My 27th birthday (thus far) according to my phone.

The outfit I wore for my birthday party yesterday — a 1970’s gown I found for a DOLLAR at the thrift store. And also, the 7lb chocolate cake we had, because… hello. Delicious.

Well, it’s official: I am 27 years old, finally, unlike every other time this year when I told someone I was 27 and followed that up with “oh wait, just kidding, I’m not there yet.”

I don’t know what it is about this year that has made me so excited to be 27 — how many women are glad to be nearing thirty? (and also, I’m nearing 30? When did that happen?) — but for some reason every time I was asked my age, I very nearly always answered 27. Perhaps because this year is my golden birthday, turning 27 on the 27th, or perhaps because 27 is the year when I get to have my first girl, just like my mama was 27 when she had me. Or, maybe because it’s really fun that myself, my sister-in-law, and my almost sister-in-law are all 27 this year.

My birthday lunch outfit, which will be up later (I don’t have my camera right now); the lilacs I picked for myself; my grandma’s vintage earrings worn today in her memory; the 1970’s skirt I found today at Goodwill in the kids’ section (it’s not a child’s skirt.)

Whatever the case, I think this year will be a good one. Aside from the fact that Asa half-choked on a chip at lunch and I almost fainted at Goodwill. We’ll pretend those things didn’t happen.

It’s a little bittersweet this year, though, as it’s the first birthday I’ve celebrated without my grandma, on whose birthday I was born. She would have been 92 today, and I miss the card that always had a Bible verse on it, and the phonecall that always ended very (amusingly) abruptly when she decided it was over — but always after “I love you.”. I wish I could have told her we are expecting baby 2 and that it’s a girl, and what her name is; I wish she could have experienced Asa’s exuberant use of “hi” now that he knows how to say it; I wish I could have seen her just one more time in her musty little apartment where squirrels and cats knew to come for food (even though she wasn’t supposed to feed them.)

I’ve been tempted over the weekend and throughout today to be sad, but she wouldn’t have liked that. She’s celebrating her first birthday with Jesus, lucky woman, and if communication between realms was possible she probably would tell me not to be so silly. Well, after asking several times what I’d said because she never wore her hearing aids (not that she needs them now.)

So instead, I wore her earrings (above) as part of my birthday outfit in memory, and I’m celebrating all of the things to come this year as well as writing a list of goals for myself before I turn 28. I want this year to be the year of living with real intent, of accomplishing things I have been wanting to do for ages, of celebration and joy and thankfulness. I may not have everything I want, but I have everything I need, plus more. A roof over my head, a healthy son, a healthy baby on the way, and an incredibly hot husband who has plans to take me away next weekend to make up for the weekend where my sister-in-law and almost sister-in-law were supposed to go to Portland but we were all sick.

It’s going to be a good year, I think. Thank you to everyone who has been wishing me happy birthday on Instagram! I’m so glad the internet can connect us all like that, and I hope you all have a good year (or week, or day, or whatever) too!

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