Our Beautiful Three: My Birthday (Best Ever)

I turned 30 this month and I was not at all anxious the way most people my age are when they turn 30. Every time someone asked me if I was feeling stressed about the big 3-0 I would say, "I was born 30 so now I'm finally caught up."

I said that because I feel like most 29 year olds feel like hitting 30 means putting the crazy partying days of their 20s behind them, but I never was a party girl and all I ever wanted to do was get married and have kids, so I say I was born 30.

Having to say I'm 30 does make me feel more like an adult than any milestone I've ever achieved

To honor the day, my dad treated my mom, siblings, the kids and me to dinner at a place I had been wanting to try for ages, but couldn’t get Aaron to try. The weather was just right for dining outside (my favorite) so I was excited to be able to do that. I had something called “Chicken Roberto” and it was so good. I had a hard time deciding what to get because so many of their menu items sounded delish!

My sister picked up a cake at a local European bakery (which she knows is one of my faves) and picked my favorite cake. She knows me well. The server at the restaurant was kind enough to have their crew slice the cake up for us and serve it on plates (even though they sell their own cakes).

Only my youngest two siblings were able to make it, and the two of them went in on a very generous gift of 3 Yankee candles and a 4^th candle of a different brand. They all smelled heavenly. I could not stop sniffing them.

I loved being with my siblings, but my favorite thing about the night was when I read the cards from my sibs. The first card I opened was a really pretty card with sweet sentiments. I could tell at first glance that my sister had penned the message at the bottom, but as I read it I realized that it was signed with my brother’s name and just below that was my sister’s name scribbled out. I thanked my brother for the card and then asked my sister if she had written the note in her handwriting for him and then my brother explained that our sister had gotten confused and wrote her note in the card he chose. When he pointed it out to her, she told him to just put his name on it. I laughed and said, “Oh so it’s not even your note?” He said, “the feeling is the same.” That cracked me up. Then I suggested that they should have just traded cards and let it be. To which he said, “Well I would have, but…you’ll see.”

Then I opened the other card to see a very girly, glittery hot pink card in the next envelope. There were caricatures of two sisters and I couldn’t help imagining how funny it would have been if they had traded and my brother had given me the card instead. It said things like “You’re not just my sister, you’re my best girlfriend, partner in crime…” and “Wing girl!” I was laughing hysterically and told him I wish he had given me that card just because it was so funny to imagine it coming from a male. He wasn’t so amused, but I got a good laugh.

Aaron wasn’t able to come due to work obligations, but he was sending me texts throughout dinner and I loved what he wrote:

The next day (Saturday 3/7) was my actual birthday and it started out as a regular Saturday. My mom picked me and the kids up and drove us around while I ran errands and grocery shopped for the week. Mac and I ran into a dollar tree so that I could get them some kiddy floss and just kinda peek around at what they had and while we were in line we met someone who’s birthday it was as well. It was really cool!

Mac found some glasses (which Ava promptly claimed as her own) at the dollar tree and it made me kick myself for ever spending more than that on glasses. Then I realized that I didn’t see any tags or stickers on it that indicated whether there was any UV protective coatings, so I would assume not and now I don’t feel so badly about the other glasses I've purchased in the past.

When I got home I got the kids down for a nap while I put away the groceries and then we all got ready to go to dinner with Aaron. We ended up back at the same restaurant my dad took me to the night before (so that I could try the other menu item I really wanted) and then we had tiramisu and carrot cake for dessert. We noticed that there was a band setting up so we decided to stay and listen. I knew I would enjoy some live music, but the kids LOVED it which made it that much more enjoyable for me. It ended up being one of the best date nights Aaron and I have ever had even though we had kids tagging along.