It’s birthday time once again in our house.  I turn 30 today.  As a child I remember thinking how old someone who is 30 was, they were on the verge of retirement in my eyes.  Now it still seems like a big number but not nearly as scary or old.  I certainly don’t feel 30, or what I thought it would be like to be 30.  I feel relatively young, life for me (us) is starting to settle, our family is nearly complete and life is just getting started (as cliche as that sounds).  I feel like I have everything I’ve ever wanted, I feel so incredibly blessed for having what I do and I feel like I made it through my rebel years pretty unscathed.  I’m done making stupid choices for the sake of making them and now I’m onto struggling with the right decisions for my family.  Oh wow, I’m a grown up!  Seriously, it’s been a great ride so far and I’m sure it will just keep getting better.

For my birthday today we’re having brunch with my family (my parents, Nikki, Julia, and my boys) and dinner with Walter’s family.  We’re trying to sneak in a child free trip to Ikea in between the fabulous meals to finish picking up stuff we need in preparation for Kate.  Next weekend we’re having a small party with close friends, the celebration I’ve always wanted.  Originally we planned to have Kate here by now so I could make one more series of stupid but seriously fun choices while toasting to the future but Mother Nature had other plans and we’ll have to celebrate with Shirley Temples instead.

Thank you all for your love, support and birthday wishes.  I’m looking forward to my next thirty years and how different they will be from the first.  In case you’re wondering, this is what thirty looks like at 9am – me and my kids -

Notice my fabulous new earrings by the way?  They were a birthday gift from my girlfriend, Raven.  She knows how well Tiffany and I get along! 

As promised I am updating our kitchen photos.  We hope to have it COMPLETED this week.  How exciting if we can actually cook next weekend!  Here are photos from last Thursday.  Things should be moving by Tuesday and done on Friday if all goes well. 

Very unfortunately our refrigerator will be the last appliance to be replaced.  We purchased it with everything else but the new model is on backorder until the middle of August.  Luckily we have this one in the meantime but it’s just such an eye sore!

And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is DEAD SPACE!  It’s in the corner between the refrigerator and sink and it is absolutely killing Walter.  I wish they could just put a counter top on already so it didn’t hurt so much.  He would love to find a solution where he could cut a hole into the cabinet in order to use it but I’m afraid we would be sorry we did it.  I wish our contractor actually LISTENED to us but it seems the more money he gets and the closer to the end we are the worse his hearing, uhhh… listening, becomes.  Oh the joys of home ownership!

I also had Walter snap a few photos of Kate and Noah this weekend.  Unfortunately I had to be in the photos too.  I’m definitely bigger around this pregnancy and getting a lot more of the lovely stranger comments (“You must be due any day!”, “Are you sure you’re not having twins!?”, “You may want to double check with your doctor, you must be further along!”).  I’m fat and pregnant people, get over it.  Hopefully I don’t get too much bigger though!  It’s a hot summer and I’m already starting to waddle!  Noah wasn’t very interested in being a part of this exercise so we’re lucky to have gotten something.

He and Walter love to talk to Kate.  They lean down, bury their mouths and in their loudest, deepest voices say “Helllllooooo Kaaatttte”.  Noah felt Kate kick for the first time this weekend.  He jumped and said “Oh!  Do it again!”.  Just wait until he finds out she’s moving in!