I officially turned 27 today. My grandfather (whom I share a birthday with) is 80.
Every year, I call my granddad to wish him a happy birthday, but he always beats me because as soon as he hears my voice, he says “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Too funny. I’ve always thought that sharing a birthday with him is special, and I’m so grateful for it. I love that we have that special bond. Even though I might not see him as much or be as close to him as my other cousins, no one can ever take the shared birthday away from us.
Last year, we had an absolutely gorgeous weather day for my birthday, so we spent much of the day outside. This year, it was nearly 90 degrees and entirely too hot to do much of anything outside. Oh well.
We started off the morning with a trip to the gym (I WENT TO THE GYM on my birthday. Aren’t you proud?!). We relaxed at home for a bit, then went to an early dinner at a local restaurant, where we had to eat inside. They have a beautiful patio that I normally love to eat on, but it was just too hot. We then stopped by to see Hunter (he is getting SO BIG!), then went for my birthday dessert.
I didn’t want no stinkin’ cake. Frozen custard is where it’s at.
(We had to eat this inside, too! It was melting entirely too fast for me to actually enjoy it when we were outside!)
Happy Birthday to me! :) And thanks to my wonderful husband for a wonderful day!
Last night, my mom took us out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. My brother, Tyler, and his fiancee, Marie, were able to join us, but Trevor and Kara were not (they went to go see Brad Paisley instead, boooo! justkidding). After feasting on Chinese food, we went back to my mom’s to enjoy a little dessert of angel food cake and berries.
This weekend will be a busy one. Birthday, wedding, birthday. I am so excited, though, because it should be a lot of fun.
Tonight, we’re getting together with my family to celebrate my impending birthday. We’re going out to dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant, then over to my mom’s for dessert.
Tomorrow morning, we take off for our old college town! We haven’t been back in three years, so we’re due for a visit. My good friend from college, Rich, is getting married just a few miles away from where we went to school. Michael and I are going to try to get into town a little early so we can go walk around campus a bit (you know, for old time’s sake!), then attend the wedding. Everything is taking place outdoors at a park, and the weather forecast looks absolutely beautiful, so I could not be more excited for them. Plus, we get to catch up with a few other college friends that we haven’t seen in a really long time.
Sunday is the anniversary of my birth, and I tend to like to keep it low key. I just want to relax with my husband, go out to dinner somewhere, and enjoy what is supposed to be another day of gorgeous weather. Sounds familiar, as this is exactly how I spent my birthday last year. Next year, my birthday will start to fall on weekdays again (*gasp*), so I might actually have to WORK! Bummer. I better enjoy this weekend stuff while it lasts.
So that is the weekend forecast… family, old friends, COLLEGE(!), birthdays, weddings. What’s not to love?
As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes, especially in the summer, it’s nice to have a light and healthy meal. We have a couple of heavy eating weekends coming up, so when it came time to plan dinner for tonight, we decided to keep it simple. This salad is something I first put together last summer, and it’s so good! Lots of flavor, and versatile–you can easily adapt the ingredients to your tastes.
This time of year, our local corn is SO. DAMN. GOOD. that we actually cooked up a couple of pieces of corn on the cob and then sliced the kernels off of it to throw into the salad. We used chicken (seasoned with some taco seasoning) as our protein, but you can also use a can of beans instead. Sometimes, we also throw a few baked tortilla chips in for more of a taco salad, but decided to skip them tonight. We pick up fresh salsa from the grocery store (though you could use a jar of salsa if you wish) to use as “dressing,” and that’s it–delicious salad!
Mexican Salad
Ingredients:
– leafy salad greens (I think romaine works best for this salad)
– 1/4 small onion, sliced
– 1/2 lb. chicken, cubed, cooked and seasoned with a few tbsp. taco seasoning (optional)
– corn (can use fresh, frozen, or canned)
– red or black beans (optional)
– fresh salsa (homemade or store-bought)
– shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. On a plate, arrange a bed of leafy salad greens. Top with onions, chicken, corn, and beans.
2. Spread salsa over the entire salad.
3. Sprinkle the top with a little shredded cheddar. Enjoy!
Our trip to Chicago is coming up very soon, so you know what time it is… time for recommendations!
This has worked really well for us in the past. My lovely blog readers have suggested some great places to see, things to do, and restaurants to try. We’ve used reader comments to help us make decisions on what is a must-see, and what’s not worth our time. Of course, we base these decisions on other factors as well, but your opinions do play a part. Sooo… tell me! What’d you like, what’d you hate, what’d you want to see/do but didn’t? Also, any tips for public transportation?
I’ve actually been to Chicago a few times for work (June 2005 and June 2006), so I’ve had a little bit of a chance to see/experience the city, but never as a tourist. And Michael has never been. So treat us like we’re newbies!
We’re planning on seeing a Cubs game at Wrigley Field (still trying to get tickets!), but that is all that we currently have on the agenda.
And… go!
About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
