So I'm 30 Now. . .

. . . but don't tell anyone. I still feel like I'm in my 20s:)

Several days after my birthday, our maid came back to work. One of her daughters was visiting so we gave her a few days off. Her first day back she brought me these beautiful flowers. A huge smile spread across her face as she handed me the gift. "Por Que?" I asked. (Why?) For my birthday. She had not only remembered, she spent some of her own money on a gift for me. I'm not really sure why it impacted me so much, but it did. I was blessed.

We were still in Porto Alegre with Kevin on my birthday. It was a Thursday and we were supposed to return home the next day. The hotel room we had occupied for 9 days was a disaster. Clean clothes, dirty clothes, swimsuits, towels, toys, books, food, you name it. . . strewn about the room! I laughed at the scene. Some people would find that a little depressing on their birthdays. I, in my somewhat demented mind, found it quite a funny birthday gift. Remember, I've always loved to clean, but I have a maid now, so I don't do it very often. Yes, I miss it. Yes, I'll be happy to go back to the States and do my own laundry. Demented, I tell you. So, for about 2 hours, Emma and I divided clean clothes from dirty ones, threw away old food, packed the books and toys and put the room together! Then, since it was so hot outside, we went to the pool. We played and relaxed by the water for almost an hour, until a woman decided to chain-smoke near us. The hotel we stayed at always has buffet for lunch and supper, so we stayed in and ate at the hotel restaurant. Emma slept for 3 hours that afternoon while I received tons of emails and Facebook birthday wishes. Very fun. Kevin walked in the door at 5 (very early) and we spent the evening together. I was able to travel quite a bit for my birthday, but my favorite gift of all, aside from spending the day with Emma and the evening with Kevin, was a piece of paper from my husband. I will treasure that little piece of paper for many years to come. On it, a list. He knows I love lists. "30 Memorable Experiences with Sandi. . . in chronological order." Memories. Some fun (our first kiss, engagement, birth of Emma, vacations), and some not so fun (our many trips to visit my mom during her sickness). Memories of our lives together. Memories from his mind, his heart. A simple list that cost him nothing but his time, and yet, it was the most valuable gift I received for my birthday. Have I mentioned that my husband is amazing? I had a great day. I'm excited to be 30. I'm amazed at how much I've changed over the last few years. I'm looking forward to growing and maturing and making more memories with my family and friends.