today is my birthday. i love birthdays. when i was little, i would get soooo excited as the month of october would roll around and each day i would be filled with a little more anticipation. as far as i am concerned...and i have always thought this...october 24th is the best day for a birthday. i would always get to have halloween birthday parties; it is well into fall (my favorite season); the weather is getting cooler (if we are lucky); it is an even number (everyone in my family was born on an even number); and the anticipation of the holidays is upon us...a perfect time to celebrate ME!! last year, u2 was actually in houston for a concert at this time and chad surprised me with great seats for my birthday. that was one of the greatest times ever!! anyhow, i am turning 32 at about 5:30 pm. there, i said it. i say it this way because i am still holding on tight to 31. i had it all planned out. this was going to be the year that i strategically lost a year. i figured that this would be the year that no one would notice. it is not a big milestone, like 30 or 21 and who really remembers what year i was born? (except maybe my mom and dad...and i was prepared to let them in on my plan and felt they would play along.) so, it was all planned out...i am turning 31. and it was working perfectly. chad actually played right into the palm of my hand by asking, "how old are you going to be again?" i replied...very convincingly, i might add..."31". he totally believed me too, until he went and ask his mom how old his sister was (he knows that she is only several months older than me) and she told him 32. oh well. turns out, it would not have worked anyways. my brother, totally unaware of the plan, decided that this would be the year that he would make me a shirt that says "the tres-dos" on the front, and "seventy four" (the year i was born) down the sleeve. now if that didn't blow my cover, what would? how funny AND ironic is that? as if God was saying thru him, "there's no hiding it and no reason to." kevin (my brother who lives in alaska) and i have kind of started this tradition where we make each other t-shirts for our birthdays...because, let's face it...one can not have too many cool t-shirts. last year, i sent him one that said "say uncle" on the front with a number 3 under that... you know...because he has 3 niece and nephews. and then he sent me one that said "say aunt" with a huge 00 under that because he obviously does not have children, (although he forgot that i had 2 nieces that i adore who live in iowa)...but i understood and appreciated the sentiment. and that brings us to today. i was getting chase in his carseat to take him to school and found the tightly taped box in the back seat of the van that was addressed to "SISTER". chad must have got it out of the mailbox and forgotten to give it to me. anyhow, i was so excited to open it. just as excited as i was to open a present when i was little. i was tearing into it in the parking lot at the school, waiting for chase's teacher to come out to get the kids because i am an instant gratification kind of girl with absolutley no patience when it comes to these things...
side note: chad just called me to see if i had checked the blog today and i had not. so i just went and saw the sweet post he made and all the responses. how meaningful and thoughtful. thanks baby!! now you all understand his title! :)
...and it was a starbucks alaska mug (i am collecting the starbucks city/state mugs from the places that are important to me for one reason or another. i have houston, austin, atlanta, and now alaska so far) and that t-shirt. my first birthday present to un-open this year. i love it. i will wear it proud...and i'll wear 32 proud too.
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9 comments:
Karen and I want to wish a Happy Birthday Minday! I was going to buy you a t-shirt that said something about your 3 nieces. JK!
kyle
Happy Birthday, Miss Mindy!
We are thinking about you on your special day! We thank God for you and your friendship! Have a super day!
amber & the boys :)
bla bla b 32 gracefully babble bla blababble i'll wear 32 proud babble bla bla...
face it - you're getting old(halfway to 64) no matter how you spin it.
74 was a good year though - i think it's the first time i ate cat poo out of the sandbox.
Happy Birthday Mindy!
So, are you 30, 31, 32, 33, or 34?
Love,
Kristina,Chris, Connor and Cayden Alford
o.k. mr. smarty pants (chad & kyle) when i wrote "i HAD 2 nieces"...i meant that i "had" (passed tense). last year, when kevin sent that shirt, ava was just a sparkle in your and karen's eye. of course, i would never forget about her...but at that point in the story, she was not even conceived yet. so simmer down you two!!
okay the other thing that is the same about us is the starbucks mugs. we have pike place (the original starbucks in seattle i think), tampa, calgary, and our newest - orlando. my friend maggie gave that to me just before we left. i guess i haven't officially been trying to collect them, but i do like that i have them and i wouldn't mind having more. now i guess i will have to get chicago. one question, do you have your blog set up so when people post comments, you automatically get an email? or do you have to come back here and check for comments?
ginger...i take it as a compliment that tj says we think alike as a compliment too. (you didn't forget why we were friends did you? :) ) i LOVE the way you thnk!! you're killing me with the skinnier number thing though. to me, evens are way more comfortable...odds are very uncomfortable for me. however, the fact that you got the whole number thing is a miracle itself. everyone else is probably thinking "what the heck are they talking about?" that is what makes our conversations so good. there are aspects that only we get. i do not get an e-mail when someone comments...but now that you say that...i want to.
Dearest Sis-
If you’re anything like me (and I’m sure you are) then you will be waking up the morning after your birthday to search for those late or overlooked happy birthday wishes that might be there (i.e. emails, mailbox, possible phone calls, ect..). Therefore, I am certain you will be getting this late birthday jibber-jabber first thing Wednesday morning. For that, I apologize. The tardiness is inexcusable. I would however, like to remind you of my “on-time” phone call placed on the evening of your hunkey-dorie day. I really did have a one-man-band standing by with a b-day jingle waiting for my signal. I hired him for the entire day due to not knowing when I would get a hold of you. He followed me all day to all my classes, with knee cymbals crashing together and a massive base drum on his back booming every step he took. Not to mention, every time I would make a joke to my students, I would hear a faint dull whistling sound. That of course was his breath beating into his harmonica around his face and barely sounding as he silently held back his own laughter. Anywho, by the time the phone call was made, we were in the truck and he had no room to perform. By that time, I was sick and tired of his eye rolling and constant criticism anyways. For this, I am sorry. The thought was there and I really wanted to do something special. I wish I could have been there for the b-day dinner with the family. Whether it’s 31, 32, or…64, I love you and miss you very much. I have quickly realized the downfall of being up here and will miss the time I could be having with ya’ll.
-brother
Mindy. Sorry, I (we) are a day late. You were a cute kid too. Now a beautiful woman. Loved by family and friends. Hope you had a great day. I would have loved sitting with all three of them. We miss you so much. xxxooo Love you,
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