I am officially 23 + 10, 1 week and 1 day

Just kidding. . . I really did celebrate my birthday for the entire week last week. .. but I wouldn't go back to my 20s for anything. I LOVE being in my 30s. I'm much more accepting of myself. . . although I still have quite a way to go. . . Well, I love everything about my 30s except these little forehead lines that I see creeping up. I've started researching face creams. Anybody know of anything worth trying?

Although Monday was my actual date of birth. . . I celebrate all week!!! It started the day before my birthday with my family.

My in-laws had our family over for lunch after church. My mother in law had BOTH birthday cake and chocolate delight. So very yummy to my sugar-deprived tummy.

That night after church Jon and the kids and I headed to Buffalos. . .

For. . . you guessed it? WINGS!!!

I so love these calorie-laded, artery clogging, morsels of goodness to my taste buds. However, my birthday is the only day I will eat them guilt free. Any other time I eat them I feel I need to go and run 20 miles and go on a juice fast for 3 solid days.

The day of my actual birthday my friend Angela H. and I ran a 12-miler, I came home and got the kids ready to go to this ministry our new church has. . . The Tabitha Ministry. More on that later. . . but oh what a precious day it was. .. to sit in the counsel of these older women. My other friend Angela L. (I've 2 friends named Angela) were the youngest chicks in there. But, oh, what a precious time we had.

I then later met Angela L. at the track and she and my kids ran. I helped watch her little girl. . . somewhat. . . her little girl wanted to run with her mommy. It was fun to hang out for a little while.

The kids and I came home, finished up school. . . I treated myself with a nap on the couch.

We got up and headed to band practice.

This day was precious to me. My phone rang off the hook, I got text after text after text, my facebook overflowed with such love from friends and family wishing me a happy birthday. I really feel so very unworthy to have so many amazing people in my life. I just thanked God over and over again for being so good to me.

Tuesday night my sweet friends took me out for dinner.

Jennifer makes me this cake EVERY year for my birthday. I can pass up a lot of things, but this cake certainly isn't one of them. The piece I cut for myself took up my entire plate.

The restaurant closed at 9:00. . . so we headed to Jennifer's car to finish talking. With 4 women together 2 hours is NOT enough time to say everything that needed to be said. Going out to eat and then to Jennifer's car is becoming quite a tradition. Normally I can't hang with these girls because they go to bed about the time I get up. . . Ha!Ha!. But. . . the birthday girl just couldn't bail on her own party.

I hung until 11:30!!! Can I get a what?what? (as this little boy on Jon's basketball team would say)

Funny thing is, the next day I told Jon we went to the car about 9:00 and all left around 11:30. He was floored!!! He told me that was the difference between guys and girls. If that were a bunch of guys, they would have run out of things to talk about after about 10 minutes. . . I'm so glad I'm not a guy!!!

Thursday I went over to Jennifer's for lunch. Her kids were so sweet. They wanted to make sure we were still getting together as we normally do for birthday. Normally she will have me over for lunch and that yummy cake. Time flew waaaayyyy to quickly. . . but we had a WONDERFUL time!!!

Friday I met my Mom in Macon.

She brought me what we both teased was a piece of cake.

We all just stuck our forks in it and dug in. . . I think we each got 2 bites. . . ha!ha! Mama knows how I'm always watching my waistline. . . and I know she knew it would be wasteful to buy anything bigger than what she did.

To end my birthday week, Tiffani took me out to my favorite restaurant here in town. I so loved catching up with her and hanging out. Life keeps us both very busy, and we don't get to hang out as much as we both would like. I think we stayed maybe close to 4 hours? We got to talk about from everything about what I'm going to do with my stinkin' hair (can you tell I'm trying some new things with it) to matters close and dear to our hearts. We should have talked about these stinkin' forehead lines that are popping up on my forehead. . . oh dear. . . definitely next time.. .

Grace. . . God's Grace. . . I certainly don't deserve this life He's blessed me with. . . but I am ever, so very, very grateful for His grace. . . for the people He has put in my life. . . for the family and friends I have. . . for my amazing children and precious husband. A birthday week would certainly be void and empty if each and every one of these people were not apart of it.

Thank you all for making me feel so special, for your gifts of love, for your sweet words, but most of all. . . for loving me.