My super-long Birthday weekend!

Well, I am now 30 years old. The big 3-0. I have always believed that people should grow old gracefully, that age equals wisdom and we should all embrace it and be happy to live another day, and another year. I still firmly belive this, but I must admit, the day before the big day, I got a little ewww feeling about the impending b-day. But I am over it now. I am embracing my age and the next year added to my wisdom. I am extremely happy, with a husband who never fails to show me how special I am, and a little boy who I love more every day. I have friends and family who pick out fun things for me or spend their quality time making me something special. I am so lucky, and am proud to be a year older. So the 6-day weel long celebration began with a trip to Chi-town to see my 2 all-time favorite bands. Widespread Panic with The Allman Brothers. As many of you know, my husband and I met on the way to a Panic show and spent the first few years of our relationship traveling wherever our cars would take us to see them. From Atlanta to Memphis to Denver to Indianapolis to Kansas City and back, we went all over. In March if this year, we bought the ability to watch the 15-night run that The Allman Brothers did in New York in real time on our computer. We hooked it up to our TV and watched all 15. It was pretty amazig to see all the shows and all of the special guests. It felt like I had seem them almost as much as Panic. When I saw that they were playing in Chicago together (and on my 30th birthday weekend) we had to make plans to go. The only problem is, I really didn't want to be away from BBZ overnight. I wanted to have a good time, but being away from him would almost ruin the trip, so N in his infinite wisdom thought to ask a couple who he went to college with that currently live in Chicago if they would be willing to watch the little man while we went to the show. They have a little girl who is 2 months older than BBZ, so they were more than happy to do it! The show was amazing! For those who care, here is the setlist... Send Your Mind, Walkin' (For Your Love) > Makes Sense To Me, Pigeons, Mercy* > Rock*, C. Brown > Love Tractor, Weight Of The World, I'm Not Alone > Barstools and Dreamers, Proving Ground > The Last Straw, Me And The Devil Blues**, Last Dance** * with Derek Trucks on guitar ** with Warren Haynes on guitar Statesboro Blues, One Way Out, Ain't Wastin' Time No More, Rocking Horse, Midnight Rider, Leave My Blues at Home, And It Stoned Me (with John Bell, guitar & vocal), It takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry (with John Bell, guitar & vocal; JoJo Hermann, piano), Black Hearted Woman, Southbound (with Jimmy Herring, guitar; JoJo Hermann, piano; Dave Schools, bass & James van de bogert), drums, Stormy Monday. Encore: Whipping Post It was amazing to see some of the most talented musicians in the world together on one stage. So the next day we hung out with our friend and took the kids to a park...

Here is BBZ showing A his all-time favorite toy...

Swinging!

More swinging!

Going down slides... And climbing, climbing, climbing!

He went down this slide all by himself!

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

And your cute little toes!

I don't know how Jenny does it, but little A keeps those cute bows on her precious head!

BBZ thought that all of the wood chips on one side of the chain ladder definitely belonged on the other side, so he decided it was his job to move them! Check it out!

So we got home kind of late on Friday and just relaxed. Saturday we had BBZ's 1-year photos taken and bought a baby gate for the upstairs. Laura and Joe came by and she gave me an awesome present and we spent the rest of the night watching Freaks and Geeks. We rented it on Netflix and I never saw it when it was on TV, but it is really good!

We also spent Saturday getting ready for the party N was throwing me at our house on Sunday. N and I have hosted our annual Chili Cook-off for the last 4-5 years, but we missed last year and decided to bring it back with my birthday party. Plus it is always more fun to have a party with a theme! It was so fun hanging out with all the little kids playing and running around. It is definitely different than the other parties of the past, but fun just the same.

N decided to go a bit overboard this year. He bought me 30 presents for my 30th birthday!

Here is me before I opened them...

He also designed a game so people wouldn't have to sit and watch me open 30 presents. He made a game, kind of like the games at carnivals where you throw a ball and try to land in a cup. He put numbers on all of the cups and as people came they threw rubber ducks (it was all we had around left from BBZ's duck pod at our Christmas party) and whatever cup they land in is the number of the present for me to open. It was so much fun! Among the gifts were some awesome Keen sandals (which were actually the only thing I asked for), gift certificates for Old Navy and Ann Taylor, a nacho slim jim, a lottery ticket, a really big pixie stick, the little dinosaur growing capsules, a pretty pink necklace, 2 bottles of my favorite wine, and lots of other fantastic little somethings. It amazes me that he is able to come up with new ways to make me feel great. I love him so much.

The week ended today with a fun trip to the Zoo! We went with N's family and even thought we were a bit rushed to get to our fantasy football draft, we had a great time! BBZ seemed to really love all of the animals.

Some of the other elephants were taking baths which is one of BBZ's favorite things...

He looks so much like his daddy! And a lot like Grandpa Z

Splashing in the waterfall!

Eating apples and graham crackers

Look at those long, long eyelashes!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!