i'm 33

I've started doing this funny thing on Urban's birthday.  I tell myself that I am a year older than I really am so that when my birthday comes around I'm not in so much shock about how old I'm getting.  Call me crazy, but it works.  In my mind, I've been 33 for quite some time now!

My day started out awesome with a morning phone call from my dad who thought I was turning 30.  I laughed so hard!  When I was laughing he said to me, "Well, you were born in 1979!  Oh, (and all at once he realized) I did the math wrong."

The best birthday gift was this family picture:

It brought me to tears.  How did this happen from a camera propped on a pillow?!!

I made Chicken Parmigiana from the Pioneer Woman.  It is incredible!  I've had it in my rotation for about three months now and it never gets old.  It's amazing on top of sauteed zucchini.  The other Frakers Four made me a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

I am so blessed to feel so much love from my family and friends.  I just feel so grateful for each of the 33 years of my life.  It seems like each one could be titled with what was milling in my life during the time....Battle Creek, Troy Sutton, Orange Walk, Summit St., Emerson, Ida, Urban, the final move, Oklahoma.  Josh and I stayed up into the early hours of the morning talking about all these memories and how rich they are.....

Thank you.  Each year I understand the secrets of life a little more fully.