My birthday was last week.
My sweet husband took me to dinner at the cheesecake factory and surprised me with gifts he found on my pinterest board :). My parents watched our little Grahambo. It was a good time together with just the two of us dreaming about our future together.
On Saturday I got to have brunch with the Hannah's (Crystal, Brooke and Kristin) at Panera. That is a tradition for us. We always try to do a meal just us girls for our birthdays. Life gets crazy and with me living in New York we haven't always been able to do it but we try to make it happen for each of us. This card shows you how well they know me.....
On Sunday my family ate together at my parents house and Crystal made a yummy meal for all of us. We will be celebrating with Jeff and Jenn and my family for his birthday over Thanksgiving.
I've not done a great job of blogging about my birthdays. I think that having another birthday has helped me think about the years past. I have been able to think about what I did for my bday, who I was with, what my friends did to love on me and the circumstances that were going on in my life. I've had some amazing celebrations and thoughtful ones as well, even during difficult moments.
I have some really great friends and this week I've been thinking a lot about my birthdays over the last few years. I have been so spoiled.
My 30th birthday I spent the day pretending I was French all day.
My 31st bday was nice and low key. Sandi had us over and got me this delicious and beautiful cake. I also went to eat at Tartine's in the Village. Love that place!
My friends were so thoughtful on 32nd bday. It was a difficult time in my life and they took me to eat at Almond, a French restaurant in the city. And...they surprised me with a new camera. I had dropped and broken mine. I remember on the day of my actual bday, Bethany sat with me for a long time and then she and Laryssa made me dinner. I'll never forget that!
My 33rd bday we went to Ditch Plains on the Upper West Side. I was incredibly spoiled. I looked around the room and thought of how much each person had influenced me in the last few years in New York. I remember when I first moved thinking that I would never have community like I've known down south. The folks at this bday table have thankfully proven me wrong. Some of these people have been friends since I came to New York and some are newer. Some are folks I call when I am crying. Some that make me laugh like crazy. Some that talk to me about Jesus. Some that help me throw really fun rooftop BBQs. Some that talk to me about my past. Some that dream with me about my future. I love each one of you people!! I left the very next day for Cape Town Adriana and Bethany!
Of course my friends made me follow the Alexander tradition and get my picture taken under the table.
My last bday in New York....
Antelmo sang to me :). Love that guy!!
Some raw, vulnerable notes from my journal around when I was 27....just before my 28th birthday.
"As I think about turning 28 next month I have so much anxiety. It is now very strange to still be single at this age. Up until 26 it was still so normal. My friends are having children. Their children will babysit mine at this rate. I'm not feeling intense emotion around this at the moment but I do regularly, very regularly. The fear is overwhelming. Like today I am okay but it doesn't take much for me to plummet downward into a very low place. I feel like I am disappointing my family and those around me because I haven't "achieved" marriage. Ultimately I feel it is my fault and there is something I should be doing to change my situation. I feel like I haven't been given a choice about singleness. It's been given to me, decided for me."
