all about MY birthday!

My birthdays just keep getting better and better!!!  woohoo for 32!  incidentally both Kent and I stuttered to remember just how old I turned yesterday when people asked.  I think it was 30 when I stopped thinking about the number and just started celebrating the day!!

My day was stupendous.  I've said it before and I'll say it again- I am all about celebrations!  There's been all that social media jabber about 'bringing holidays down a notch'- but I don't get it!!  Let the people celebrate any which way they please!  I love my birthday.  I love to be spoiled. I love to overindulge on food and friends and fun on my birthday (and any other holiday I wish for that matter!!).

Kent is working in the PICU this month so unfortunately doesn't get weekends off- but he did get to pick three random days to have off- so my birthday was one of them!   We celebrated from sun up to sun down :)

I love to be happy and feel accomplished on my birthday so I was determined to do A LOT.  

I woke up with metta at six. happy birthday from her, huh? 

 Then cleaned bathrooms and the downstairs.  I felt like I'd done something good and the house was clean :)

Kent surprised me with breakfast from McDonalds (what is it about their breakfasts!?!?  it's a meal I always want but NEVER get!).  We went to the gym and I put in a run and then taught a spin class.

My pal offered to watch our kiddos at lunch time and Kent and I got my much anticipated childfree Target shopping spree :)  My mom sent me a giftcard via facebook and so I bought myself a purse! I love it.

 After Target we returned home and I did some baby pictures for a friend.  I really really love to take pictures.  I don't consider myself a photographer as much as I see photography as a hobby.  I just love doing it. 

I'm trying my darndest to try and get better with my editing and photoshop skills.   The learning curve is steep!

So here's a question- of these two pictures- which do you like best?  I don't want to over edit and over do pictures- I like the natural look- but I don't want them underwhelming either.  Should I try to find a medium between these two types of editing?  is one overwhelmingly better than the other? thoughts?

And then I made myself a birthday cake.  Carrot cake is really the only cake I truly love. and the cream cheese frosting. So so tasty.  I even did the lovely carrots.  I am so domesticated.  This recipe is even better than last years!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cups white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup buttermilk 3 cups grated carrots 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained.  I put my chunks in the blender to make a puree.

2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two round 9 inch cake pans.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir in carrots, vanilla, and pineapple. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gently stir into carrot mixture. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3.	Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.  When cool put frosting between and all round :)

Kent and I got a sitter and went out for a late lunch/early dinner to a Japanese Sushi/Hibachi place.  It was so much fun. and we were the only ones in the entire restaurant!  Our Hibachi guy was a young guy who'd just moved here form Japan.  His accent was so thick and we didn't understand a thing he said.  So much in fact Kent took a shot of Sake thinking it was water!! The guy sprayed it into his mouth for quite some time until Kent started gagging and telling me it was burning!  I was laughing SO SO hard.   I'd tasted liquor a few times accidentally in Russia- but this was Kent's first experience.  It made my birthday!  I told him to just swallow- but he ended up sputtering it out into his glass!   He also ate a bunch of raw fish.  He loves sushi now.  I still can't do the raw slimy fish.

Finally last night I went to book club that I turned into my birthday party :)  It was great to be with friends and laugh and talk and eat some more.

Thanks to all of my great friends and family who made my birthday so so wonderful!  for all of the texts/messages/cards, etc.  It really was great.