Happy Birthday To Me!

That's right, as of January 13th I am now 31 years old!  This was a much easier birthday than last year.  I have accepted that I am no longer in my 20's and I'm just trying to embrace the 30's and make them great. I had quite an amazing birthday celebration this year and felt very loved by all my friends and family.  Paul came up with a new tradition and that is that if your birthday falls on a Sunday then that means that you get to celebrate your birthday all weekend long.  So Friday Paul surprised me by first leaving me a note when I woke up that told me something special was going to happen and that I needed to be home at 1pm.  Then later in the morning he sent me a text to go and find an additional card he had written full of funny things.  Then at 1pm he came home and sent me on a little scavenger hunt.  The first stop was to get a pedicure which I haven't done since we lived in Cheyenne.  This was Hayden's gift to me.  Paul asked Hayden what she wanted to get me for my birthday and she immediately and without hesitation said, "toes, I want her to paint her toes!"  It was really nice to sit and relax and read while getting my toes done :)  After each stop I was suppose to call Paul and have him direct me to the next card (which were hidden throughout the car).  My last stop was Costco which was hilarious because I'd been telling him all week that I really needed to go and couldn't find the time, so he built that in as well.

Here's all my cards:

When I got home, Hayden was at our friends the Mendenhalls and Paul had made me dinner!  And not just any dinner, he went on pinterest and found 3 brand new recipes.  Seriously, look at his presentation too!

It tasted delicious!  I was so impressed with his dinner that I couldn't wait to see dessert.  He said, "are you ready to see dessert?" So I'm thinking it's going to be beautiful as well....

Poor Paul really struggles with our bundt pan.  I never seem to have any issues, but he is adamant that the pan needs to go!  Despite it's funny appearance, this was so moist and delicious.  A definite keeper.

After dinner we headed out to see Les Mis and had a great evening together.

Old age decided to remind me how old I was turning because the next morning I woke up at 5 am with excruciating back pain.  I've had some trouble on my upper right back the past year, but this was on my left side and I couldn't even get up.  After lots of IC Hot and heat, it started to get better after a few days, only to move to my right side.  The pain is still there and I actually had to start seeing a chiropractor.  I went 3 times last week and am finally starting to get some relief.  Apparently it is a lot of scar tissue from playing water polo and some other muscle issues.  Not fun, so much for trying to embrace the 30's.

So that night we headed out to celebrate by going to dinner at Henry's which is a Cajun restaurant that gets amazing reviews.  It was amazing as everyone said.  I got the Louisiana Oh La La which has been featured on many tv shows and Paul got the jambalaya.  I only got one picture of our night out and only really by default.  I went and bought some yellow paints and felt so self conscious in them, so I had Paul take a picture of me so I could see if I looked like a fool!    

I think the colored pants look cute on others, but I still feel pretty self conscious!  But I'm trying to branch out a bit :)  The shoes were my birthday present from Paul.  I love them!

The next day was my actual birthday and I got to open a few presents and then our dear friends the Heinholds had us over for dinner.  Seriously, 3 nights in a row not having to cook dinner.  It was awesome.  Paul got me an ice cream cake to share with our friends and we had a great birthday celebration.

Then the following Saturday, all my girlfriends and I went to Macaroni Grill to celebrate my birthday.  We had a great time chatting and catching up, while the dad's had their first Book Club and watched all the kids.  All my friends were so impressed with Paul's efforts to make my birthday special and said that their husbands were open to pointers :)  My friend Carolyn who organized the gathering decided to make me feel extra special and had each person tell me something they liked about me. While it was very embarrassing, it also made me feel very loved and special.

My free dessert!  I don't like being the center of attention, so I started to feel a bit uncomfortable at this point and Carolyn was trying to take a picture of me with my cake, but I wouldn't look at her!  I get a little overwhelmed!

2012 was a really rough year so I think my husband and friends banded together to make my birthday so special and to let me know they were there to support me. I received so many wonderful cards from friends who are far that touched me and was showered with love by all who live close.  Even as I write this I tear up at all the love and support I have received despite things not going the way I've wanted.  Thanks!