5 things i love about birthdays

Yesterday was my 29th birthday!  Eek!  One more year until 30!

I’m actually REALLY looking forward to what the future holds for this family!  Sure, there will more than likely be heartache, illness, loss and hurt.  All facts of life.  There will also be alot of good things!  Things like more children, a new house, pay raises, new friends…the list goes on!

The good things always outnumber the bad when you have a THANKFUL heart!  It’s all about perspective.  It’s all about how you choose to perceive.

Moving on…

Birthday history:  I come from a family of 4.  We always made birthdays a BIG DEAL; parties, presents, phone calls.  I could be certain of two things for my birthday: a special breakfast or dinner and a bouquet of flowers sent to my school (thanks, Dad!)  The flowers have since been replaced by cash money.  I’ll take it.  :)

I also knew that I could get away with just a little bit more on my birthday than any other day – an advantage I use to this day! :)  In fact, it’s technically STILL my birthday, since they last all week.  My rule is this:  once all the cake is gone, then the birthday is over.  Using all my willpower to take teeny tiny little bites….I’d give it, oh, four more days. 

It’s pretty obvious – I love birthdays!

My Top 5 Reasons, in no particular order are:

#1.  Gifts!

Well, maybe they are in order, because presents are pretty awesome.  To give AND to receive.  Travis did SO well this year!  He gave me not one, but TWO presents.  In years past, I would have to tell him exactly what I wanted, then he’d go out and buy it.  No surprises.  Where’s the fun in that?!?  This year, I was surprised by both of the presents he got.  (He actually sold one of his guitars to afford them!  I know…he rocks!)

Gift #1:  An HP Pavilion Laptop!! 

I said I wanted one of these just the other day, and poof, here it is!!  This little guy is only 12 inches wide, twice as fast as our Gateway, and has touch screen capabilities.   Travis already moved all my pictures and programs over to it!  AND, here’s the kicker, he made it so that I can print twice as many coupons and hooked it up to print wirelessly!  Again..I know…he rocks.

I’m not one to name equipment, but this one might deserve a name.  Suggestions??

Gift #2:  A Full-Body Pampering Spa Package!!

Again, Travis did well!  He got me a Groupon for a day of pampering in Asheville!  A massage, facial, hot bath, manicure, pedicure, and haircut.  Phew, that was a mouthful!  Or a day full.  I can’t wait!

My parents gave me cash.  Bekah got me a coupon magazine subscription.  Maddy made me a card.  And Katy claims her present is on the way…. :)  Thank you!!!!!

#2.  Cake

Red Velvet!  What’s not to love?!?  I’m never one to turn down ANY sweets (and risk hurting someone’s feelings?  never!), but cake is right up there at the top of my most favorite dessert list.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to cake: 1) more cake, less icing or 2) less cake, more icing.  I opened my own school, named it Frosting University, and we only accept students who like a 50/50 icing to cake ratio!

That’s Katy.  She’s my sister.  She’s a math teacher.  She’s a singer.  She’s a cake genius!  Katy bakes for birthdays, baby showers, weddings.  Just as a side hobby, but she is QUITE good!!  She actually wanted me to tell you guys that this was NOT her best work, decoration wise.  I say she needs to bake me another cake, with better decoration, and I’ll post a picture of that one.  Waiting, Katy…

That’s what has to last a week!!  Oh the pressure…

#3.  Love

Cheesy face, Linds.

Love.  Or attention.  Or recognition.  Call it what you will, but I love it!  I like it when I get phone calls on my birthday.  Or better yet, come on over and sing to me.

Yesterday was filled with Facebook messages, texts, calls, emails.  Some of you even left messages on this secret blog!  I’m so thankful to have people in my life who care!  It means much more than I can say (or write)!

To show their love, my parents took us out for dinner the night before my birthday.  We went to a local restaurant, Fat Buddies.  Don’t even get me started on the name.

Bekah and Zac were there.  That’s Avery, Bekah’s new baby.  You can’t really tell here, but his hair is OUTTA control.  And he likes it that way.

Clara, about to get her grub on.  We always try to put her next to Katy and Adam…to encourage them that children are a blessing.  Accordingly, Henry almost always lands in the chair beside my dad.

#4.  Lack of Guilt

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this one.  On my birthday, I actually got two workouts in!  But I do think there is something to be said about the lack of guilt that comes with one’s birthday.  And rightly so!!  You SHOULD give yourself at least one day a year where you don’t have to worry about calories consumed or calories burned.  In my case, exercising twice was FUN and NEEDED on that particular day.  So I guess the lack of guilt came with me not feeling bad about doing what my body craved.

The Fat Buddies “Pig Out”.  We ordered three of these.  I swear it was tastier than it looks.  A vegetarian’s nightmare.  Travis’ dream date.

I passed this little scoop down to Henry.  But only to save room for CAKE!

#5.  Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Not to be confused with “cooties” or the dreaded “Elbow, Knee and Toe Disease”.

You only thought I was joking yesterday.  Oh, how I wish.

Henry has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.  For the SECOND time!  Which from what I’ve read, is near to impossible!

From WebMD:  Symptoms of HFMD include fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, malaise, referred ear pain, sore throat, painful oral lesions, rash, blisters, sores on palms of hands and soles of feet, irritability in infants and toddlers, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

just awesome.

I don’t need any irratibility in my infant or toddler, thankyouverymuch!  A loss of appetite…couldn’t hurt.

It’s highly contagious, so we’ll be hanging low at the house for the next couple of days.  Hopefully, that will give me time to deep clean my closets.  Or blog.  Or watch Beauty and the Beast for the 10th time.

 

Who am I kidding?  I’ll probably just eat cake.  Teeny bite by teeny bite.

 

splendid…lindsay