THIRTY-EIGHT- Let's Do This!!

Hi friends!!!

Happy Tuesday!! Hope your week is off to a great start!!!

Soo....I turned THIRTY EIGHT yesterday. Kind of sounds old, doesn't it?!?! HA!

I do NOT feel thirty-eight at all...like...how am I closer to 40 than 30?? 

I am SO grateful to feel healthy, happy and just completely in awe of my life. 

I thought it would be fun to share a few pics from my day...it was VERY normal...but definitely had little bits of "special" sprinkled all through out it!

We kicked off my birthday by taking a little trip to New Bern, NC on Sunday afternoon to walk around the cute downtown area New Bern has and look at Christmas lights. We popped into a neat little shop and Christmas music was playing and my girls and I were "oohhing and aahhhing" over all the pretty things and I just stopped right in that moment and said, "THANK YOU God for RIGHT now." 

We were walking down to the riverfront and it was sprinkling the TINIEST bit. We looked up and saw the MOST beautiful double rainbow...literally- RIGHT over our heads!!

Rainbows have a very special significance for me...my grandmother passed away when I was 7 and it was a HUGE loss for our whole family. All through growing up, whenever we would see a rainbow, my mom would say, "Grandma is saying "hi!"

And still to this day...when I see a rainbow, I know it is my guardian angel, my precious grandma, saying hello and telling me it is going to be ok. There is NO reason we should have seen a rainbow yesterday!! There wasn't enough rain for one!! But Grandma showed up and it touched my heart BIG time!

After we strolled a little bit more around downtown, we headed back to Greenville to have pizza at Mellow Mushroom. Three cheers for not having to cook dinner or clean up!! That right there is the best birthday present ever! HA!

Yesterday morning (my actual birthday), the girls woke up SO excited and had decorated our dining room table with presents.

They also made snowflakes and hung them up in the dining room. SO CUTE!

(P.S. Don't you love James?!)

Charlotte taught herself how to play, "Happy Birthday" on her recorder and played it for me before we had to leave for school. I mean, how sweet is that?!?

After I dropped off the 4 "big" kids at school, Marshall and I headed to the gym. 

I got a great workout in and spent some extra time getting ready. It was LOVELY!

After we finished up at the gym, Marshall and I ran a quick errand and it was time to pick up James from preschool. We got back home and I rushed around doing all the things I do on a Monday because life goes on and lunches need to be made and laundry needs to be folded regardless if it's my birthday or not! HA! 

After I got all of my chores done, I warmed myself up a cup of coffee and started writing this blog post in my fun, festive sunroom :) Christmas music, coffee (in a Starbucks cup I saved- I KNOW. I am a freak) and 30 minutes of quiet time...another little birthday "gift!" 

My 30 minutes of "me time" flew by...OF COURSE...and it was time to go get the big kids from school. And then it was the usual after school craziness. Homework. Packing lunches. Dance for Charlotte. Laundry and picking out outfits for the kids' no uniform day. 

Obviously not the most exciting or glamorous birthday...but THIS IS THIRTY-EIGHT.

And while there are PLENTY of moments throughout my days where I feel like I am literally going to lose my mind...I truly couldn't be more thankful!

We ended the day with chicken nuggets for the kids and sushi for Aaron and me.

There were spills and screaming- which is dinner as usual for us :)

I got to open my presents and the kids and Aaron did such a GREAT job!! 

I think I am going to share them later on in the week in a separate post- because a few of the things I got would make great Christmas gifts (or birthday gifts)!

And that was my birthday in a nutshell! :)

So- here we go. Thirty-Eight. I have been blessed with another year and I am HERE for it.

On another note- did you happen to notice a change in the look of my blog????

One of my blogging besties, Johannah, totally gave it a makeover- JUST BECAUSE!

She is amazing with graphics and just totally designed this fresh, new look for my blog and I LOVE it!! She works full time, NOT as a blog designer, but I told her she might have to start up a little side business!! She is SO talented!!

Thank you again Johannah!!

Ok- time to go. It's a full day of work, school and a Christmas concert for two of my girls tonight!

Hope you have the BEST day!!

And a day late (AGAIN)- but linking up with Johannah, Heather and Lindsay!