Before July's Over -- 40th B. Celebrations

I just wanted to share these pics before it's too late. I wanted to wax poetic about this watershed birthday, but the words have fled. I'm too busy to think reflectively right now... Hope you like the photos.

Mismatched candles -- the 4 is from both boy's 4th birthday, 5.5 and 3 years ago. The zero? Can't even remember. Could possibly be from my 30th? I hope not! ;) (gotta check my photo albums)

 Delicious truffle chocolate cake made by my dear friend Carolina:

The silly ancient husband o mine. Why not 740? ;)

 

Lily & Lilies -- I also wanted to write a post about why I resist reinventing myself & going by Lily instead of my name. I guess I can do it in a sentence or two: it's partly a cultural thing (in Brazil we don't use nicknames so pervasively as you do here in the U.S.) and also a conscious choice since when I was a teen I actually loved Lily. Go figure. But I still lived in Brazil then. 

So, these were blooming on my birthday (two days later in this pic). Our yard's birthday present to me! (coincidentally -- really, I was supposed to have bought mini, pastel colored calla-lilies, but the vendor didn't have them anymore -- stargazer lilies were also in my wedding bouquet -- see here).