Birthday...

So, today was my 33rd birthday. Could anyone have noticed outside of the house, nah. It was just another day. Did dishes, fixed meals, did laundry, argued with the kids. Only difference is now when someone asks my age I have to remember to say 33. Does it really matter anymore? Sometimes I think we should just go by 10's. Go a whole year saying we are 30, then when we hit 40, now THAT'S something to celebrate, or mourn...

The kids made an effort to make me feel special today... saying "Happy Birthday" as soon as I came downstairs and then several more times as I was making them breakfast. They are truly sweet and still see the importance of celebrating every birthday. Randy asked me if I was going to have any friends over for my party today! I did manage to get to the store and buy some cupcakes to eat. However, after only one, I had had enough. Sweets don't agree well with me and this little one. I AM craving an apple, though, and I can't find any store around here that has any really crunchy ones!! I can't do mushy... it has to be CRISP and CRUNCH with just the right amount of juice... ok, I need to stop talking about it cause now I REALLY want one! Speaking of cravings...

In my past, I've always gone to Red Lobster and had Crab for my birthday. It was something my dad always took me out for. Mom and I LOVE crab and we don't get it very often so Dad rewarded us with a trip to RL. (That way he doesn't have to stand the smell of it in the house when we steam it ourselves!) I managed to go last year when my in-laws took us to the Lobster place, now, however... it's not that simple! The nearest Red Lobster is 30 miles away and there is ice on the ground.. something almost unheard of in Texas on the 9th of December!!! But I made do. I bought some fake crab meat and some cocktail sauce and pretended. I also bought some crab cakes that I will more than likely indulge in tomorrow when everyone is gone. At least the fish I ate in the fake crab meat was good for the baby!

I do miss a tradtion we always did when I was growing up. My family would always go and pick out our Christmas Tree on my birthday. It was our special family outing after we went to RL. We always took forever to find the perfect one, and we usually did finally agree on one! I tried to keep up the tradtion but with little kids we've taken to artificial. I miss the smell of a real tree, the look of the real tree, but I have to admit, having a pre-lit tree sure is nice! No remembering to water, no dead needles to clean up! Now that I've found a Yankee Candle that smells like pine, it works! I put it near the tree so when I walk by I can still smell it!

But, I'm making new traditions for my little family. I enjoyed playing in the snow, the kids have been doing an advent calendar (with chocolate!) given to them by a cadet, we talked about the ornaments we put on the tree, they've made some ornaments and we will make more in the coming weeks... and can't forget the sugar cookies! We decorated about 120 of them last night and are sending them in with Jason for the cadets. I kept some out for us to enjoy, but I decided that instead of keeping them and eating them, or throwing them away when they get stale, we will send a little bit of "home-away-from-home" in for the cadets about to start finals next week! I've also been making some morale bags for each of our 150 cadets... I'll post about that later when I get them all done. So, I guess I've been keeping busy.

And now that this post has become a novel, it's time to sign out. I hear the rain falling outside and the grass is glistening in the lights from the ice. It's pretty knowing I don't have to get out in it tomorrow! It's supposed to keep up all night and into tomorrow. Not calling for snow, just yucky showers with ice. Makes it hazardous instead of fun! I'm going to finish watching Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and then go to bed! I've been waiting patiently for this to come out so I can finally see it! Arrrrr.. I love me pirates, savy?