Birthday Week!

When I got married things were very tight financially for my husband and I. We were lucky to be able to pay our regular bill let alone get anything extra. Things got even tighter when we have our first child and I decided to quit my job and stay home.

I don't regret this decision but it did come at a cost. We went without a great deal of things people consider necessities. Even on my birthday when I would get money from friends and family with a promise of buying something nice for myself I would put it into the budget hoping to break even for the month or get my kids Christmas presents. If you can image birthdays started to become a drag for me, a reminder of how hard things were for us.

I look back on those times with a tender place in my heart. It was hard and at times I wasn't sure our marriage would make it through all the stress, but in the end it really made our marriage stronger. I still freak out a little when things get tight, but then I remind myself how much we grow through adversity and calm myself down.

So, what does this have to do with my birthday? Well, during those times I hated that my birthday was just turning into such a sour reminder of hard times so I decided that when things got better I would make a big deal of my birthday and really celebrate every year and not dread getting older because you never know what life has planned for you. That's why instead of just limiting myself to one day I started celebrating a week before my birthday. I don't get presents everyday of the week, but my husband does try to make everyday special.

Today is the kick off of my birthday week and my husband surprised me with a Cocomotion, something I've wanted for a long time. I love it  and have already enjoyed my first cup of mint hot chocolate. I plan on using it all winter long and with every cup I'll remember how sweet my life really is and how much I have to be thankful for, with my husband being at the very top of my gratitude list.