and then it was over.

the birthday table - inspired by this lovely party

today is april 30. the day we celebrate my birth. (we being those i am blessed to call my loved ones) and what a blur of a day it has been.


the morning was wet. and came too soon after a night of fitful sleep. i can't believe it was anticipation for turning 29 that kept me from dreaming... but perhaps birthdays are the new christmas, who knows.  


work went by fast with a nice lunch at rose's in the middle to break things up. no birthday is complete without a pesto chicken salad (even if it's a restaurant for old people, it holds many memories and for that i consider it dear). after work there was decorating and catching up with susie, one of my two oft absent roommates of late. 


then the party got started. my dear friends shared pizza with me and we voted on which was the best (toppings, crust, sauce and overall favorite). it was so fun to discuss what we liked about each and to find new favorites, like the b.c. buffalo chicken pizza. then we played a hilarious round of celebrity, discovering that some had talents for making incredibly telling noises (ahem, sean) and that sadly i'm not above subtle cheating. there were also kind gifts and delicious cake and many reminders of how blessed i am to know these wonderful people.


so far 29 is a-okay.

birthday eve.

someone told me last week that the next year of your life starts on the day of your birth, not the day after. since i believe that every birthday is like a re-do for all those resolutions you failed at on january 1, i'm attempting a resolution of sorts as i begin my 29th year. 


this year i will attempt to blog every day. somedays it may be something that seems like nothing and other days it will seem like a great big something that in two or three years turns out to be nothing. but it will be here and it will be remembered. and for now, for today, that matters to me.


so here is how i closed out my 28th year. there was a meeting at church, one that reminded me why i love student ministries. then there was laundry, and dinner while i pretended to care about glee for 20 minutes, then dishes. and now there's ole caliente on my nails, of monsters and men on the speakers and soon... tollhouse pie in my belly.


good night 28. big stuff happened this year. someday maybe i'll write about that.

i love right now.

a random sunday at starbucks

i bought a lovely little piece of original script art from kal barteski back in december that said, "i love right now." (or something close to that. sadly, i have yet to hang the piece and i'm too lazy to go find it and remind myself what it really says... and that's not really the point here.) for years, i've struggled to live in the truth of that sentiment on a regular basis. i love to plan and this leads to a great desire to be in that future i'm planning for, instead of the present reality within which i actually reside. my hope was that i would hang it somewhere it could remind me of how wonderful NOW is and to appreciate whatever is happening in that NOW.  

but as we know, the piece remains unhung and here i sit needing another reminder of the wonders of the present moment. so this evening, when i heard two moms talk about how difficult it is to get to church on a wednesday night when you've already been running three or four kids all over town all afternoon... i stopped. i stopped and i said thank you Jesus for today. thank you Jesus that in this season i get to enjoy just taking care of myself (and a fairly needy jack russell terrier). thank you Jesus that i have the freedom to do what i want to do, when i want to do it (except between 5:00 and 6:00pm when i must walk said jack russell terrier). thank you Jesus that i can decide at 4:00 to have ice cream with friends at 8:00 and then decide at 5:00 to have dinner with another friend beforehand. thank you Jesus for tuesdays and wednesdays and all the days after that make up this blessed NOW.

the short and sweet version: sometimes being 28 and single is the best thing ever.