Me! Yep. It had to happen eventually. I turned 50 on Saturday! A few weeks ago Erica (my oldest) and I were talking about what we should do in honor of the big event. I half-jokingly said, "Hey, we oughta all get tattoos!" As soon as we hung up the phone I went online and came across the chinese symbol for goddess. I really liked it, and even more I liked the idea of me and my daughters having a fun bonding experience. Three of the four girls were able to join me
Amy was gone on a long-planned vacation so she was the only one absent. Here you see Melissa, Kate and Erica signing releases in the tattoo parlor (Melissa looks guilty because she just initialed that "NO", she's not currently breastfeeding 
)
Here's me getting the template applied
and here's me saying 'owowowowow!' while what felt like a hundred plastic toothpicks kept poking me!
I guess it doesn't really hurt that bad, but I wouldn't want to do it all the time! Well, it was fun hanging out that way. Quite the time the four of us will remember for a long while to come. It was funny--when we first went in we were all over the map about where we each wanted to have ours applied. One wanted the foot, one the upper inner arm, one the back of the shoulder...yadayadayada. Erica went first and when the other three of us saw it on her mid-upper back we all piped up "I want mine there, too!" 
Miss Madison will have to wait a while to get hers. 
Oh, and what made our multi-generational goddess tats even more meaningful is that March 8 was Int'l Women's Day. Girl Power!
Later that evening John treated us all to much-needed cocktails and a lovely dinner at a very nice restaurant
and I promise this is the LAST photo I'll be posting of myself til I lose AT LEAST the first twenty pounds.
Cheers!
ps: my apologies to you who I've not answered emails or left blog comments for. I was covered up in kids all weekend and I just gotta start the week fresh if you know what I mean!
You are a WILD WOMAN! Happy Birthday to You!!
Posted by: Sue McG | March 22, 2008 at 07:22 PM
Happy birthday and what a fantastic mom you are! Such beautiful daughters too!
I have the kanji symbol for Joy on my left shoulder. When I met my birth mother I found out that she had a bluebird on her left shoulder. I thought that was kind of neat.
Posted by: Lotta | March 18, 2008 at 07:57 AM
About three years ago, I realized my oldest daughter would turn 18 the month before I turned 50. So we agreed then we'd get tattoos together when it happened. Well, I turned 50 in July and we haven't done it yet. Partly I'm chicken, but mostly I can't decide what I want.
You've motivated me!
Susan
Posted by: SusanG | March 18, 2008 at 06:41 AM
Happy "belated" Birthday!!!! Just like me to come to the party after the last slice of cake is served! Woo hoo on the tattoo! Ok...I wished I looked that good at 42!!! :)
Posted by: Karin (creativechaos) | March 17, 2008 at 03:34 PM
Happy, happy birthday!!! What an awesome celebration!!! Here's to you, my friend!!! xo-Mel
Posted by: Melissa Lobdell | March 17, 2008 at 05:45 AM
well, how cool are you?! :)
happy late bday jen. what a beautiful family!
Posted by: michelleinfantino | March 16, 2008 at 06:09 PM
How fun are you girls?!? I love it!!! Maybe I'll do that with my three girls one day!!! Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Michelle M White | March 16, 2008 at 12:09 AM
Happy Birthday! Your girls are lovely, as are you. And that baby! What a cutie!!!!!
