Late twenties.

I love birthdays. I really do. My husband can vouch for this. I literally start asking him what he wants for his birthday when we're still 8 months out. I plan for birthdays. I started thinking about ideas for Emery when she was 5 months old. And I've always enjoyed celebrating my own birthday, too...until this year. I don't know what it is about 26, but I feel ooolllldddd. A few days ago I woke up, got out of bed, and immediately felt sore in e v e r y joint. My very first thought as I wobbled to the bathroom? "Oh, this is just great. Brittle bones. Here comes the arthritis." 

But not matter how much I dread settling into my late 20's...or how much I fear saying "thirty" something (shiver), my family has a great way of making it better. It started out the night before. Husband took me on a date. Dinner & a movie...with a little window shopping in between. He knows me well.

***his beer, thank you.

We saw "The Help." Free movie (that would have cost us $21!!!!) thanks to a coupon hook-up from a nice friend. I really enjoyed it. Matt says he did, too. He's really really nice and probably wouldn't tell me if he didn't - because it was my birthday - but I believe him :) 

That same evening, at the strike of midnight, my mother was the first to wish me a Happy Birthday. In bed by 7pm every night if she had it her way, I was so surprised to get a message from her. Totally completed my night. Thanks, ma :)

Onto birthday morning! This is what I woke up to!

THE sweetest words filled that card. Took me a minute to compose myself after that one. .:thankful:.

(We don't have wood planks lying around our house. We're in the midst of a project. I promise I'm not ghetto)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMA!!

The rest of the day consisted of shopping for Emery's 1st birthday (boy does she love Toys R Us), a little family time, and dinner with the best in-laws a girl could ask for. After all the things I've been blessed with, maybe me & arthritis can hang. 

;)