Birthday Wish List.

My 30th birthday is coming up next month. Yes, 30!

 

 I am quite freaked out about it. Not that I feel like 30 is all that old (although I do still picture my mom as being about 37-ish, so me being 30 feels kinda strange), but it does feel very... significant. Heavy, maybe.

 

Having a birthday makes me take stock of my life. I like to spend a little time reflecting on the past year and planning a bit for the coming one. Usually it's not that big of a deal... I look back on my good memories, make some reasonable goals for the future, and go on with my life.

 

But the past year has been one that has affected me a lot, and not necessarily in positive ways. I started writing about it all, but I couldn't quite explain myself the way I wanted. And then I realized that in this case, ruminating wouldn't help me feel better anyway. But focusing on all the great things I have in my life will. So, I stopped being dramatic. Birthdays are supposed to be fun, right?!

 

So I deleted that post and decided to do one of my favorite things instead... shop! Well, kind of. I call it "internet wishing." I keep a record of things I spot as I surf the web that I would love to buy myself if I could. After a while, most things I decide I don't really adore after all, and I delete them from my virtual shopping cart. But the things that stick for weeks or months make it onto my official Wish List with hopes of someday being shipped to my waiting arms!

 

Well, seeing as how it's my birthday and all, and well, who doesn't love presents? I figured I would share the current list and maybe give the Hubs an idea or two. Plus, it's just way more fun to look at pretty things than to whine about your age. So here's what I'm wishing for to help me ring in 30...

 

This polka dot skirt from ModCloth. I die. Seriously, bury me in this.

 These black and white shoes from Sears. I've been wanting a pair of spectator pumps for years, but I've never found ones I love...until now.

These steam rollers. I throw my hair up in rollers pretty much everyday just because I hate that it's so stick straight. (We always want what we don't have, I know). My current set of rollers are in sad, sad shape. These will make a nice replacement.

I still really want this Lisa Leonard bracelet with my "theme" for the year on it. I feel like I need to be reminded of it now more than ever. And it's so cute too!

 

An iphone 5. I feel like the last person on the planet to get a smart phone. But seeing as how Obama doesn't pay my phone bill, I've opted out with good reason. I think I'm ready to join the 21st century though. Seeing as how I'm addicted to Google, I plan to thoroughly enjoy having constant access to it.

And of course, I require a black and white polka dot case to go along with the phone. One with my monogram on it would just be icing on the cake!

If I lived in fantasy land, I would also request a white Jeep Wrangler. Black hard top, beefy tires, please. (Other women get baby fever, I get car fever... and this is my current infection). But seeing as how the iphone is probably pushing boundaries as it is, I'll just keep dreaming...

Camper Girl.

Sonnet went camping with Nate and my dad last weekend. She had a ball! They fished and hiked and visited Lehman Caves and came home filthy and exhausted. My dad used to take me camping to the same area when I was the same age, so we were all a bit nostalgic about it too. I'm so glad Sonnet has such fun manly men in her life to take her out. (She took most of these pictures...)

Daddy's Day.

Nate is just the best Daddy. He's fun and patient and kind and adventurous and I swear both of our children think he hung the moon (with good reason). I'm so glad he's my husband and that Sonnet and Stetson have him in their lives. He is a good man who works hard for our family and we sure love him! Happy Father's Day, Nate.

Summer Fun.

I hate summer. I really, really do. It's long and hot and depressing. BUT, I have kids, so I can't sit around and mope for three months no matter how much I want to. To try to get myself in the spirit of things, and to help involve and entertain Sonnet, she and I made a list of 50 fun things we want to do together this summer! We brainstormed and she came up with tons of fun ideas, (it's interesting to hear what things she thinks are cool) and I filled in the rest. Some of the items are simple like making popsicles, going to the park, or painting pictures. Some of them are more involved like watching the water show at the Bellagio, going out to breakfast in our jammies, going to the lake to feed the fish, or going to the beach. But somehow, putting it down on paper makes it feel more special and Sonnet's had fun checking things off so far.

 

She also made a goal to read 500 books this summer. Very ambitious! And we're well on our way... Now, bring me some ice cream and turn up the A/C! :)

 (A "field trip" with friends to tour California Pizza Kitchen)

She Bikes.

At the beginning of the year, Sonnet decided that one of her goals for 2013 would be to learn how to ride her bike without training wheels. We go for a bike ride just about everyday, but until this week, she has never wanted to attempt to ride without her training wheels. Then a few days ago, she just up and told Nate to take them off. She was a little nervous at first (and she may or may not have crashed into a motorcycle that was parked on our street), but she kept at it and now she can totally ride without her training wheels! She's still a little shaky, but she gets better everyday and she is so proud of herself... and of course, we're totally proud of her too! Big kid milestone and all that. After she rode by herself for the first time, she hopped off the bike and said, "Well, I think the training wheels are trash!"