A Quarter of a Century

So I'm going to do something that I hate - write a post with no pictures. But alas, I feel I have to include this post for my family, especially my kids, to read later in life, so in the blog it goes.

On the 14th I turned 25. I've never been one to be concerned with aging. It's inevitable so why fight it? Plus I feel like I have a lot to show for being 25 so that part wasn't a big deal to me. I will admit I'm not huge on getting closer to being 30 then I am to being 20. =/

So I woke up in the morning to have my mother-in-law knock on my door about 5 minutes after I woke up. Mark had mentioned something about her wanting to take me shopping or something so I wasn't completely surprised. Then he gets home from work (he was working nights) around 8:15 and gives me my present - some new frying pans which I desperately needed. Then he tells me I have an appointment at The Essence of You at 9:00 so I better get going. So I got to go get a facial which is my absolute favorite thing about the salon.

When I got home I was getting into my dresser drawers and discovered Sobe bottles filled with tootsie rolls and airheads (love it) and best of all, love notes from my hubby. Mark doesn't just write your typical love notes either and it was probably my favorite present of the day. I took a little siesta and woke up from my nap to a knock on the door and found my sister, Miss, at my house. She informed me we were going shopping. Yea for shopping with sisters! Mark had stashed away a bunch of cash and Miss and I went to lunch and then went shopping and it was oh so wonderful!

The surprises didn't end there! At 6:00 my four best friends showed up at my door and we went to dinner at Olive Garden. It was SO great to get to visit with them and of course the food was delish. I got home thinking how wonderful my day had been and that it was so nice to have a day that was completely for me from start to finish. As I walked in the door I noticed the house had been decorated (something I do for everyone else on their birthday) and as I was looking around in surprise my sisters all jumped up from behind my kitchen counter and surprised me! They had cheesecake with fresh raspberries for me and we played games and laughed till we cried. It was the absolute perfect ending to the perfect day.

I've taken the time to write all this stuff, which I'm sure is quite boring to lots of people, for one reason - I want my kids to find someone who recognizes the importance of taking care of them. All the things I did on my birthday were absolutely wonderful and so much fun. But what meant the most was that Mark had obviously spent so much time planning a whole day for me and taking care of every detail. I've always thought that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they take care of their significant other. Mark may have his faults and not be as "sociable" as some people would like him to be. But the way he treats me should speak loud enough for everyone to know what a wonderful human being he is. I couldn't ask for a better husband and father and I truly want my boys to be like him and my girls to marry men like him. He is amazing and I am so grateful to have someone in my life that loves me the way Mark does. Love you Baby.