32…there…i said it.

today is my birthday. i love birthdays. when i was little, i would get soooo excited as the month of october would roll around and each day i would be filled with a little more anticipation. as far as i am concerned…and i have always thought this…october 24th is the best day for a birthday. i would always get to have halloween birthday parties; it is well into fall (my favorite season); the weather is getting cooler (if we are lucky); it is an even number (everyone in my family was born on an even number); and the anticipation of the holidays is upon us…a perfect time to celebrate ME!! last year, u2 was actually in houston for a concert at this time and chad surprised me with great seats for my birthday. that was one of the greatest times ever!! anyhow, i am turning 32 at about 5:30 pm. there, i said it. i say it this way because i am still holding on tight to 31. i had it all planned out. this was going to be the year that i strategically lost a year. i figured that this would be the year that no one would notice. it is not a big milestone, like 30 or 21 and who really remembers what year i was born? (except maybe my mom and dad…and i was prepared to let them in on my plan and felt they would play along.) so, it was all planned out…i am turning 31. and it was working perfectly. chad actually played right into the palm of my hand by asking, “how old are you going to be again?” i replied…very convincingly, i might add…”31″. he totally believed me too, until he went and ask his mom how old his sister was (he knows that she is only several months older than me) and she told him 32. oh well. turns out, it would not have worked anyways. my brother, totally unaware of the plan, decided that this would be the year that he would make me a shirt that says “the tres-dos” on the front, and “seventy four” (the year i was born) down the sleeve. now if that didn’t blow my cover, what would? how funny AND ironic is that? as if God was saying thru him, “there’s no hiding it and no reason to.” kevin (my brother who lives in alaska) and i have kind of started this tradition where we make each other t-shirts for our birthdays…because, let’s face it…one can not have too many cool t-shirts. last year, i sent him one that said “say uncle” on the front with a number 3 under that… you know…because he has 3 niece and nephews. and then he sent me one that said “say aunt” with a huge 00 under that because he obviously does not have children, (although he forgot that i had 2 nieces that i adore who live in iowa)…but i understood and appreciated the sentiment. and that brings us to today. i was getting chase in his carseat to take him to school and found the tightly taped box in the back seat of the van that was addressed to “SISTER”. chad must have got it out of the mailbox and forgotten to give it to me. anyhow, i was so excited to open it. just as excited as i was to open a present when i was little. i was tearing into it in the parking lot at the school, waiting for chase’s teacher to come out to get the kids because i am an instant gratification kind of girl with absolutley no patience when it comes to these things…

side note: chad just called me to see if i had checked the blog today and i had not. so i just went and saw the sweet post he made and all the responses. how meaningful and thoughtful. thanks baby!! now you all understand his title! 🙂

…and it was a starbucks alaska mug (i am collecting the starbucks city/state mugs from the places that are important to me for one reason or another. i have houston, austin, atlanta, and now alaska so far) and that t-shirt. my first birthday present to un-open this year. i love it. i will wear it proud…and i’ll wear 32 proud too.