Forty in Ft. Lauderdale!

I am turning forty years old at the end of this month. For Diamond's fortieth birthday I surprised him with a trip to New Orleans and I think he was feeling a bit of pressure to do something really great for my birthday.  I really wasn't intending to guilt him into a vacation, but at the same time, dinner at Olive Garden wasn't going to cut it either.  A couple of weeks ago, he handed me a card that said he had "two tickets to paradise" and we would be leaving in exactly one week.  WAHOO!

Diamond didn't tell me where we were going, only that there was a beach.  So I organized the family schedule for my parents (who watched the kids - seriously, such incredible parents/grandparents!) and got everyone ready.  Diamond had been pretty tight lipped over where we were headed.  I was guessing either Florida or California.  A few hours before we left for the airport, he commented that he hadn't finished getting the speakers organized for church, and would need to "make some calls from Florida."  "Florida huh???" 

After that had slipped out, he told met the rest.  We were going for four days to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Yeah baby!!!

The hotel Diamond booked for us was right on the ocean.  We took this little boardwalk down to the beach and I spent most of the getaway sitting on a beach chair enjoying the warmth of the sun and the breeze on my skin.  *sigh*

We laid around all day, then explored in the evenings.  One night we found this beach front Mexican restaurant.  It was so fabulous to  be munching away on dinner while overlooking the ocean and people watching.  Gorgeous!

Can I even tell you my happiness when I found Sonic Beach??? Who knew such a place existed?!? (I really should get some kind of advertising discount - dontcha think?)

Here's the view from Sonic Beach.  How amazing to be sipping my diet Coke (extra ice with lemon, of course!) while overlooking the beautiful Ft. Lauderdale beach!

I'm pretty sure this is my personal definition of heaven:  Sonic.  Beach.  This? Is a happy girl!

The third day of our getaway I was taking a nap in our room when Diamond came in and told me we were going on an adventure.  He didn't tell me what, only to wear my suit and bring a towel. (always good omens!)  He had booked us on a catamaran tour for the afternoon on the Spirit of Lauderdale.

The catamaran took us along the coastline and then anchored to let us swim, snorkel and slide.

 Enjoying the slide.

Diamond sliding off the catamaran into the ocean.

And how cute is he that he even brought a birthday cake and candles on the boat.  Everyone sang me happy birthday and we divided up the cake with the handful of other people on board.  Diamond looks so cute in this picture!  He KNOWS he's done good!

We had to check out of the hotel a few hours before our flight was ready to leave, so we wandered around the area, checking out Hollywood Beach, had dinner at a diner that had been featured on the Food Network (gross!) and walked Dania pier.

On the boat cruise, someone asked me how forty felt.  I replied that I still wasn't quuuitttte forty, so I couldn't really answer.  But turning forty?  Well, that part ROCKED!