Happy Birthday to Me!

Last Wednesday was my birthday and it was amazing, like always.

I got dressed up for work and felt beautiful. My coworkers took me to lunch for sushi and we celebrated with lemon meringue pie.

Lorien brought me presents, including a target gift card, a tshirt with different sayings from Friends and a cupcake book. My coworker Tina brought me beautiful flowers and a puzzle.

After work my phone died so I don't have any pictures from dinner with my family, but it was beyond amazing. We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant in town and it was delicious!

I am very blessed to be surrounded by my family so often, but especially on my birthday. I got a gift card to target, a gift card for a facial (I've never had one before), a watch, cupcake liners, a new dress, shoes, a blouse and new earrings.

Then I opened my gift from Patrick. Tickets to see Jason Mraz in Santa Barbara in September. It's a one night show and I cannot wait!

I wish I had more photos, but it is what it is..

Happy Birthday Leah!

Leah's birthday is on the 19th, however the kids were with us this weekend, so a celebration was planned a few days early. Friends, family, Patrick on the barbeque, cake, ice cream and presents. What more could an 11 year old need?

I had a lot of fun sitting around talking to my parents and my in-laws while the big girls played in the spa, Isabel played on the swing on the hill and the boys played out front.



Funfetti!

We got home around 9:30pm last night and I immediately got down the mixer and started making cupcakes. Until I realized I didn't have any oil... Being the amazing husband he is, Patrick offered to run to the store and get some for me.

I love that man..

Patrick brought home the funfetti cake mix and funfetti frosting after I called him from work in a panic that I didn't have enough time to stop and get some between work and Isabel's birthday dinner. I didn't want to be the mom who didn't bring treats for school and I also didn't want to be the  mom who brought store bought. I don't think there's anything wrong with store bought for the record. I just love to bake and birthday's (especially your child's birthday) is the perfect excuse to do so.

I made 24 mini cupcakes and 10 regular size cupcakes. There was enough batter left over to make regular size cupcakes and I didn't want to let it go to waste. Today is my best friend's birthday, so I'm bringing the 10 cupcakes with me to work to help her celebrate.

Happy Birthday Lorien!

Waiting for the oil.

Mini cupcakes.

Regular size cupcakes.

Perfection.

Mini- post frosting.

Regular- post frosting.

Can we be done with birthday's now?

Saturday we will be celebrating Leah's birthday (which is really on the 19th, but she won't be here for her actual birthday). The 21st is my co-worker's birthday. The 23rd is my father-in-law's birthday. Then mine on the 27th and Rachel's on the 28th.

Sometimes I feel like March is worse than Christmas..

Happy Birthday Bug!

Hope it was a great one!

I feel like, at least on this end, it was pretty successful..

365 days until you're 6!

And now I'm off to bake cupcakes for your pre kindergarten class.

Happy Birthday Isabel!

My little girl is five years old today. I know it's cliche, but it's like I blinked and she grew up. And yet after five years I can still remember everything about the day she was born..

And now she is five. She will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. She's reading and writing, she's incredible in every sense of the word. She's so smart and so beautiful and so many things. I couldn't be more proud of anything that I've done in this lifetime.

It hasn't been easy. At all. On top of the smiles and cries, the terrible twos and trecherous threes and fucking fours we've experiences so much. From heartbreak to custody battles to court dates to name changes to a constant stress of "what if?" I can only hope that one day she will be proud of what I have done and how she was raised.

No matter what has happened or what will happen, this little girl is loved more than anything by a lot of people. A lot of good people who have been here through it all. I cannot begin to thank everyone for their help over the years!

Happy Birthday Love!

Today is Patrick's 34th birthday!

Happy birthday babe! Hope your day was wonderful (even if you did have to work all day) and I hope dinner was delicious (even if the waitress refused to pick up the empty cups).

This year was a good one, but I'm hoping the next year is even better!