your drinks upon. The night was beautiful, considering our temps have been practically spring-like lately. How lucky are we? It was truly amazing, and it could not have been experienced with better friends. What a way to start out a new year!

So, happy happy birthday, my friend. No one could be more fabulous at 40--or any age!!--than you.