I am honored to have been chosen as featured blogger in March over at Alabama Women Bloggers. Please check out the page and see what I am writing about over there this month during my first ever feature!
The theme is “Have Suitcase, Will Travel”. So I spend a little bit of time talking about a few of my travel experiences.
My Man of the House is turning 25 this March! (Next week, actually.) I am one of those people that gets excited about birthdays for other people, well mainly just people I really care about. I want to make them exciting and a big deal. That’s just me. That’s why I have made a big deal out of all of our daughter’s birthdays and she’s only 3. Ha! I may be setting some future fella’ up for high standards in the future, what can I say, that’s my job. (;
I do not like the thought of being older and less able to do things for myself, etc. Who does like the thought of that? I’m the kind of person that just doesn’t dwell on it. 25 isn’t as “exciting” as 21, but it is still a birthday milestone. Man of the House is taking it harder than I expected anyone to take turning 25. So, I decided to make it an exciting week. Yes, week. A year ago we did the Love Languages test and believe it or not his strongest love language is receiving gifts. I would’ve never thought that about him because in almost 5 years he has never let on that those things mean something important to him. Add all of that together and I have formulated a plan for his birthday next week. (Keep in mind, there will be no 25th birthday PARTY celebration. He would kill me. I’ve planned little things from our daughter and me that he isn’t really expecting.)
SUNDAY: A tradition in his family is that the Sunday closest to your birthday, you pick out the entire menu and his mother cooks it for Sunday dinner at her house. Everyone comes over and eats with you, etc. Its mainly just immediate family: his parents, 3 siblings, they’re children and spouses BUT they’re immediate family is not small, so it’s like a little celebration for you that day. There is even cake and singing.
MONDAY: This is his actual birthday. He will wake up to 25 balloons that have 25 reasons why I love him wrote on them, a special “My Dad” project from Khloe (her answers are HILARIOUS), and for Dinner we will be having Chicken Salad. May sound weird, but I eventually got it out of him a while back what his all time favorite meal is. So why not have your all time favorite meal on your birthday?!
TUESDAY: I will leave him a birthday card to find when he is up getting ready for work signed/colored by Khloe and me. He’s been wanting a new pair of boots for a while, so I created a gift certificate from a template off line for $$ towards a new pair of boots. That will be in the card when he opens it. Plus that night my grandparents invited us over for dinner already a few weeks ago. Now that they realize its the day after his birthday, they are cooking steaks and getting him a cheesecake since he doesn’t like cake. Score! (;
WEDNESDAY: I am going to leave a basket with some of his favorite things for him to find when he gets home from work. Things like twizzlers, starbursts, beef jerky, and a box of Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies. Plus whatever I find in the store while I’m getting the candy.
THURSDAY: I stole an idea from Find Joy in the Journey ( http://shannonbrown.typepad.com/life_in_general/lets-go-on-a-date.html ) I have created a basket of 12 envelopes filled with monthly dates for a year starting in April. And a few of them I have already bought tickets for (Hello, Groupon!). Woo hoo.
FRIDAY: That morning I am going to leave him a letter laying on his work clothes for him to read on the ride to work. I want to tell him why I’ve been celebrating his birthday all week, how thankful I am for him, and that I hope I get to see his next 25 birthdays, etc. Because it is Friday, and I am sure he will be glad to reach Friday after working all week AND I will probably be glad to have finally given him everything without getting so excited and giving it all to him early (HA!), I am going to buy him/us a 6 pack of beer and hope it’s warm enough for sitting on the back patio and relaxing. If not, the couch and living room and some DVR will work well enough. (:
Now, let the planning and purchasing begin!
Southern Mom Life 