the best birthday yet

i've been 24 for 8 days now. i'm feeling really great about it. i can't decide yet if it's because it's going to be a really great year or if it's just because i really love even numbers. this year there was lots of hooplah (thanks to daron who started the tradition of "birthday week")

some of the noteworthy activities included waking up to sweet love notes all over the house -and car- ... 

i especially loved opening the door to the laundry room and seeing "you're an amazing mother and homemaker." those simple words practically made me whistle with every load of laundry that day. i say "practically" because i don't know how to whistle, i just act like i can. my favorite note though was "you're an amazing driver" on the driver seat window of my car. this made me crack up because the truth is daron can hardly stand it when i drive. he is praying every second for our safety and expresses quite often how much he looks forward to the day when he isn't scared for his life while i'm in the driver's seat -oops- 

we also snuck out for a quick date night to golden spoon where daron pulled out 2 free golden spoons for me! it took him a year and a half to accumulate 2! (that would take me two weeks) his face was so cute. he was so proud. 

on friday night, he took me on a date to the LA jewelry mart where i searched for the biggest diamonds i could find. in case you forgot about my love for diamonds, this post should bring you up to speed :) (it's a ridiculous post). anyway, i tried on a 10 ct. diamond and i was in love. the guy kept trying to tell me it was too big for my finger. i said, "no, no sir. it's just right." poor daron, he was red!

  

saturday night i got to celebrate with the whole family. we took family pictures earlier that day but then everyone came over for lots of yummy food and dessert (pizza and pazookies) and everyone indulged me in playing my favorite games, catch phrase and the animal game. 

i obviously love the hooplah of birthdays. but my birthday felt different this year. i felt incredibly content and the hooplah didn't matter as much. i just felt so grateful for my loving husband and sweet baby. it was an unexpected feeling too. no one told me birthdays were so much better after you're a mom. 

it was, i must say, a lovely surprise.