Happy Birthday To Me

Thanks for stopping by to help celebrate my 25th (ish) birthday! 

Plus or minus a decade doesn't really make much of a difference, right? 

Seriously though, how did this happen?!? I am halfway to 70, for the love of freaking pete.

Just for fun, I thought I would go back to my old blog and dig up my 25th birthday post. 

Wow... just wow. 

At that time, my biggest concern was disqualification from applying to star as a cast member on MTV's The Real World. Ten years later, my apprehensions revolve around the fact that this particular birthday has pushed me over into the unpleasant, slightly scary category of "high risk pregnancy." 

Times do, indeed, change.

A decade ago, it seems I was able to cram about ten different events into a single birthday weekend. These days, the very thought of an itinerary like that makes me want to crawl into bed and take a nap. However, I did have a lovely weekend celebrating with my nearest and dearest.

Stewart and Ryder surprised me with an absolutely gorgeous bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed red roses (seriously the most beautiful flowers I have ever received) along with a card that brought tears to my eyes. I love those guys so much. 

A few hours later, my parents arrived with a delicious lunch and armfuls of presents from my super thoughtful and generous family members who weren't able to make it up to our house in Snoqualmie that day. Then, as the greatest gift of all, they headed home with Ryder in tow, which meant that we were free to spend a child-free evening celebrating with our friends. 

Stew had planned a small holiday cocktail party at our house with just a few of our closest buddies. Although I couldn't drink Sparks and Olympia beer like I did ten years ago, I made the best of it with nonalcoholic wine and hot apple cider (sans cinnamon whiskey -- sad). It was actually a super fun, low-key evening, and somehow or another we ended up sitting around until after midnight chit chatting with my bestie and her husband... what?! I do not stay up that late anymore... let's face it, I usually go to bed with Ryder at 8:00.

The next morning I had a lovely breakfast with my former office manager before heading south to pick up our firstborn before the Seahawks game. They didn't seem determined to end my birthday weekend on a high note (let's hope they can pull it together next week).

Unfortunately, pregnancy makes me swell up like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so I absolutely forbade any photography at my party. I'd like to maintain some sort of third trimester dignity...

Instead, please enjoy this classic photo of 25-year-old me. 

Have I really changed all that much?

Honestly, I couldn't be happier with how the last ten years have gone, and I look forward to another decade of adventures ahead.