Thirty...continued

As I stated in my last post about my birthday..my celebrations didn't end just because my birthday was past. Abby, Billie, Courtney and I went out to Saul Good on Monday evening after we all got off work work to have dinner. Of course, as usual - the food was delicious. The food there never disappoints. Their dessert is even better. It was so nice just to be out with friends - laughing and talking and just being together. Abby had worked all day, Billie had worked all day and had a commute involved in her work-day not to mention she came straight to the restaraunt and hadn't even been home to see Eli, and Courtney had worked all day and has a drive to get back home from Lexington. I just felt honored that the three of them would prioritize celebrating my birthday the way they did. Thanks girls  - it really meant alot! They even bought my meal - so generous! Here are some pictures of our evening out.

In Abby's post she referenced the cute exterior of the awning so I thought I'd throw in this pic.

Thanks to the stealthiness of my friends - the wait staff surprised me with this yummy treat!

Here we all are. The night out was so fun and as if their time away from their families and the gift of the delicious meal wasn't enough - they brought presents. Seriously!

Abby gave me this really cool calendar from this website and I LOVE IT! It is so me - it's colorful, it provides organizations AND it has a picture of our family. It's a complete and total package of my favorite things. Awesome gift! Here is a picture of it:

Um...how cute is that? I know - so cute!

Billie gave me a gift certificate to this website and I can't wait to pick out a little something. The possibilities are endless. Ha!

Thanks for such special gifts y'all - so thoughtful!

Janine and Josh are coming this weekend to round out my birthday. Aren't I a lucky girl. I am tellin' you I feel blessed in a big way. We are going to have dinner at a new place and I am pumped. I have heard incredible things about it so I am really looking forward to it. Thanks to Sara Beth for being willing to come and watch my sweet baby so we friends can have some time away to socialize and have fun!

ps - can't wait to see Janine's little pregger belly and talk to Keagan for the first time. Heeeeee

Thirty

Even as I type it I cannot believe I am thirty. It's not like I am depressed or sad or anything like that - it's just that I can't believe I'm there. I don't feel 30. I still feel like a girl just out of college trying to find her way/place. It's still a lot to grasp most days that Tim and I have a kid and now I am a 30 year old with a kid. Ha! Maybe that's what happens when you are the baby of 4 girls...maybe you just eternally feel like "the baby". I like to think this is going to be the beginning of something great...you know...being in my 30's. We'll see. Only time will tell. I have been thinking about 30 - about what I think should come in my 30's, what I want to come in my 30's, etc. I have come up with a little "wish list" (if you will) of what I hope to do/accomplish in this next stage :

• spend more time in the word - not just reading but pulling it apart and really comprehending it - really understanding our heavenly Father's love for us as his children
• placing an even greater importance on relationships - not just with friends but with those who I come in contact with daily who may not be "friends" (yet)
• adding to the Taylor clan (pretty sure no explanation is needed here). I can't believe my baby will be three in September!!!!!!!
• growing to be more comfortable in my own skin - not just physically but with the gifts I have been given, not desiring for other things, etc.
• to build on what I have learned thus far about marriage - to continue to work on our relationship and never grow tired in that effort

I think thats a good start, don't you? I am getting tired just reading back over it. Hee hee. It will be cool to reflect back on this at some point and remind myself of the goals I set.

I had some really special people do some really special things for me in honor of my birthday. The celebration began on Friday when my sweet staff (accompanied by Laura - Will's wife) ordered out Penn Station and Janet made me a cake. I seriously wish I had a picture of that cake y'all - it straight up looked like a big fat Little Debbie swiss cake roll. It tasted even better! So good. Friday night we met Jess, Abby and Jonathan at Chick-fil-a to help support Southlands youth group who will be going on a missions trip to Jamaica soon. They got a portion of the proceeds. Kennedy wore herself out on the play set while we girls chatted the night way. We practically closed Chick-fil-a down. Hey - when you're 30 your Friday nights are pretty exciting!

Saturday morning I went for a long run with Courtney. Despite feeling crummy she's such an awesome friend that she made muffins and sent me home with a container full of them. They were so delicious. I can't really describe them and do them justice but they were nice and moist with whole blueberries in them and had a crunchy cinnamon and sugary mixture on the top - ahhhmazing. After helping myself to three of those I read all my cards and opened my gift from Tim. He gave me three books I had really been wanting and two of them are for us to do a join study which really excites me. Go hubby! The cards I got this year were hilarious - I would relay but it would be one of those "you had to be there things". 

