L'avant première

A 40th birthday should be celebrated all year long.  This is a picture from the first party, the avant première, with 30+ friends and 3 turkeys (not pictured).  I  shared birthday honors  with  Isabelle (age 8) to my right and Samuel (age 7) to my left.  Michael's birthday isn't until 10 Dec, just a week after mine.  He wanted a front row seat for the extinguishing of the candles.  Samuel and I got a bit ahead of ourselves.  Isabelle graciously waited until after the Happy Birthday singing had finished to put out her eight little lights.  It was a very fun afternoon, reminding me of the many Thanksgiving celebrations through the years that have also served to wish me a happy birthday.   And it is a happy one.  Every breath of forty years of life is worth celebrating for a whole year!  I have so much to be thankful for...even if the silly look on my face in this picture is not one of them.  :-)