34 years old

Last week I celebrated my 34th year of being alive. And first-things-first, let me just let you all know that I am most certainly not one of those people who freak out and get depressed every time a birthday rolls around because I am getting older and older. Nope. I own it. THIRTY FOUR! Woo-hoo! Now feed me cake.

And secondly, this was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! Hands down, it was pure awesomeness. Because in my old age I’m realizing that I have surrounded myself with some fabulous people who love me to bits. And I love them too. And with all that ooey-gooey love bubbling up around me, how could I NOT have a super wonderful birthday?

And one of the reasons my birthday was so delightful was because of my amazingly generous sister, who took time off from work to come up from Birmingham for a long weekend to help me celebrate. And on the morning of my special day, we woke up, took Taylor to preschool, checked Luke into the Child Watch at my gym and then Lib and I, and my friends Paige and LeAnn, went on a long head-clearing, heart-pumping run outside in the beautiful mountain sunshine. And as we rounded the final corner of the course, I summoned my legs to kick in to hyperdrive, and me and my 34 year old body sprinted the final blocks. And it felt amazing. And I am proud to say that I am in ten-times better shape now in my mid-30 after birthing two babies, than I ever was in my late-teens and 20s. And that’s a pretty cool thing to say.

The actual night of my birthday was pretty special too, as Libba so generously offered to spend the night with Taylor and Luke so Chris and I could have a fantastic kid-free 24-hours. We booked a fancy hotel downtown, and proceeded to spend our adult-only time doing such coveted things as laying in silence on a bed, taking long showers without children-interruptions, eating Nacho Cheese Doritos without having to share them with little, needy mouths and, wait-for-it... SLEEPING. Oh. My. LORD. It was like we had been whisked away to a secluded tropical paradise. It was amazing. And until my sister has kids of her own, she will never truly know how much Chris and I appreciated her the level of her awesome generosity. I am very blessed to have such an amazing person in my life. Best birthday gift EVER.

And two other people who have serious soul-connections to Libba, or shall I say, Beeba, are Taylor and Luke. And even though Luke gave his one-and-only aunt a run for her money the night we were gone, my son was on major-cuteness alert the entire weekend. And Taylor... Well, you pretty much have to be in the same room as the Princess and Beeba to understand their bond. It’s the most heart-warming relationship ever. And to see my daughter react to my sister with such enthusiasm, adoration and bewilderment, not to mention reenacting scenes from Bridemaids and then doing Toddlers & Tiaras-inspired poses, is the best feeling ever. It’s true love.

And when the weekend was over, we said our sad goodbyes and helped Lib pack up her car with her camera, vintage Barbie collection and homemade Special K bars, and all gave sour faces as she drove away. Because we love her so much. And everything’s a big sweeter when she’s with us. Thank you so much, Libba. It was a birthday for the record books.