a new year and a new look

This week was my birthday and so I spent some time reflecting on the last year.

Realization that I came to, I am incredibly blessed!

I have loving friends and family that I have been able to deepen relationships and share memorable moments with.

I have the most wonderful and supportive husband.

I have a job that I enjoy and I am able to work part time.

I have been able to do crafty/creative things over the last year...and enjoyed every minute of it.

I have a loving savior who loves me wholly and who desires me to know Him as well as He knows and understands me.

In honor of my birthday this year, I took the day off of work. Last year I was on call on my birthday and was miserable. So, this year I stayed home and pampered myself. I decided that to ring in another year I should get a new look. My hair had been getting REALLY long, and very scraggly. So, I decided to get it cut. I think that this might be the shortest that I have ever cut my hair. I think that it was an improvement and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. Whew...that's always good.





I also took some birthday money and went shopping. I got a couple of new items to add to my wardrobe.

I was also going to take myself to a movie, but for some crazy reason, our little town does not have a movie that starts before 4 oclock on weekdays. Zack and I had small group that night and so there was no way that I could go to a movie and be home in time to get to small group on time.

We had small group at Eric and Anna Lauren's house and my sweet friend Anna Lauren had made delicious triffles (pumpkin and chocolate) in honor of Jaclyn (her bday is the day before mine) and my birthdays. We each had to wear these little plastic birthday crowns throughout small group, and we even had candles to blow out in the triffles.


The night after my birthday, Zack and I went out to dinner to celebrate. We went to this awesome little local restaurant to eat. We ordered an appitizer of sweet potato chips with gorganzola dipping sauce. I LOVE LOVE these. I got pan seared pork tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, and fried okra for dinner and Zack ordered chicken fried chicken, cheese grits, grilled asparagus, and jalapeno corn bread. Everything tasted amazing.



Once we got home, Zack gave me the present that he had gotten me....a bike helmet. :) Zack and I got new mountain bikes last year and I have had the same bike helmet since my freshman year of college. The helmet was literally falling apart. When we would go riding, I would have little pieces of black foam falling in my eyes, sticking to my forehead, and getting stuck in my hair....not to mention that I accidentally dropped it the last time we went riding and there is now a big rack in it...hmmm, not sure, but I don't think that that would protect my head from injury if truely tested. I had looked several times for helmets, but never really found one that fit well. Apparently, I have a really little head. :) So, Zack's gift was really thoughtful. It's a helmet with a special adjuster to make it fit snugly to your head. So, now Zack and I an go riding and at least my head will be safe from injury...an't say that that will improve my bikin skilz too much though! :)






I hope that you all had great weeks and I wanted to thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes! They mean so much! Looking forward to seeing what this next year holds!