Thursday, August 29, 2013

My Cup Runneth Over

photo taken 8/25/2013

Today is my birthday, you know!  Since we just had a massive celebration with our nearest and dearest, my 27th is going to be pretty low-key.  Jon and I are leaving Norfolk in the morning to head back to London; I'm taking us out to dinner at Hawksmore, one of the best steak places in town, and he's booked a luxury boutique hotel for the night.  Okay, maybe that's not so low-key - but it will be lovely and intimate and I couldn't ask for more.  It's the perfect way to end this amazing trip before I fly back to DC on Friday!

When we picked our wedding date, people always remarked on how close to my birthday it was.  "You'll only get one party and one present," they protested.  "You're cheating yourself out of festivities!"  That may be true, but can I tell you a secret?  I'm not so big on birthdays.  I don't really care about marking my birthday beyond using it as an excuse to do something a little special with friends and family.  This is definitely a post in and of itself and I plan on writing it in the coming weeks, but the short story is that I don't have milestones that are linked to age, so it's kind of just another day - one on which I can be a bit pampered, maybe, but just a day.  As we get older and life gets more chaotic, Jon and I will probably be glad to be able to kill two birds with one stone at the end of August.

Still, though, it's my birthday!  And I've had a whirlwind end to 26.  The wedding on Saturday, our honeymoon for the past few days, back to DC tomorrow - and then Jon should be a US resident in a few months!  I think that 27 is going to be superb.  I hope that this day starts a wonderful year you you, too, dear readers!

34 comments:

  1. Happiest of birthdays to you, Betsy! I remember 27 to be a fabulous year for me as well - I moved to Africa & got married. It seems big things happen near that age ;-)


    I don't make a big deal out of birthdays (except maybe this last one) either but a nice dinner always suffices. Enjoy your last night in the UK and safe travels back to DC tomorrow!

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  2. Happy Birthday, Betsy! And congratulations. It looks like it was just a beautiful wedding. Enjoy London!!
    xoxo
    Selena

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  3. happiest birthday, Betsy!! Way to start 27 with a bang!

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  4. Happy, happy birthday!!! :) What a week it's been for you!

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  5. Happy Birthday!! My husband's birthday is 6 days after our wedding and I can tell you it has been wonderful and I know come this January he is going to be much more enthusiastic celebrating 3 years of marriage over turning 29!

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  6. Happy birthday! Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate and to wrap up all your festivities - certainly your 27th one will always be very memorable!

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  7. Happy happy birthday! What a fantastic present you had! :) I hope you have (another) very lovely day!

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  8. Happy happy birthday! I hope you are having a wonderful day!

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  9. Happy birthday! sounds like a great way to celebrate!

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  10. Happy Birthday! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! Enjoy your day! What hotel is that you're staying in London?
    Saludos desde España,
    María

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  11. I'm with you on birthdays... and THAT sounds just perfect :)
    Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Betsy! xx

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  12. Happy birthday Betsy!! Wishing you the best :)

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  13. Happy happy birthday my dear! And so happy for your as I've been watching your twitter feed the last few days! :) Congrats on all of it!

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  14. Happy Birthday! Your post reminds me of my parents...my mom's b-day is the day after Christmas, and their anniversary is Dec 28. (And our anniversary is Dec 30!) It's always a crazy time of year but SO festive and fun because of all of the many things to celebrate. Sure it'll be the same for you!

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  15. Happy Birthday! You are certainly having a killer week! In a good way of course.


    We do differ on our feelings on birthdays, but I think that's more than okay. :)

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  16. Happy Birthday and congratulations, Betsy!! It seems like 27 is going to be one of the best years yet! :)

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  17. JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE!!!!!!!! Love that picture of y'all. :)


    Okay, so now you have to listen (read) a long story. Go grab another glass of wine or a cookie or something, because this will take awhile.


    My parents eloped on my mom's 30th birthday, which is in December. Growing up, my mom had to deal with her birthday being combined with Christmas, and she hated it. In our house growing up, we never decorated for Christmas until after her birthday (except for Advent calendars), but we kept everything up until Epiphany and celebrated that too.


    So when my parents decided to get married on her birthday, my mom made my dad promise that he would give her three separate gifts every year. She insisted on a birthday, anniversary, and Christmas present each December. My dad promised.


    Fast-forward to their first wedding anniversary. My dad gave my mom a box and told her that was it. She reminded my dad of his promised and asked if he was sure that was the only present. He said yes. Trying not to be too annoyed that my dad had broken his promise on their first wedding anniversary, my mom opened her gift.


    It was a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings to match her diamond and sapphire engagement ring.


    Needless to say, she was thrilled and reassured my dad that he could always just give one present if it was going to be like that.

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  18. I'm not so big on birthdays either! Happy, happy birthday and I hope you have a lovely evening!

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  19. Happy birthday and congratulations! It sounds like 27 is already going to be an incredible year for you! xx

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  20. Happy birthday!! Sounds like pretty amazing plans ahead of you. Enjoy :)

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  21. Happy happy birthday! I hope you and your husband ;) enjoy your last evening in the UK... it's been so fun following along through the wedding, honeymoon and now birthday. This year is going to be wonderful for you... I can just feel it! xxx

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  22. Happy Birthday! Have a wonderful evening!

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  23. Happy birthday! Yeah, you are brave. I worry because I have 3 weeks in between the bday and the wedding....

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  24. Happy Birthday, Betsy!

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  25. Happy Betsy Day!!


    And as for your post, we were originally going to get married Dec. 28 (Christmas is obvious and my birthday is January 7). I never minded combined gifts growing up because a) two of my sisters also have Christmas-adjacent birthdays and b) combined gifts were often JACKPOT! huge. So having an anniversary then didn't bother me either. But I am absolutely 100%-times-infinity a birthday person. And I think my birthday is FAR more important than Christmas or our anniversary (see: we rarely exchange Christmas presents and have yet to exchange anniversary presents... but you bet your butt I get a birthday one, and my birthday donuts!) Anyway, I'm just saying that I have the opposite view on my birthday but a similar okay-ness with celebration-proximity.


    Happy birthday! Happy last day of honeymoonness! And have a safe, blissful-memory-filled flight back!!!

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  26. 27 is going to be superb! BIG (belated) birthday wishes to you dear Betsy xx
    P.S. My father married my mother two days before his birthday and he never seemed to mind :)

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  27. Happy Birthday Girl!
    Hope it's an amazing day for you :)

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  28. Happy birthday! My best friend just got married a few weeks ago... on the day after her birthday! She loved it, so you're not alone :)

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  29. Best wishes - for your birthday and your wedding celebration!

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  30. Happy belated birthday Betsy! My wedding and birthday were a week apart and I hate that (I didn't have much choice since I was a K1 visa bride). I hate celebrating my birthdays though, so hopefully next year I can just concentrate on my anniversary and forget all about my birthday!

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  31. ooh, I hate how bureaucracy takes charge! but yay anyway :)

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