Hillary is 29!

Ok, so we have this thing about celebrating an event for an entire week. My birthday week started on March 4. Every day since then, up until my birthday on the 11th, Sean and the kids were showering me with love. I got a new lavender plant (my fave), a strawberry plant, and a flower plant (no clue what it's called!). I also got a pound of See's Milk Chocolate Bordeaux, love notes, and a Cinnabon for dessert one day. My big present (and what I had strongly hinted I'd love) was an egg cooker. I'm completely clueless in the kitchen and, after several attempts, have deemed myself incapable off cooking hard-boiled eggs. This little contraption is much like a rice cooker, but for eggs. You put in the eggs, a little water, then press a button and it cooks it for you, then beeps when done. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited to finally be able to make egg salad, deviled eggs, etc.

I'm so grateful for this show of love for an entire week, especially since most of my actual birthday was spent in bed or on the couch with some sort of virus. Yea me. Ugh!

At least I wasn't alone. Sean was sick as well. His illness lasted two days, but included chills and fever. Mine lasted about 3 days, but I skipped the fever and chills and I'm just achy and exhausted!

Sean's birthday week started on Tuesday, but since we've been sick and tired this week I haven't been as diligent at doing something each day. He's just gotten a card and his favorite ice cream so far. I'm hoping we get better this weekend so we'll have more fun on his actual birthday - Monday March 16.

My birthday started off well, though I couldn't figure out why I couldn't shake the tiredness out of me, which is why I look exhausted in this photo taken at about 7:45am. The reason for a picture so early in the morning? I had always wanted to have all my kids before I was 30. Although I had James when I was 27, it dawned on me this birthday morning that I had actually accomplished that goal, so I wanted to document it.

After I dropped off the girls at school I took my little boys out to breakfast at Mimi's Cafe so I could have an excuse to buy myself a buttermilk spice muffin. They are so yummy!

Some of my friends were asking me how it felt to be 29. Since they, too, are turning 30 with me next year, they asked if I felt "old." I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to 30. I'm ready to embrace it. I give credit to my mom for always embracing her age. She is so excited for each of her birthdays that she never hides it and is always willing to tell anyone how old she is when they ask. Because of her example I'm ready to greet each new year with the attitude of "Yea! I'm still here!"

Course, I still have another year to change my mind.