Happy B-Day to Me

I turned 35 a few weeks ago. To be honest, I have dreaded this birthday for 35 years. But now that it has come and gone, I have to wonder, what was I so worried about? 35 is great! I feel like a spring chicken. Young, full of life and possibility... not nearly as geriatric as I had imagined. So I've decided not to hide my age. Who really cares if younger people think I'm old? They are always going to be younger than me, just sitting in the background, getting older themselves at the same time they are judging me for being old. There are just as many people who are older and recognize my youth and vitality for what it is (almost gone, but not quite). I've still got a few good years left in me. I'll take what I can get. 

I had a great birthday, minus the fact that our trampoline blew away at 8 am on my birthday morn. I just have to count it as a birthday present because now I don't have to move the thing every time I mow the lawn. Truly, I'm sad it's gone, but I listed it for free on ksl.com and had about 20 phone calls in 30 minutes from people who wanted a free, ruined trampoline. I think that is as popular as I have ever been in my life, so happy birthday to me. I kept taking phone calls long after it was committed to a happy individual because I was having so much fun answering the phone. Okay, so maybe being 35 is a little depressing if that's my idea of a good time these days.

You may remember that my brother Ryan and I are the same age for one day. Every year we pose proudly with a sign that tells our age on my birthday. Now we include our posterity, so here we are with my four and his three. I think they are about as nutty as a group of kids can be. 

All I really wanted for my birthday was a break from cooking dinner for one night, so we went to one of my favorite places, Blue Lemon.

The traditional family birthday picture. I think we were a little more energetic than the old Blue Lemon was used to. Oh well, we had fun.

I always tell myself I am going to try something new but I change my mind at the last second and order my favorite, the Pear and Gorgonzola Spinach Salad. When it arrives at the table, I think, wow, this could feed a family of five. I'm definitely taking some home this time. Ten minutes later, as I finish the last bite and scrape the dressing off the plate with my fork, I think, wow, that was good.

Jason hooked me up with some fabulous presents this year, as always. He took me out to lunch and then to Runner's Corner in Orem and waited patiently for me to get fitted with new running shoes by my new favorite person, Hawk. I knew Hawk would be my new favorite person just by his name, and I was not disappointed. I felt like I got a personal training session along with the perfect pair of shoes. I also got some new running clothes, a few dance games for the Wii, and the immersion blender I have wanted since the beginning of time. Yes!

Good bye, my fair friend. Next time, we won't take the weights off your legs one week before a large wind storm. We promise.

They say bad things happen in 3s...

I hope it's true that bad things happen in 3s and I'm not just starting to have an unlucky, terrible life! Ha ha, it's not that bad, but sometimes it feels like it. It started last Friday, the week before Thanksgiving, with my arms aching. I thought that was weird, but I continued on with my life. Until I couldn't continue on any more because my whole body was aching. Then the fevers started. Then they would break, and I (and my pajamas and bedsheets) would be bathed in sweat. TMI, I know, but I had to live it for four days! One night I went through five sets of pajamas and ended up sleeping between beach towels because I ran out of blankets. So lovely. Finally, Tuesday evening I dragged myself and my four little neglected kiddies to the Instacare and was diagnosed with pneumonia!! I did have a deep cough, but the cough was the least of my worries. I just kept waiting for the fevers and aches to go away, but they never did. Fortunately, the doctor gave me some strong antibiotics and I had a day to try to recover for Thanksgiving. By Thursday, I was feeling much better. We enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving with Jason's family, then hopped in the truck and drove to Burley that night so Jason could, what else, hunt early Friday morning. Truthfully, I wasn't really feeling up to traveling, but I made it and it was nice to be home with my family and just relax. While I was there, Bad Thing #2 happened. My cell phone was accidentally dropped in a body of water. Also known as the toilet. Argggg. It has been out of commission ever since. So it will be fun to brave the Verizon store during the holiday season to try to get that whole mess figured out. Then, as we were packing up to leave Saturday afternoon, Bad Thing #3 happened. I was holding Jake, trying to balance a few bags on my arm and lean over to pick up a few more, and I somehow tweaked my back. BAD. As in, I still can't even walk. If I lie still in one position, it's okay, but if I have to move, well, I just can't. Getting Jake in and out of his crib is quite the ordeal. So that's my little gratitude post for Thanksgiving. I'm grateful that I'm not dead and I know things could be worse. I'm grateful that I don't have much going on this week and I can try to recover and maybe even get into the Christmas spirit. Or not. We'll see...