a great birthday...

I turned 29 yesterday and I have to say it was a fantastic birthday...much better than last year! Last year's birthday was a little rough. We had spent the week at the beach with my family (that part was great), but on my actual birthday, we embarked on a nightmarish 8 hour drive home. Avery screamed about 75% of the way home, Kyla was cranky from listening to her sister, it was about 110 degrees outside, and we were all stressed out. The best part of the trip was a stop at Chili's for dinner and a $3 Margarita.

That is why I had to chuckle yesterday when Sarah told me our fantastic neighbors, Stacie and Matt, were giving us a gift card to Chili's for my birthda! We made the connection about last year and decided to make Chili's a birthday tradition!

So anyway, Sarah let me sleep in yesterday and I awoke to a breakfast of fruit-filled crepes! What a great way to start the day! We enjoyed the beautiful morning with a stroll through the neighborhood and I returned for a cup of coffee.

After spending the late morning and afternoon working on some photography, we hopped in the car and drove just across the state line to a small goat farm. What birthday is complete without goats??? Actually, we sometimes get Avery's goat milk from the farm because it's cheaper and healthier (in case you're wondering, our daughter is allergic to cow dairy). Plus, the owners of the farm love kids and our girls come alive when they see all the goats, chickens, cats, and dogs.

On the way back from the farm, we stopped at Chili's and had a great dinner. We quickly headed home, though, because it was getting close to bedtime and I had plans to go bowling with the guys from our Lifegroup. Upon arriving home, I checked the mail and got a good laugh from my Dad's Obama birthday card. On the cover beside a cartoon picture of Obama, it reads "Can you have a great birthday? Yes you can!" On the inside, "Did I get you a present? No I didn't!" Nice choice Dad!

So I grabbed my socks and my camera and headed with Patrick to the lanes. It had been a while since I bowled, but I was quite proud of my 136 on the first round. I got a little tired on the second round and only bowled a 101. We finished up and it was still quite early, so we headed over to a nearby bar, The Beantown Tavern, for a beer and nachos. Much to our surprise it was Karaoke night!

I had always secretly dreamed of rocking it out on some Karaoke, but I had never had the chance outside of the high school parties at a friend's house where we would use her dad's laser disc karaoke setup to scream "Welcome to the Jungle" in order to impress the ladies. So with a little coercion from the guys, I hit the stage. The only problem? I froze when it came time to pick a song. The only one that popped in my mind was Georgia Satellite's "Keep Your Hands to Yourself!" It's one of my favorites and I must say I did a rather fine job. But then again, I think everyone thinks they sound good while singing karaoke.

A little while later, an older guy who had tried his best to sing a few songs came over to wish me a happy birthday (the DJ made mention of that fact before I sang). This guy cracked me up because he looked extremely similar to Hank on King of the Hill, but with a big cowboy hat! He shook my hand and asked me how old I was. When I replied, "29," he turned away, rolled his eyes as to say, "you good-fer-nuthin whipper snapper," and then he flicked me off with a smile! I lost it and said to Patrick, "now my birthday is complete. Crepes, goats, fajitas, a margarita, bowling, karaoke, and now I've gotten the finger from an old cowboy!" Here are a few pictures from the day: