My Birthday Week

*long post.

It seems like my birthday for the past few years has been kind of...brushed to the side. I'm not a complainer. And I definitely don't like all the attention on me. Like singing to me in public is the WORST idea ever. My face gets red and I do weird things with my arms like leading the birthday song to make it awkward for everyone else too. But you still want to feel a little special :-)

Last year, we said goodbye to our bff's and headed up to Charlotte. Ryan got me flowers that day which totally brightened my day, but we left for a week and when we got back, the flowers were dead...and spending 8 hours in the car on your birthday=good times, really.

This year, Ryan was determined to go big. And go big he did! 

The week before, 
Brinley and Ryan went to the mall for a date and to do a bit of birthday shopping. When they got back, I asked Brinley if Ryan got me any presents. She goes, "Ya! They're in your room!" So naturally, I said, "show me!!" hahahaha The next thing I know, she's grabbing my hand, leading me straight to Ryan's hiding spot. It was so amazing. Ryan was not amused. I didn't see anything except a bag, but Brinley got really upset that I couldn't open the present. She threw a pretty massive size tantrum about it. And Ryan, being the nice guy and all, let me open a present a week early!!

He has good jewelry taste :-)

On Tuesday, 
the UPS guy dropped off a few more boxes. What the what!? I had been hinting that I wanted some new running shoes. All the cool coaches at Brinley's gymnastics center have been wearing the new Nike Free's in those bright neon colors. Of course I just want to look like I know what I'm doing and fit in with the "cool girls." He opened the box in the kitchen to make sure it was the right thing he ordered, and he goes, "So I got you the shoes you wanted. But I think they sent you the wrong ones. If you hate them, we can send them back and get you something else." I get to open ANOTHER present?? My birthday isn't for another 3 days!!! 

They were the right color and I fell in love immediately :-) I can't wait to start running and working out after this baby is born! They look yellow in the pictures, but it is actually really bright neon green and it is ah-mazing.

boom baby!!

 she insisted on getting her picture taken next to me :-) Those are her designated "running shoes."

and he got me some new dri-fit Nike running shorts for post-baby workouts to resume. He's the best :-)

Wednesday night, 
we picked up Ryan after work and went straight to Red Elephant for my Birthday dinner. It's our favorite place to go and it is so family friendly. Great food. Great service. Can't beat it!

On Thursday night, 
we are driving to Atlanta to meet up with my parents and my brother and his family for the weekend. It is going to be a party! It is a bitter sweet trip because my brother and his family are moving back to Seattle in a few weeks :-( We have been so lucky to have family within a days drive, especially for Brinley to be with her cousins. We will miss them dearly, but thankfully, we are very good at skyping with them and the kids just love each other so much! Can't wait to start planning our trip out there after Ryan graduates. I miss Seattle!!
My Dad's birthday was last Sunday. Mine is Friday. My sis in law Tiffany's is the week after mine, and then my brother David's birthday is the week after that! We are planning on going to the Zoo with the kiddos. Ryan and I are planning on attending the Temple t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r! Which never happens for us since we have to do our sessions separately! and just have fun together!!

Friday is my OFFICIAL birthday. But I think it is much more fun to have a week long birthday :-) And using the excuse, "It's my birthday," has come out of my mouth more than once a day for the past week. It is just too good to pass up when you only get one birthday a year! I really enjoyed being 25 for the past year, so now reaching my "late 20's" is a bit daunting. Or am I still considered a "mid-20?" I don't know. 26 is a big number now, so hopefully this year will be sweet! I can't imagine where we will be NEXT August with all that is happening this year, but it will be really fun to look back at this post and reflect!