theBODIEblog: 30 + 1

Yesterday, Ashley turned one more year past 30, making her "30 plus one" years old. It's hard to imagine that at this time last year, Ashley was just days away from giving birth - and our lives were days away from changing (for the better) in a very dramatic way.

Although this year there was slightly less excitement in terms of shear number of people that helped to celebrate Ashley's birthday, we did have a grand-ol'-time.

Ashley's morning started off around 7:15 when her loving husband woke her up to the smell of freshly baked biscuits. After an enjoyable breakfast in bed, our little munchkin woke up. Eden must have know it was her Mom's birthday. Although I went into her room first and extended my arms to pick her up, Eden did a little side step toward Ashley ... happy birthday Momma!

I did have to leave around 8:00, but Ashley's parents made the trip over from Jackson so that she was not alone all day. They had a nice lunch at a local restaurant that serves fresh vegetables. Then, they came to campus for Ashley's birthday surprise! She has been talking about having family "portraits" made for a long time. So, I got into contact with a friend who is getting his MFA at LSU. He happened to know a few photographers. I got in touch with one (Kyle) who is an undergraduate double-major in photography and graphic design. Ashley was SO surprised! It was fun to see the look on her face.

After our consultation with Kyle, we set out for home ... well, Chip and I set out for the storage unit to pick up some patio furtniture for Eden's birthday party. Then we relaxed at home until Eden started getting sleepy (around 3:30). Ashley's parents hit the road to try and beat traffic (which is a hard thing to do in BR), and I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for "Salmon Delight" - Ashley's favorite. After dinner, we stopped by Eden's favorite part of the park - the dog park - and let her point, scream, and stare in amazement at all the puppies.

All in all, I think Ashley had a good birthday, but I suppose she'll add something to the end of this post (as well as some photos) that tell her side of the story.

Happy 30 + 1, Ashley!!!

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How did Graham know I'd want to add in some photos? ;) Yesterday, really was a wonderful birthday ... very low-key and lovely. Thank you to everyone who sent birthday messages - they all made me smile

To explain the "30 + 1" thing I keep saying ... since last year, I've been telling Graham that all of my birthdays from now on in my mind will always be "30 + something" (the something being Eden's soon-to-be age) since our birthdays are so close and seems appropriate to think of most things differently in life since she arrived. I know the only problem with this line of thought will occur when the next child arrives and I begin to feel guilty for framing my thinking about my birthday around Eden and not her sibling. Guess I should deal with that when it actually happens.

Anyhow, here are some pics taken throughout the day yesterday. Thank you Graham and Eden and Momma and Daddy and everyone who called and sent messages for helping make it such a wonderful day!