50 + 60 + 20 = A Lot

So before those 10 tornadoes ripped through Dallas and caused a lot of fuss and bother, but after the microburst exploded out of the sky a few days before my birthday, my immediate fam made one of its occasional pilgrimages to town.  Here's Kristen in full Hook Em Horns regalia for the Big Game at the Cotton Bowl:

(Disclaimer: We didn't actually go to the big game at the Cotton Bowl - I think it sold out about five years ago and scalper's tickets probably cost more than a new Lambourghini - but the spirit was there.)

Here is a manatee that we saw at the Dallas World Aquarium:

And my mom and dad, being silly outside of an ice cream store:

All very cool, but guess what else happened. My family threw Joan and I a party at Afrah, our favorite restaurant! The occasion:  Joan's big "zero" birthday, and my big "zero" birthday, had both gone by while we were dealing with traumatic weather events, serious illness, maraudering meerkats and stranger things.  Not to mention it was our twentieth anniversary (!), which had just sort of passed us by.  

 

Yeah, there are those big "zero" numbers. Hey, none of us are immune from the passing of time.

And here we are.  I think we look pretty good for being "zero" years old, don't you?

Card featuring singing cats in space. Because why not.

What I wish I had more pictures of were the people, because that was the best part!  Good friends showed up from around corners and direct from zoo management offices, and brought good cheer and silly cards.  My dad made this great speech, which I tried and failed to upload to this blog (I think it's too big but I'll keep working on it).  Unfortunately I have never been photographically inclined, or rather, I once was but I peaked when I was around 14.  I borrowed all these pics from Kristen.  Anyway, thanks, everybody, for turning out for this event and helping us eat the mountains of food that Afrah served up. They did a great job!  Seriously, I think we sent leftovers home with everybody and there was still cake left.