Happy Birthday to Me

One of the cool things about marrying into Ben’s family is that you get what you want for your birthday. There’s no surprise about it—you make a list of what you want, maybe even pick stuff out or try it on, and that’s what you get. If a sibling asks what you want, you can tell him/her one specific thing and that’s all. You don’t even have to give choices to create a tiny element of surprise.

Growing up in my family, I rarely made lists or even gave suggestions. Birthdays were all about the surprise. Even if I had no need or desire for a purple sweatshirt with dolphins on the front, it became the coolest thing I had ever seen when I opened it on my birthday just because I wasn’t expecting it.

As much fun as it was to always wonder what the next birthday would bring, I was excited to adopt Ben’s birthday style and trade the surprise for getting exactly what I wanted. Sure it sounds greedy, but let’s be honest—my love can easily be bought with birthday presents.

Check out all the cool stuff Ben gave me this year:

A canvas and acrylic paints
One of these cool chopper things so I don't have to cry when I chop onions anymore
The Elizabethtown soundtrack
And he even surprised me with roses!