My Birthday celebration this year was low-key, which is just my speed these days! Mom and Dad had us over for my birthday dinner the weekend before. Mom always makes birthdays special in our house. Some of my very favorite childhood memories are walking into our kitchen first thing in the morning to behold the explosion of crepe paper and balloons and gifts wrapped in bright paper and huge bows. Mom always made us beautiful homemade birthday cakes, too. We dialed it down a bit this year, as our two littlest party guests seemed to steal the show, but the celebration was every bit as special.
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| Little chunk just melts me with that smile and those dimples! |
Mom fixed beef stroganoff, per my request.
My big boy helped me blow out my candles.
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| Long story on the cake... |
The morning of my birthday was extra special because Tim was home. Tim's usually at work before I wake up, but he had a mid-morning dentist appointment so he was able to make me breakfast, grab me some coffee, and spend some bonus time with us before he headed in.
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| George's face vs Ben's face. Ha! |
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| Always the special plate! |
I received my annual birthday call (via facetime, this year!) from these two. Every year I answer, "Hello?" and before any formal greeting they start belting "Happy Birthday" in unison. It always ends with "Aaaand many mooooooore..." What a tradition. Love it.
Hung out with these guys all day. We did laundry and dishes and took naps. Glory. (Well, the 'nap' part).
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| Rare afternoon snuggles with BOTH boys! |
Tim sent a mid-afternoon text to tell me he had dinner covered. He brought home Whataburger and I couldn't have been more thrilled. I've been eating only "real food" this month, and I savored every greasy bite of this new avocado bacon burger.
We had small group in the evening, so I was able to hang out with more of my people. Love that Brooke and Josh went to such an effort to help me celebrate.
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| "Queen of the Night!" (But not in the trashy, Whitney Houston sort of way.) |
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| At this point, I think my body had begun rejecting all the "fake food" I shocked my system with that day. |
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| There is a long story behind the shirts, but they provided lots of laughs for all of us! |
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| The guys, including Lyle, our littlest and newest member! |
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So thankful for these girls!
Yes, this birthday came and went without a ton of unusual hoopla, but all the little touches made it so sweet. A normal, quiet day is just my speed these days- can't seem to muster the energy for much else! As I reflected on my life at 29, I was overwhelmed with all the special blessings and gifts I'm given every single day. So cliche, but true nonetheless- every day is a gift worth celebrating.
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