Happy Birthday to Me

Today was the big 3-3.  The "one quarter of you life" mark as my husband keeps saying.  Despite the stress of moving in 5 days, this was one of the best birthdays I've had in a long time.  

I begin my 34th year with plane tickets in hand (or as close to that as is possible anymore in the digital age) to both Seattle and Hawaii, because why shouldn't we go see some of our favorite people and places before we go to India?  The kids and I leave home the 17th, fly to Seattle and then on to Kona the next day.  Val and her excellent crew are meeting us in Kona and promise to gleefully drive us around the Big Island.  (Must be the Costco fumes...)  About a week of all the Hawaiian awesomeness we can stand and then back to Seattle for a few days with Dan and Jen (and the new dog!)  Then back to Chicago, rendezvous with my mom (and all our bags and visas - hopefully!) and we're off to India at long last.  Not too bad a way in which to begin our year away!

And today itself was not at all a bad way to begin my 34th year.  Lots of packing done around the house, 3 rooms just about totally stripped down, and plenty of administrative kakalakas crossed off the list.  Our wonderful neighbors watched Ben much of the day and even brought me a gift of cookies and yarn.  Our friend Amanda, who has spent the last 9 months in Varanasi stopped by to give us an Indian cell phone and share some insights about life in India.  Then out to dinner and dessert with my parents.  The kids made me lovely gifts and were super company for the evening.  (Not to mention being totally adorable at dessert.)