feeling celebrated

Yesterday was my birthday.  It was a wonderful day!  Kit took the day off and that was the best present ever!  I just love being with our WHOLE family.  Kit had been asking me what I wanted to do for weeks and I couldn't think of anything specific, except that I love getting birthday doughnuts first thing in the morning♥.

Kit had also been asking me for ideas of something that I wanted  for my birthday. I had no ideas...
But Kit knows me REALLY well...
I really like to experiment with creating things (Crafting, scrapbooking, knitting,  sewing...)  I usually try to do projects between nap times and after the kids are down since it's usually stuff that I don't want them to get into.  It's no fun to be working on a project while saying "No" and "PLEASE don't touch that..." and "You could loose a finger with that..." (Referring to either my paper cutter or sewing scissors.) I want projects to be fun for them too so unless Ryder is occupied with play dough or markers in his chair, projects have to be very strategically planned, and can often get put on the back shelf.  

Kit knows this about me.  He knows how life-giving it is for me to create and he is always trying to make space for me to do that...

So for my birthday, this was the gift from my sweet husband:

I AM THRILLED!  My mom has been sharing hers with me and I have loved that machine (Unless I had a problem with the bobbin and then I would just start cursing at it... I am growing...) Over the years I have been getting into little sewing projects more and more and with the invention of Pinterest, I have really been getting excited about doing it more.

So Kit gave me my gift the evening on Wednesday night, right after we had put the kids to bed so from 8-1030p, I read through the manual and figured out and experimented with different stitches... and I made a little sack for my sunglasses with some material that my sister-in-law had given me:

along with some gift card bags.

 The sewing machine also came with the offer to let me go to the fabric store to find material for some projects I have had in mind.

Here is what I left the store with:

So on our way back from the fabric store, we went to my FAVORITE Italian place for sandwiches: Cortina's!  (They have a deli and coming from an Italian family that owned an Italian deli, this place is legit!)  If you are in Anaheim, you have to go.  You will not be disappointed.

Then we headed back to our house and I got right to work on sewing!

I recovered pillows, and made a skirt for Eden and made more bags for gifts... I was in heaven!

Then after everyone was up from their naps, we headed over to meet our niece Staley!  Kit was able to visit in the hospital but Ryder, Eden, and I still hadn't met her.

Their first pictures together:

(Their coloring could not be more different...)

I can already see going up to the cabin and Staley getting her little tan while my kiddos are applying 75 spf and still burning...) 

 Ryder was very gentle with his new cousin:

 Trying to get all three in a picture right before the girls needed to eat:

(Eden's lip kills me!)

With the girls:

(with full tummies)

It was a wonderful birthday!

32 is feeling pretty good.  I am so excited for all that this year holds!

(I am 9 days older than Kit and I tease my 31 year old husband how much maturity happened in those 9 days.

He teases me that he loves being married to an older woman. )

Kit Rae~
Thank you for loving me so well and celebrating me.  I love how well you know me.  I love sharing life with you!  I couldn't love you more...