Happy 43rd Birthday to me!

Well...another year in the books, another year older, and (hopefully) another year wiser. I think the thing with getting "wiser" as you get older boils down to simply recognizing that you don't know everything. I guess therein lies the wisdom. There is a humility in "ignorance". There is a sense of realizing that everyone's story is so complex (and messy) and that there is no way you could possibly know everything. It's liberating to break free from the expectations of omniscience. It's relieving to embrace your limitations instead of try to hide them. I wish I could say I have perfected this, but I think I still have a few more years of wisdom yet to gain...and I'm excited to welcome this next year. There are so many people who try to hide their age. I am not one of them. I am 43 years old. I have earned every one of those years. They may not have been perfect years. There are mistakes and regrets that hindsight haunts me with; however, the present reminds me that without those bumps in the road, I would not have gained the "wisdom" I have nor be the person I am today. I would like to think that is a good person who is simply trying her best every day. I am grateful for grace. I am grateful for forgiveness because I know I am not perfect. I am grateful for second (and third...and fourth...) chances, and I am grateful for the times I get things right. I'm grateful for the people who chose to take a moment to celebrate me today. Some were friends that I only hear from once a year. Others were family members. All are loved and appreciated by me. As is the case with most years, I try my hardest to drag out my birthday celebrations. I enjoy the freebies or discounts I get at this time of year. I take advantage of any excuse to spoil myself without guilt. Jeff thinks I'm pretty funny because he could care less about how many times I decide to get a pedicure or how much money I spend on a new outfit, but I do. I have always tried to live a frugal life (and I would like to think we have reaped the benefits of my frugality). It's hard for me to spend money on myself when I think of what that money could be used for to benefit someone else or the family as a whole...but on my birthday, I drop the guilt and simply enjoy. One day, I cashed in on my Cafe Rio discount and free Crumbl cookie. 

I also enjoyed a nice pedicure on my actual birthday then a massage and a relaxing hour in a salt cave after I returned from NYC. (The salt cave was courtesy of a gift card Nichole and Krystle got me for my birthday. It's actually a really relaxing experience! You literally sit in a room full of Himalayan salt. The room is made up of salt bricks and there is tiny particles of salt pumped into the room. It is a detoxifying experience.)

On my actual birthday, Jeff and I picked up my birthday cake at Provo Bakery then walked to the Communal for brunch. I love traditions. This is something we've tried to do every year. There's been one or maybe two years that we couldn't go, but overall, this has been my birthday tradition. Some people might laugh at all my "traditions", but, to be honest, it's simply because I don't have to reinvent the holiday or birthday activities from year to year. So, in actuality, traditions help me be lazy. Haha! Still, it was a nice morning with Jeff. (That afternoon, I got my pedicure then that evening I worked on a puzzle as we binge watched some shows while it snowed outside. Just a perfect, quiet birthday.)

The day after my birthday was Sunday (March 6th). Jeff hosted a family dinner for my birthday. Scott, Kaia, Amber, Dallin, Gma Penny, Grumpy, Katie, and Greg joined us. There are only two dinners I get to sit out without feeling guilty - my birthday and Mother's Day...even though sometimes it's hard for me to watch others make dinner for me in my kitchen. (If you know...you know!) Yet, I love that they are willing and want to serve me in this way. We had my traditional chicken and mashed potatoes then indulged in the lemon cake. Jonas helped me blow out the candles; actually, I think I only had time to get one out before he finished blowing out the rest. It was the perfect way to round out my birthday weekend.