My Birthday

So even though my birthday was today, it officially started last night. As I've gotten older, birthdays have gotten less and less of a big deal to me. Not that they aren't fun, but I no longer have the need to have the occassion marked by some huge party with lots of gifts and a million people. Does anyone else feel like this? Recently, I desire to simply spend my birthdays doing the things I love, with the ones I love. Last night we headed out to my brother's house to have dinner with my parents, my brother and his family.

Jerry just loves it when I take pictures of him while he's driving. :)

When we got there, we found this snuggly bundle. Everyone got ready to go, while I held this little girl, got to smell her sweet baby smell, and stroke her feather soft hair.

We went and ate at a really good steakhouse, and I prayed the whole time for no one to mention it was my birthday, since the usual consequence at this particular restaurant was to ride a horse saddle in front of everyone!

(sorry bad lighting...it was really dark in there)

Little tootie loved the ranch dressing, a situation that quickly turned into eating it all by it's lonesome on a fork. This is her usual routine, and can happen with ranch, alfredo, gravy, queso, and the like.

She also kept pinching the croutons off of my salad plate. That girl is such a hoot!

I wasn't really feelin the birthday cake this year, so when we got back, we had angel food cake, berries, and homemade whipped cream. It was divine. I got the idea from my friend, Dana, when she made it for some of us girls the other day.

Then I opened my presents at the cutely decorated Easter table. I've always liked having a spring birthday, and Easter's my favorite holiday, so I don't mind sharing in the theme.

Bella helped me open a present that my Dad brought back from his China trip.

It was a beautiful wooden, hand-carved elephant! I think she liked it. Look at her with those eyes fully opened. She's going to be big in no time.

Today, I woke up to this. Our first bloomed rose! It was so crazy, Jerry told me a few days ago that he thought it would bloom on my birthday, and it did! Maybe he's a plant whisperer...

We went to the Arboretum again. I love that place so much. It was crowded today but still lots of fun.

We had a lunch of chicken salad sandwiches and this view.

These were my favorite today. Chinese ball hydrangea. Funny name, huh? I asked Jerry if we could by a few someday. He said "yeees Lindsey" as he always does in his "add it to the list" tone.

We saw this pretty bench from afar and thought it would make a good picture. We didn't realize until we got up close that it was a miniature bench. Eh, we took a picture anyway. haha

My dad and I found a big people sized bench later.

We went home, and I took a nap on the couch with the pups and woke up to find Jerry napping in our bedroom. So I snuck out and went to check the mail to find this!

Some clothes I had ordered from here came in.

I was so excited. I quickly ripped them all open and woke Jerry up from his nap to show him.

Then I went to the nail salon and got a manicure with this stuff. Amazing!

I quickly came home and got dressed because we had an award dinner to go to. My sweet husband won an "Alumni of the Year award" from our college that we went to. It was all very fancy. He totally deserves it. He works so hard at his job and is a positive influence on everyone around him.

I'm so proud of him!

I finished the day off by reading a book that I've been dying to get, and Jerry got it for me. It's really good so far...

I had a great birthday weekend, simple and sweet.