Happy Birthday to Me!

Ruby loved my balloon. I loved that Reed added "Mom" to the balloon with a Sharpie.


Today was a truly wonderful birthday, but it might as well have been Thanksgiving because all day long I could feel nothing but grattitude for the MANY blessings in my life. I always enjoy my birthday and I have often used it (like many other times during the year) as an opportunity to feel like I can start over fresh, complete with my own personal list of "new year's resolutions" of how I am going to do better in some specific areas of my life. Doing this has been a good thing; however, it also has the tendency to have me focus on my weaknesses and on the things I'm NOT doing as well as I would like.

This year I adjusted my birthday tradition a little and instead of working on a long list of things I'd like to do better now that I am 31 I decided, at least just for today, to ONLY focus on the good things I am already doing or enjoying in my life right now. It's amazing how focusing on all of your blessings can really effect your attitude and perspective. All I can say is that I have so much to be grateful for--specifically for all the people in my life that love and care for me. I am SO blessed. (If you are reading this, you are probably one of those people...so thank you for helping me to have an amazingly wonderful day/life.)

All day I have been telling Sam now that I am 31 I am much more wise than I was at 30. When he asked me to explain more I told him, "Don't worry, you'll know what I am talking about in 3 days." I may in fact not be wiser, but I sure am happier...and I think if I had to pick I'd pick happy every time.

Sam did everything he could today to make sure I felt celebrated--and I did. My celebration began with some perfect french toast and buttermilk syrup. Sam was so excited to give me my present that I got it right after breakfast. When I saw what he had done I could see why he couldn't wait. Sam had painstakingly copied all of the blog posts from the month of March (when I did my "month of record keeping") and turned them into a book for me. It was absolutely the most thoughtful, wonderful, perfect gift he has ever given me. I love it! It made me so grateful for the things I had recorded and made me even more determined to do a better job from here on out. The things in that book are priceless.

Later on in the evening we went to downtown Fuquay (which I might add is like a ghosttown after 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday) so that I could take pictures. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, but it never seems to make it anywhere near the top of our normal list of Saturday madness.









Updated family photo. Not bad for a self timer.


Me and three of my very biggest blessings.


After our picture taking outing, we came home so Sam could finish making the most gourmet, labor intensive, fancy, and decadently DELICIOUS cupcakes I have ever eaten. They were salted caramel cupcakes and I am not exaggerating when I say that he must have spent at least 4 hours making them. I love sweet and salty flavors together so there couldn't have been a more perfect cupcake for me. He was disappointed that they didn't look quite like the picture, but they were perfect to me.


Thank you Sam for all of your hard work to make this a wonderful day. (And thank you Reed for taking this picture. Pictures of Sam and I are a rarity.)


If birthdays are any indicator of how great the year ahead is going to be, then I'm in for a real treat.