Downhill to Forty

Today is my birthday, and as James so kindly pointed out this evening, I'm officially closer to forty than to thirty. (I'm thirty-five years and a few hours old.) My mom came over, and we had a simple family celebration with cake and ice-cream after dinner -- perfect for a very busy birthday week!

I love sitting at a table packed with my children. It makes me think years into the future when they're each married with children of their own, everyone packed around a holiday table. I don't want to wish away any of these days, but I'm honestly excited about those days too! I really do feel so very blessed...

The contractors were still upstairs working on the baby suite, so I sent up dinner plates along with dishes of cake and ice cream. I imagine they didn't know it was my birthday, and they probably think we always serve dessert at dinnertime -- they'll be sorely disappointed if they work late again.

Mom setting the cake ablaze


Me asking if the balloons are strategically placed
to hide the laundry on the couch.


Brystol asking me where the new toys are...
(We've been prepping her for her own birthday party in just two days.)


"What, no toys?!"


Fire Hazard


"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years."

-- Abraham Lincoln