Posted by: Miss Jean | March 15, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Happy Birthday Jenn, You are brave! and you look fab at 50~~~~~! I like the photo of you and your hubby~
Bristol
Posted by: Bristol | March 14, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Happy, happy birthday! You did it the right way...very cool! To celebrate mine, I met some girlfriends in a very upscale restaurant right near home, and we sat in the lounge and enjoyed martini's and cosmopolitans. They bought me outrageous gifts and no one was in good shape to drive home. Your 50th should be fun and memorable, and very adult. You're one of the big girls now. Oh, if you want to see amazing tats, check out my daughters wedding picture. She has a gorgeous hydrangea on her back. Big hug, Susan
Posted by: susans at black eyed susans kitchen | March 14, 2008 at 01:19 PM
Happy, happy birthday! You did it the right way...very cool! To celebrate mine, I met some girlfriends in a very upscale restaurant right near home, and we sat in the lounge and enjoyed martini's and cosmopolitans. They bought me outrageous gifts and no one was in good shape to drive home. Your 50th should be fun and memorable, and very adult. You're one of the big girls now. Oh, if you want to see amazing tats, check out my daughters wedding picture. She has a gorgeous hydrangea on her back. Big hug, Susan
Posted by: susans at black eyed susans kitchen | March 14, 2008 at 01:19 PM
Happy 50! You look great, and 50 is the new 40 anyway! I'm turning 40 in April, so I'm I'll be 30! LOL! I'm not brave enough to get a tattoo, but it looks like you all had a great day. You're all so darn pretty!
You HAVE to come by my blog, and check out a challenge I posted. A lot of people have responded, and you HAVE to participate. I can only imagine what you'll come up with-You've got skills ya know! Glad you had such a great birthday! Have a great week!
Posted by: Carla | March 14, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Happy Birthday Jen! You don't look close to 50. I'll be 50 in two years. I'm too fickle for a tattoo. I'd change my mind about what I wanted done an hour after it was done. I'm trying to talk my family into a cruise instead.
Posted by: Betty @ She's Sew Pretty | March 13, 2008 at 08:12 PM
You are so brave!! A true goddess quality, for sure. What a wonderful, special birthday!
Posted by: Karen | March 13, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Omigosh, Jen! You are so brave! Happy 50th!
Cheryl
Posted by: Periwinkle Vintage | March 13, 2008 at 10:13 AM
WOW!!! I LOVE it...
Happy ROcKin' Birthday, Jen. What a fabulous way to share your special day with your girls.
You R one hot MAMA.
Smiles,
helle
Posted by: Helle Greer | March 13, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Hi again, Jen! Thanks for the comment on my blog. I'm sorry you couldn't see my t-shirt artwork (50 the new 30). It was on my March 2 blog post. I have it also on Flickr, which you can see here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47171231@N00/2299880308/
You'd love wearing this, just print it out on t-shirt iron-on paper, easy!
*Heidi*
Posted by: *Heidi* | March 12, 2008 at 10:21 PM
Fantastic...Happy belated Birthday! You look great! Looks like you had a great day with family, that is the best kind of day!
Posted by: Jackie | March 12, 2008 at 05:22 PM
*HAPPY BIRTHDAY* You are now officially inducted into the nifty-fifty gang like it or not!! Ha ha... I turned 50 a (cough) "few" years ago--it just gets better! xox
Posted by: ~Vicki | March 12, 2008 at 10:26 AM
yay! Happy birthday! My mom is 57, and we still get confused for sisters a lot... and my daughter for her daughter, etc. You remind me of her :) And I LOVE women who get tatoos because I feel like it shows you are someone who is not afraid to make mistakes and is willing to take chances :)
Posted by: Missy | March 11, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Happy Birthday! I turned 50 on the 2nd! Yippee! And tatoos? Wow. My husband wanted to take me to jump out of a plane (w/ a choot)...but I said not this year... I made a tshirt for myself that reads, "50 is the new 30"...it's on my blog post March 2! I love my new age!
*Heidi*
Everday Cookies blog
Posted by: *Heidi* | March 11, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Happy BIrthday Jen! Love how you celebrated - too fun!
PS... no reply ever needed for my comments, k. :o)
Posted by: happy zombie | March 11, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Very happy birthday. You have a lovely family. And you are beautiful with or without 20 lbs.
Posted by: nanette | March 11, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Happy Happy Miss Jen! You Rock!
Posted by: pam | March 11, 2008 at 12:44 PM
You look GREAT! Have a Happy 1st 50th week! Also, what a gorgeous family...usually it is the kiddos we goo over! Great tattoos too, you know I am partial to Chinese culture!
Posted by: dawn | March 11, 2008 at 11:32 AM