Birthday Celebration With the Girls

It is a tradition that the Fab Five get together for a special activity for each one of our birthdays. We started out with simple fun dinners but that has morphed into creating a memorable adventure with the girls instead of just dinner. This year, for my birthday, we went to the Wrigley Mansion for lunch and a tour. It was a mid-day activity and unfortunately Debbie couldn't make it at the last minute. None of us had ever been there before so it was a new experience for all of us. We had a delicious lunch with a view overlooking the Phoenix valley.  After lunch we were given a tour of the mansion that Mr. Wrigley (from the chewing gum company) lived in for a month or so out of each year. It was their fifth home and used typically in the winter months. The place was massive and I was quite impressed how much of the original furniture and artifacts were still left in the home.

After the tour we were treated to a yummy chocolate cake for dessert as we watched the sun set. We of course took a ton of pictures, laughed until our sides hurt and eyes watered and made some great memories. It was such a wonderful day to celebrate and spend time with my friends.

Here is a little history on the place:
Wrigley Mansion, a breathtaking landmark originally constructed in 1932 by chewing gum personality William Wrigley Jr., was thoughtfully designed as a 50th anniversary gift to his beloved wife. Once sold by the Wrigley family in 1973, it changed hands several times. In 1992, as the city of Phoenix was planning to tear it down to make room for condos, the late Geordie Hormel and his wife Jamie fell in love with the property and purchased it. Together they restored it with the intention of sharing its inherent magic with everyone.

 Kristy, Bam, Me and Kareth

 Lunch table

 This is the original Steinway player piano now worth approximately 24 million dollars. 

 This is the first player piano to play more than two songs. It plays ten.

 View of Camelback Mountain.