Today is a GREAT day!

Today is........


my......


......


...........


BIRTHDAY!!!

I'm [exactly the age that I should be]!  Yay!

What, you may be thinking, does a gal like Cole do to celebrate her birthday?

Well, I like to do a little work, ya know, to prove I'm not the self-absorbed birthday-type.  Head to the office, if only for a few hours.  Maybe do a load of laundry or something, just to remind myself that life goes on, even on birthdays.  Then I'll pack a few things for India, to get excited about the fact that I'll be on a plane flying east this time next week.  I'll pack a box or 2, to get excited about the fact that exactly one week after I get back from India I'll be moving into a swanky new apartment.  I'll write a lesson or 3 to prepare for the childrens ministry while we're in India, because I've procrastinated plenty long on that--something I picked up in college.

I may even play a little ditty on my keyboard that I ordered on ebay 3 weeks ago that only just arrived today because it's been sitting in a warehouse in Fort Worth since the 13th because the sellers made a mistake and did nothing to fix it so I fixed it myself and...


...because of the delay I got a birthday present from me to me :)  What cute timing, God.  Way to humble me in my ebay frustrations!  I needed that.  God's pretty amazing, folks.  In case that was something that you were questioning.

But back to my day.  Because it's my birthday.  And God ordained it to be as such.

Then, my friends... THEN things get fun.  After all that office work, emailing, laundering, packing, boxing, writing, preparing...  I get to get all spruced up.

WHY?  WHY?  you ask.

Because sweet Jared, boyfriend to end all boyfriends, is taking me out for my birthday tonight.  Taverna in downtown Fort Worth (homeboy made reservations ALL ON HIS OWN, PEOPLE), and The Usual, one of our favorite spots.  And, folks, despite the fact that he's the kind of kid who carefully unwrapped the presents under the tree and rewrapped them once he knew what they all were, he's kept his present for me a secret.  Honestly, the fact that he's honored my ridiculous love of surprises AND SIMULTANEOUSLY let me choose the place to have dinner (a tricky combo, friends) is the sweetest gift of all.