When I had Emma – on my 24th birthday – I did something rare: Math. And I realized that the day she turned 16, I would turn 40.

That day came last Saturday.

We celebrated our milestone birthdays with a trip to NYC, and we were joined by some of our closest friends. It was a perfect weekend.

Contrary to what you might think, Christian school teachers who write a few poorly selling books do not make a ton of money. Shocking, I know. So just darting off to NYC for a weekend is not something we could normally afford. But we were gifted with the money to do this, and it was, most definitely, the best birthday gift I’ve ever received (having Emma, of course, was a great birthday gift, too…but this gift was pain-free, and it was spent WITH Emma. So January 31, 2015 officially trumps January 31, 1999).

So what did we do, you ask? Don’t read on if you are prone to jealousy 🙂

• Saw THREE Broadway musicals: “On the Town”; “Phantom of the Opera”; and unplanned-but-saw-it-because-we-got-stuck-in-NYC-an-extra-day-oh-darn, “Les Miserables”
• Visited the Museum of Modern Art where I saw, up close, REAL Picassos and (my favorite!) Monets. We also saw some very odd pictures and sculptures for which Emma made up very creative, deep meanings, leaving us all laughing and, most likely, annoying the real art-lovers nearby
• Had Cake Boss cupcakes AND cake, along with a birthday greeting from Grace!!
• Lunched at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, where amazing singers are the wait staff. Their rendition of “One Day More” was unbelievable!
• Dined at Junior’s – a super cute diner right across from the windiest alley this side of Chicago
• Stayed RIGHT in Times Square, with a crazy good view and surprisingly comfy beds
• Visited TONS of shops — we had to stay warm!
• Walked two miles, down Broadway, past 34th street and Macy’s, Herald and Union Square, to find some of the best chocolate ever — Chocolate by the Bald Man
• Had TWO flights cancelled (thank you, snow!!)
• Rode the Subway
• Rode the Long Island Railroad
• Played in the snow in Long Island while waiting for the airport shuttle (actually, that was the girls, not me. I’ve had my fill of snow play. I watched them while drinking my coffee and tightening my scarf)
• Met NO rude New Yorkers – every single person we met was kind and helpful. Truly.

So that, in as much of a nutshell as I can put it, was my 40th and Emma’s 16th birthdays, now forever known as…

The. Best. Birthdays. Ever.