Another Year Older

It's official.

I'm 29.

I'm not going to complain today about nearing 30.

There are plenty of parents out there who wish with all their hearts their children would have made it to 29, so I'm just going to be humbled by the fact that I'm healthy, happy, and loved. 

This has been one of the best birthday weeks.

Seriously, my husband celebrated my birthday with surprise after surprise for a whole week.

And it was his OWN idea!
Seriously!

Of all my gifts, I think this one excites me the most.

Doesn't look like much, I know.

But after doing a lot of this...

And using words like splicing, mounting, and phrases like "Oh COME ON!"

It turned into THIS!

I have cruise control!!!!!

Let me explain.

This is the first time I've EVER owned a car with cruise control.

We sort of hate our car.

Until we start to think about how we actually have a car - and that's not something everyone can say.

It's older, but it's paid for. It was given to Kevin by his Grandmom. We don't have any car payments.

It's not too attractive, but it gets great gas mileage.

I call it our ugly blessing.

Of course we *want* to get a new car.

And we will.

We have plans to and are budgeting it.

And I'm very thankful that when I whine and complain about this ugly blessing, my husband very gently and lovingly reminds me about all those things above. It's paid for, it gets us where we need to go for now, and we're a family that owns a car. Then I feel like a brat for complaining and start to feel a little grateful instead.

However, taking 8 hour trips to IL can be a pain with no cruise control.
Not that it can't be done. We've done it for 5 years without it.

But JJ and I are coming home this weekend and my sweet husband ordered and installed cruise control to make it a bit easier on me.

(Because 8 hours alone in a car with a toddler is hard enough!)

It took him all day, but he did it!

Saturday evening I got to try it out by jumping on the interstate and heading to a birthday party at the Sprayground in Hurricane, WV

Sunday was my birthday.

We went to church and then met some friends for lunch!

It was delish :) Thank you B, P, and p!!

And in the above photo Kevin INSISTED he was looking at the camera. 

Ok, sure.

Now it's Monday and my birthday week is over.

And I should already start planning for Kevin's in October, because he really did good this year.

Any ideas?
I've got to get a head start.