Saturday afternoon and evening I scrapbooked with Laura, the kids played and Tim and Will watched UK play. I know it may not seem so exciting to scrapbook but it's something I love and rarely have time for so it actually was a nice little birthday treat.

Sunday I went to church and got a really incredible gift from Elizabeth - she and Justin decided to attend church with Tim and I. She's been wanting to get into a church for a while now but something has kind of always been in the way and we've been dying for them to come try our church because we love it so much and have grown to really feel at home there. After much asking she and Justin decided to come this past Sunday and seriously she couldn't have given me a better thing for my birthday. It was awesome to have a friend there with me and Matthew (Elizabeth's son) had so much fun. Kennedy and he wanted to hold hands and didn't want us helping them to and fro. They danced and clapped during Kidstuf and just seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. It really made my heart happy. I hope they come again soon!

Just because the weekend ended didn't mean the celebrating did (I am so blessed) - more on that to come.

Valentines Weekend

It's been a good weekend. Friday evening we ordered pizza (seriously - what's easier and better at the end of the week) and then played Qwirkle with Tim's Mom. Saturday was a busy day - Tim took Kennedy to a party at the Lexington Humane Society while I kept baby Eli so Billie and Derek could have a Valentine's date. How cool is a Humane Society party? Kennedy and her friends apparently had lots of fun seeing and learning about the shelter animals. It was so fun having a baby in the house and he just cooed and gurgled and I loved every minute of it!

Seriously - the butt couldn't be any cuter!

After Billie and Derek picked up Eli, Tim and I headed to drop Kennedy off a the church. Our youth group was offering child care for $3/hour to raise money for their upcoming trip. Let me just tell you how exciting that is seeing as how we don't really have a regular baby sitter - mainly because we can't afford one! We went to Qdoba and then to see the movie Valentine's Day. The theater was crazy packed and the staff had to walk around and ask people to move to make more seating room - INSANE! Today we went to church and then Kennedy and I made a heart shaped strawberry cake for Daddy. She's such a good little kitchen helper. We ordered take-out tonight from Red Robin and as usual it was Yuuuuuummmmm. Everyday when Kennedy gets home I ask her how her day was and then I ask her "what did you do today". The only answer I ever get is "I played with Play Doh". So...naturally since she has such a fondness for Play Doh, Tim and I gave her a Play Doh stamp set as her Valentine's present - she was most pleased with our selection.

Themes + cooking - what's better?

Our church has small groups that meet weekly called Activate groups. Tim and I joined one shortly after we started attending Southern Acres, but each semester you can sign up for different ones and that way you can meet more people and develop community. So...we are in our second Activate group and we meet on Tuesday nights. So far we are really enjoying our group.

Anyhow - each week instead of the hostess's being responsible for providing food there is a theme for the week and everyone brings a dish. People - I LOVE a theme. Oh my word, how I love a theme.

Last week was Mexican night and the possibilities seemed endless really. I am a serious Mexican food junkie so I wasn't really sure what I would make until a few days after the "Mexican theme" announcement I saw this recipe and I knew - it was the one.

The Yummy Ingredients:

This directions in this recipe call for the use of a food processor. Problem was: I didn't have one. Silver lining - I have a super good friend who got a fancy schmancy one for Christmas and I knew she'd be nice enough to let me use it. That's when you know it's a good friend - when they'll let you use something they've not had long themselves. Thanks Courtney - couldn't have made it without your awesome Christmas gift. I am totally convinced now that I NEED one! I present...the Mother of all food processors (don't be jealous girls....Court cooks quite a bit - she deserves it!).

The final product - doesn't it make your mouth water. It should......it was delicious!

The mess it leaves after making - not so delicious. Oh well - part of it, right?

This week's theme was breakfast and I made these tasty little treats. They received rave reviews and they were pretty darn easy. Next weeks theme - Italian. I am drawing a blank, though I am sure Pioneer Woman can fill it. Anyone have any good Italian recipes? Like I said, I love a theme.