Birthday Fun!

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes over the weekend! I love birthdays and think each person's birthday is his or her own personal holiday that should be celebrated to the fullest! Ryan has learned to find my quirky birthday love mostly endearing, I think, and he celebrated me well.

My favorite thing about my birthday was that it fell on a weekend, so I got to have a whole day with him, which is about the best gift anyway.

Unfortunately the weather was mostly winter-esque, so it's a good thing we had INDOOR plans! Would have been a miserable day for doing a state park or any such thing.

We started celebrating a couple of days before when we went to dinner at Culver's {my choice!} with my parents. They've started a tradition of taking us out to eat every year to celebrate both of our birthdays at once. We had a fun night with them - and I began my few days of treats with one of their burgers and I shared a mixer with Ryan.

We actually had our first house guest this weekend - our friend Nate was in town to photograph a wedding!He needed a place to stay, so even though we felt like TERRIBLE HOSTS sneaking out early Saturday morning, that's exactly what we did, while he was fast asleep on Mo!

Destination...IKEA!

This was Ryan's planning, and it was a great idea, especially since it was such a cold and icky day! It took us about three hours to get there, and I was just a little excited when we arrived.

Let the shopping begin!!!

We had a few specific things on our list, and then of course, along the way we were inspired by more. HA! Our main reason for going was to find a bed for our guest room, the one unfinished room in the house. I'd found one online that I liked and that seemed to fit our needs for that space, so we wanted to get that. Ryan also wanted to hunt for a new light for the kitchen, over the table.

I thought maybe this one!

It's like a stingray/kleenex art. LOL!!! Ryan said no to that.

So instead we got one that looks like an upside down mixing bowl. Pretty appropriate for a kitchen.

I found this and thought of my mom, who always introduces herself as "Marilyn...like Marilyn Monroe." HA HA!

I offered to get it as a Christmas gift, but for some reason, she declined. Spoil sport.

It was such fun to just walk through and look at things, but of course shopping makes a person hungry, so we stopped for a lunch break. I happen to think IKEA has very good food, and we tried to do well on the main meal portion, since we had NO intentions of doing well later in the day.

And then there was the one treat. We did share it. I didn't want to share. {And he would have happily gotten me my own piece. But I was trying to do the responsible adult thing.}

This cake, you guys. If you EVER go to IKEA and see the chocolate overload cake and wonder if it's worth it, stop wondering and start eating. Ryan even said it would not have been his pick, but it was amazing. Yes. Amazing.

This ended up being our official birthday picture because we never got one later with the tripod!

With full bellies, we went back to shopping!

Hey look! It's our mixing bowl lamp!

It was a cold day to load stuff, but Ryan used about 8000 straps and got everything secured for the 3 hour drive home.  One last picture which we're way too squinty for:

And then we were off for my OTHER treat. SONIC!!!!!!!

{I 100% intended to do a picture with the Sonic sign to match the IKEA sign but it was so cold and I was so excited about my treat that I 100% forgot. Sadness!}

I only got ice cream - no meal - but it was so delicious and filling, I didn't even care.

When we got home, it was SO COLD that we had to bring in all our plants so they wouldn't literally freeze to death, and then I sat by the fire to open my presents.

My main gift from Ryan was in NO WAY a surprise because I got it early! LOL! He got me a Fitbit, because my sisters proposed for all of us to get them and be accountable that way, so I asked if that could be my birthday present. But I wanted to be able to fit in right away, so he gave it to me early. But he was still a dear and wrapped the box so I could open it on my birthday!

But he did get me one little surprise, which I dearly loved.

So it was a wonderful birthday. I felt loved and the day, though icky outside, was a delight.

Thank you, Ryan - and all of you!