Valentine/Birthday Weekend

Last weekend was great!  Our Valentines celebration was on Friday and my birthday was on Monday so this was the weekend to celebrate both.  My husband and I haven’t been on a date since our anniversary in August, so it was way overdue.  Friday night my mother-in-law watched the boys while we went to dinner and a movie (my favorite kind of date).  We went to Blue Charcoal (a Brazilian restaurant) and saw American Sniper.  Such a good movie!  It was great to get away and recharge. 

Then this dude woke up…he’s laughing at Beckham.  Yes, we’re still rocking Christmas jammies. 

I decided to take them out to lunch so we could get out a bit.  It was GORGEOUS weather so we sat outside at Panera. The rest of the day we just hung out and relaxed.  

Sunday, the day before my actual birthday, my mom and dad had our whole family over to celebrate!  This is the same house I was brought home from the hospital to.  Haven’t known another house.  Even though they live relatively close, I love coming home.  My parents go BIG with parties since they’re so many of us and it’s always fun.   

Cookie cake is my favorite!  I was blown away with my gifts.  So many things to list, but my parents gave me two special things this year…they paid for B to go to a summer program one day a week this summer.  I’m blown away by that.  And my dad made such a special video of me playing soccer.  I posted it on my blog yesterday.  You can see it HERE.  After we celebrated at my parents house, my parents watched the boys at their house OVERNIGHT so we could have a birthday date night and I could sleep in the next day (Ryan had to go to work on Monday).  Lots of planning on my part, for Maddox especially, but it was worth it. 

Ryan and I drove around looking for a place to eat.  We hadn’t planned anything except that we were going to see the movie Gone Girl. We happened upon the most wonderful restaurant in Plano.  If you’re local, you really should try it out.  It’s called Taverna Rossa.  It’s a wood-fire grilled pizza place.  It was a bacon filled night.  I got pizza with veggies and bacon and a chocolate whiskey cake with cinnamon ice cream served over candied bacon.  Oh goodness!  It was all so good.  Our waitress was one of Ryan’s former students from his first year teaching.  She was so sweet and adorable.  I got my dessert free by the way since it was my birthday.  Wish I had a better picture of this food, but I feel like an idiot taking a picture of my food in public so I snapped it quick. 🙂

Popcorn is a must at the movie theater.  Why does it always taste so much better there?  Maybe I don’t want to know.  Gone Girl was really good.

We were driving home from the movie around midnight and I get this text. 

Logan is my younger brother.  My sister in law was due the 24th.  She had her first baby 16 days early so we figured she’d delivery before her due date, but it was still so exciting.  We had JUST seen her several hours earlier at my parents.  It was officially my birthday at midnight so I knew I’d have a birthday twin.  Funny thing is they had their first baby on my mom’s birthday, November 1.  I went to sleep around 2:00am and woke up at 8:30 to a text that said he was born at 3:19am.  Can you believe it?  Super fast!  She barely got an epidural.  Eek!

After all that excitement I wake up to this.  It took me a while to notice the “30”

I didn’t take any more photos after this except of my nephew so this was the rest of my birthday…

Showered in the morning…such a little detail, but such a HUGE thing that us mamas can understand.  I didn’t have to worry about anyone else that morning except for ME (remember, boys are at my mom’s still).  Drank my coffee and picked up a bit, read some blogs, and got ready.

My mom brings them back to our house to drop them off with my mother-in-law who watches them here.  My mom took me out to lunch downtown on the Square.  It was so fun!  After that we headed to the hospital to go meet my nephew!  How stinking cute is he?  His name is Nolan.  He was 6 pounds 9 ounces…such a tiny little thing.  I’m obsessed with tiny babies, especially considering I just gave birth to a toddler…haha just kidding.  But I’ve always loved little babies.  He’s absolutely perfect!  Him and Maddox will only be 7.5 months apart.

After that I ran some errands on the way home before I had some girls over to hang out.  I came home and Ryan was already there with the kids.  He took them to McDonald’s to eat and play while I cleaned and got ready.  He took care of the kids with baths, bed time and all, while the girls arrived, and didn’t ask me for one thing so I could fully enjoy hanging with my friends.  I was really impressed!  We had fajitas, chips and salsa, beeritas, and mini bundt cakes, while we watched The Bachelor.  It was a great ending to an amazing weekend!!! 

But wait, once all the girls left, Ryan gave me this gift inside my card…

This is the front of the card if you’re curious.  The quote at the top is an inside joke between my family.

This is just a key to show what the present WILL be, but now I’m on the hunt for the perfect car to buy asap!  I was a little confused, but he explained that all I have to do is pick out a car and we’ll go get it…well, you know, if it’s in our budget.  We had planned to get one, but way down the line when we had the money to buy it in cash, so I thought.  He has planned for it much earlier than I thought.  Sidenote:  Really important to buy your cars in cash if you can.  They’re one of the worst (and easiest) ways to ruin your financial freedom.  10 years since a new car.  Any suggestions?  We’re looking at an SUV.

It was a wonderful weekend and I’m always so amazed seeing the love around me.  I definitely felt special.