Thursday, July 10, 2014

thirty-three

Monday was my birthday.
I turned thirty-three.  
I really don't mind my thirties.
They are actually pretty great.
My twenties were great in a totally different way.
A tumultuous crazy great full of school and work and dating and then a wedding and subsequent newlywed bliss (aka trying to figure out how to be married and then getting pregnant before you really do!)
My thirties are perhaps less exciting...
but they are a sweet 'calm after the storm'
that I am enjoying thoroughly,
even with wrinkles and sun damage!
the twenties have nothin' on the thirties
I had a really lovely weekend.
After all the annual 4th of July festivities at Hubby's mom's house,
we left the kiddos there for a weekend to ourselves.
Hubby spent Saturday working on renovations,
while I was left to my own devices for the entire day.
It was bliss, I tell you.
I slept in.
I drank coffee at my leisure.
I went for a deliciously long run.
I gardened without care {of children squashing worms or eating dirt, rocks, etc.}
I went to most of my favorite thrift/antique stores.
I even took a long nap.

These are all things some may find boring or commonplace,
but to me they are life's sweet little pleasures
that are somewhat hard to find time for when you are the stay-at-home mama of two tiny ones.
Things I took for granted before having kids.

Then that night we went out for my "birthday date night."
I got to get dressed up and actually wear heels!
We didn't go anywhere particularly fancy,
but the food was so good and I drank a fun drink.
most handsome date EVER.
I drank out of a glass made of ice -- remember that Beth and Kristina???
After dinner we strolled to a wine shoppe and bought a bottle of red from one of the wineries we toured on our honeymoon, grabbed a movie from a Redbox, and headed home to snuggle in on the couch with a glass of wine and a couple of yummy desserts I had picked up earlier.
On my actual birthday, a Monday of all days, my lil guy sang me happy birthday about eight times, and I loved each and every serenade.   It was a pretty normal day, besides picking up some special dinner goodies, including cupcakes - which Cormac helped me sprinkle with even more sugary deliciousness when we got home.
We were supposed to go to the pool for an evening swim and grill out but at the last minute I decided it would be simpler to just cook at home...so I did.
(Yes, I love to cook and meal plan,  so making an extra special meal for my fam kinda added to the fun of the day for me. Yes, it sounds nerdy, but it's true.) 
Here we are, post-dinner, about to eat our store-bought, non-gluten-free vanilla bean cupcakes...
my baking skills are sub-par...so these were store-bought
he sang me happy birthday so many times!
We don't eat desserts very often, but when we do, we relish them!
(aka shove them in our mouths and let the sugar overtake us...)
Here is Finola demonstrating...
My actual birthday present from my sweet loves was this pair of white rockers for our side porch.
Aren't they sweet?  
(the rockers and the kiddos)
I promise I turned 33, not 83.

Such a fantastic birthday weekend.
Thank you to my Hubby for making it so, so special.