Happy, happy days

I know having so many birthdays around the holidays was challenging for my parents and that a wedding two weeks after Christmas and another wedding was a bit crazy for Eric's parents. :) But, man! am I grateful to have so much to celebrate as soon as the new year rolls around. It makes for the most delightful transition out of the Christmas season. I'd be lost without it.

Last week we celebrated my birthday and our 7th wedding anniversary! Hip, hip hooray! The morning of my birthday the girls woke up and I could hear them busy in their room. They peeked out once or twice and shouted Happy Birthday, but then whispered to each other and ran back in their rooms. About ten minutes later, they popped out with self-administered diaper changes, fresh clothes completely chosen by themselves, and a "Surprise!!". I suppressed a chuckle at their combinations and gave them a big hug for their thoughtfulness. What sweeties I have!

Complete with accessories - note the hair bows and Lily is also wearing a necklace. :)

About half way through breakfast they were both visibly shivering (it actually does get cold here in the winter!) and so we went and changed into something a little more appropriate for the season. But I had to snap a picture first to remember their sweet gift. :)

That evening, Eric and I were able to go out on our first date since moving to Arizona nine months ago. Happy Birthday to me! We enjoyed a quiet dinner at Red Lobster and then stopped by Whole Foods afterwards to pick up ingredients for my birthday treat of choice - strawberry shortcake -- and birthday flowers for me!

I got sweet treatment from my girls, a nap, some reading time, a date with my love (and a rare night off work to spend with him - bonus!), and then a little celebration with my three favorite people in the world - a pretty perfect day. At bedtime, I got to lay in bed reading my book some more while Eric did the bedtime battle with the girls and I lay there feeling pretty content. I love my little family, our quiet home, and our good, good life. I am a very blessed woman.

After a date night famine (well official out of the house dates, at least), we got two in one week when we got to go out on Saturday to celebrate 7 years of us! My fantastic first cousin once removed (is that what your dad's cousin is to you??), Becky, and her sweet family took our girls for the evening. With our girls in good hands, Eric and I made a stop for some Indian food, saw The Hobbit, and then rounded off the night with ice cream.

Us in front of a rare sighting of grass. :)

And of course, a night out in Arizona wouldn't be complete without getting pulled over. I've never been pulled over in my life until we moved to Arizona - and then 3 times in 9 months and all for pretty ridiculous reasons - like the lamps over our license plate being out. Thankfully, it was just an excuse to check for drunk drivers and the officer kindly let us off with an admonition to fix the lamps because the highway patrol likes to write people up for that one. Whew! Anniversary saved. :)

All that aside, it was a lovely evening spent with my favorite guy in the whole world. We've dealt with some hard things over our seven years, but in a way, I'm so grateful for all we've gone through together because I love Eric more now than I ever thought possible. Which is saying something because I didn't think I could love him anymore than I did when we got married. I love that he really enjoys good food just like me, that we can stay up for hours just talking, that he dances with me, that he'll wholeheartedly jump in and help me with anything I take on, that we quote movie lines back and forth to eachother every day, that he writes me little notes, that he keeps me laughing, that he is such a hard worker, that he lets me cry and rant to him and just holds me, that he is such a romantic, and that we just "get" each other. The night we got engaged, after he proposed, he gave me a big hug and said, "I'm going to make you so happy!". And he totally has. More than I ever dreamed was possible. He is my best friend and I know with him, I can do anything. Happy Anniversary and here's to many, many more, my love!