birthday girl

I turned 33 yesterday! I have always been a big fan of birthdays -- my own and everyone else's -- but for some reason I was a little grumpy about this year's. I'm not sure why because it wasn't like it was a significant year or anything. And this was my first birthday as a mommy so that is very special on its own. 

My dad used to make my sister and I birthday pancakes every year, which is a tradition I'd like to continue with Abigail. However old we were, that is how many pancakes he would make. So as we got older and older the pancakes got smaller and smaller and we would have a big pile of them on the plate. Betty (my mother-in-law) knew about this tradition and she made the two of us pancakes for breakfast. So thoughtful and sweet. 

I spent the afternoon at Polk State listening to my horn students' juries. They did pretty well overall, although one of them hacked through his scales pretty terribly. I suppose I can empathize as I remember struggling with some scales during my own undergrad juries.

When I got home there was a cheery bouquet of flowers sitting on the front porch from my sweet friend Halle. I love the little birds perched in the arrangement!

Robert and Betty made a delicious birthday dinner and a red wine velvet cake for dessert. The recipe came from my new smitten kitchen cookbook and it used TWO CUPS of red wine. That's my kind of cake. Robert did a great job but I didn't get a picture so I'll steal yet another image from the internet.

After dinner I sat down to open some packages that came in the mail several days ago. It's a really big deal that I didn't open the boxes days ago because I have always had the hardest time waiting to open gifts. When I was a little girl my parents would have to hide my gifts from me because I knew how to slide a letter opener under the tape, unwrap the gifts, and wrap them back up. Sneaky little girl. I suppose it's time I grew up and learned some patience. :) My sister Bethany mailed me a beautiful black-and-white-swirly-pattern! blanket and the cutest flamingo scarf. It's subtle, no?

My dearest friend, Marci, mailed me a copy of her family's cookbook that she designed and created herself. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful and sentimental this cookbook is. Her mom also made me a black-and-white-swirly-pattern! cover for my Kitchenaid mixer. To top off the gifts, my mother and father-in-law gave me a bunch of my favorite chocolates from the beloved Nifty Nut House in Wichita and a fun yellow Wichita State t-shirt that I will proudly wear. Such thoughtful gifts!

Thanks, also, to my friends and family who read this blog who sent me birthday cards and messages or sang happy birthday over my voice mail! xoxo! Until next year...