On Turning 30

I love birthdays.  No really, I mean, I LOVE THEM.  And I’ll be honest, I particularly love MY birthday.  As I kid I would start counting down the days till my birthday starting in January (right around my brother’s birthday). 

I can remember when Scott and I had been married about a year we were on vacation at the end of June.  My birthday, as you now know is in mid July.  One sunny afternoon I said to Scott, “Ya know, I really don’t think your excited enough about my birthday.”  It was a mere 10 days a way and I didn’t think he was focusing on it enough.   Yea…I wish I was kidding, but I am not.  I really am that child like. 

This year, my dear hubby went all out.  Truly, he out did himself and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.  He def was more than excited enough about my special day. 

The day started with my getting to sleep in.   A luxury I don’t get to enjoy all that often these days.  He then woke me up b/c the kids were decorating my birthday cake and it was so precious and he knew I would enjoy watching it.  How right he was.  He completely turned the cake decorating over to them.  Gave them the cake, the container of icing and 3 knives and let them have at it.  It was adorable.  It brought back very vivid memories of my dad doing the same thing with my brother and I on my mom’s 30th birthday.  I can remember being so proud and so excited about making her cake pretty.  To see this same love and adoration poured out for me, truly melted my heart.   

After cake decorating and a quick bath for all involved parties, it was off for a family day of fun at the zoo.  We had a delightful day.  Our highlights were the polar bears, feeding the giraffe, watching an elephant drink water from his trunk,  seeing the penguins swim, and listening to the leopards growl as they paced right in front of us!   Such memorable experiences for all of us.  I love the zoo.  I love seeing the animals up close and personal.  I can’t help but marvel at the God who created them.  And I love sharing those experiences with my children.  

We stopped mid day for a picnic lunch and at the end of our time there we sat under a tree by our car and enjoyed the birthday cake while I opened my presents.  Truly delightful!

 

  I felt very loved and cherished when my son gave me a popsicle stick frame that he painted and decorated at VBS especially for me.  He’s been so excited about it for the last week.  He remembered my birthday was coming completely on his own, made this for me, and kept it hidden till my birthday.  I was touched. 

Scott gave me an empty birthday card and informed me that he wrote my card on my blog that day!  How sweet!  I was so excited to go home and read not only his sweet comment, but the comments of so many of my blog friends as well.  I was touched that he included you all in my birthday festivities. 

On our way to the zoo Scott told me that he got his parents to babysit so he could take me out to dinner for my birthday.  What a fun surprise!  So, after freshening up at home from our afternoon at the zoo, we dropped the kids off at his parents and headed out for dinner.   As the waitress was seating us I noticed out of the corner of my eye a familiar face… then another… then gradually in slow motion style, I realized that wait my close friends are all sitting together at a table and SURPRISE!  My dear sweet man had pulled it off.  I had no idea at all.  We had dinner with my close friends at my favorite restaurant!  Truly the perfect ending to an already perfect day! 

It was such fun to hear about all the scheming and organizing and stress that my husband and friends went through to pull off the surprise.  I don’t like big parties and I don’t really like surprises, b/c typically I figure out the surprise and hate the stress of trying to act surprised when I am not.  This was perfect.  Not too big, just the right size.  Completely unexpected (I had thought Scott had told me a month ago that he wasn’t doing a party for me, so it never entered my mind).    What a good time!! 

**This picture is missing one couple who was there, but it was taken after they had already left.  Wasn’t able to photo shop them in, but Andrea and Joe… I was so glad you were there too!**

I’d say, so far 30 is pretty wonderful!