hello 26.

It has been one of those weekends where I can not possibly tell you everything that has happened and frankly, I am so tired I am not sure I would be able should I choose to.
Camp all day Friday and Saturday. An extraordinary (sorta crappy) event at camp kept me there much later than I thought I would be there and on the phone even later than that. No one got hurt, all the little Girl Scouts are fine. It was just sort of a bad situation - not the kind of one you want to deal with on your birthday for sure! The day was pretty much stellar and good until then though! I spent the morning helping teach first aid/knife skill basics and then spent the afternoon at the lake with the cutest lifeguard ever (ok, so I happen to be slight biased and married to him). I am glad I could see him some yesterday and get to watch him "work" - he enjoyed a day in the sun with the girls so that was nice. Especially because he has been out on a fire most of today - on the backside of Lookout Mtn. - local folks, you can see the smoke from the ridgecut. Still. Hours later. Not a good sign.
However, even though I wish I could have spent what we are calling my "second birthday" today with him - my mom, sister, and F came up to spend the day with me. It was so lovely to just hang out with them - no real plans in place. They came with a carrot cake in tow - Thanks, mom! Carrot cake for breakfast is exactly how a birthday should be. We went to Rock City (because I have lived her two years now and have only been in the dark, at Christmas time, to see the lights - never seen the view). I even braved a slightly creepy cave with black light gnomes (come on, really, is that a good idea?). My sister and Frannie gave me a fabulous, awesome hammock and stand to enjoy in my nice backyard. They even went so far as to put the thing together for me. (You shall find me here in all my spare time now!). It is one of those nice fabric ones - much more comfortable than the rope ones I grew up with!
My mom also rocked my world with getting me the beginnings of a Pandora bracelet. This was the thing I fought myself about wanting - but I think it will be neat to add to it for years to come. It was much more than I expected and my mom is so awesome.
I couldn't be more blessed. To be surrounded by people I love today, given meaningful gifts - trees that I can watch grow with my sweet husband, a bracelet that will always remind me of love, and a hammock to grab a little relaxin'.
It doesn't get much better than this.