My 31st bday

Today I turn 18 again (for the 14th year)!  It has been an amazing day to say the least.  It started off this morning being showered with cards and gifts from my family.  If you remember, I convinced Jay to give me my gift early last week because I knew what it was (I asked for it) and I got a 50 mm lens for my camera.  If you have read my blog for one day you know I love to take pictures!  I have had fun playing around with it...so fun!  Also the kids got me some candy and a Target gift card...can't wait to go and spend that!!! And Jay made me waffles and coffee this morning for breakfast...some of my favs!

Jay is off this week on vacation so I was trying to think of something fun for us to do today but everything I wanted to do was outside and it so stinkin' hot I didn't want us to be absolutely miserable and I am kinda over the swimming thing?!  So I decided I wanted to stay home today and just relax...I set some rules for myself...no cleaning, laundry, just play and have fun.  And I did it and my house can prove it haha!  We played with the kids, relaxed, made tents, ALL 5 of us took naps and just hung out.  

Tonight we had made plans to try to go the Redbirds game that got postponed earlier this week.  So we got a babysitter for Lucy (thanks Mrs. Phyllis...you're the best!) and headed out.  We ate at Abners and then headed to the game.  EXCEPT when we got there, realized there was NO game.  We had looked at the schedule wrong and the lights were off, gates closed.  Maybe 3rd time's a charm???  So we came up with plan b which ended up being better anyway!  We walked around downtown, went to the top of the Peabody to see the ducks, got ice cream cones at Maggie Moo's and then took a "Cinderella" carriage ride (as Karis called it) around town.   

The kids were watching this little guy do ALL kinds of flips down the street and thought it was so cool!  He and his buddies were SOOO talented!

The carriage ride was a blast.  I love seeing the kids get so excited about things.  They have seen this carriage so many times and always comment on it and they loved getting to actually ride on it tonight.  It was just perfect.

You all can agree that as you get older and once you have kids especially, birthdays (the age part) is not as much fun as it was when we were kids and it certainly isn't about the gifts anymore.  Honestly, we don't live extravagantly but we don't want for anything.  The Lord has truly blessed and there is NOTHING I need.  So there was no better gift to me than to spend the day with my favorite people in the world.  It is better than all the money/gifts the world has to offer.

And I was TOTALLY blown away by all the love you all have shown.  Over the course of the day, I had texts, calls, emails, cards and over 200 messages on Facebook wishing me a Happy Birthday!!!  I felt so loved and special.  I am truly blessed to have such thoughtful friends and family!  :)  THANK YOU!

I have come to the conclusion that growing old isn't so bad after all.  In fact, I kinda like it!