Oh, The Places We Went (A Birthday Post)

So today is my birthday.  And on this day of personal importance, I couldn't help but read back to last year's posts around my birthday to see how things were going, and if I had made any big plans for myself ( Vacationing Despite the Unexpected ).  Fortunately, I had not made any "27 Things to Do While I'm 27" or "This Year I Want To..." lists.  Last year, I was actually sick on my birthday, and so was my older daughter (my younger daughter had yet to be born - thus the reason why I was feeling sick).  But that obviously didn't stop me from being hopeful about what the next year of my life would bring.  On the actual day of my birthday I posted excerpts from the famous "Oh, the Places You'll Go" story written by Dr. Suess ( Your Mountain is Waiting ).  And I'm proud to say that though I didn't make any specific demands on myself, I was able to rise to the challenge of "getting on my way".  I went out and made a year full of great memories, and I certainly hope that my 28th year will be just as fantastic as my 27th.

For my actual birthday, my original plan was to utilize all those birthday freebies that you can take advantage of, and then report back to you guys with how many great things there are to take advantage of on your birthday.  But that post will have to wait (or perhaps be guest authored by one of you ;) ), because life presented me with a better way to spend my day, and I decided to just let go and enjoy the day instead of worrying about cashing in birthday coupons.

 

Last year, I had written that I would have liked to spend my birthday at a park or even at the ocean.  This year, I planned to hit the ocean, because no one was sick and no one was pregnant and it was going to be a beautiful day.  I was still thinking along the lines of birthday coupons with some time to enjoy the surf and sun as a bonus.  But last night, I discovered that my husband had decided to surprise me by taking off of work for my birthday to come along with the family!  All blogging plans went out the window in my excitement at having a family beach trip.  So I must admit that I didn't use one birthday coupon today (but most of them don't expire for at least a week, so I can still get use out of them if I want....)

 

 

When most people think of the New Jersey Shore, they think of Wildwood or Atlantic City in the middle of the summer and crowded with tourists in bathing suits.  When I think of the shore, I think of Spring Lake in the cooler off season months and sitting on an empty beach in a hoodie and jeans.  So that is exactly where we headed today.  We drove off early in the morning, picked up some Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, set up camp in the middle of a pretty much deserted beach, and spent the next few hours watching the waves crash, reading, playing in the sand, and relaxing.

 

Once lunch time rolled around, we packed up the beach chairs and umbrella and headed into the gorgeous, little seaside town of Spring Lake in search of some lunch.  We stopped at the deli in the back of Tom Bailey's Market for some hoagies and enjoyed them along the bank of the lake at the park in the middle of town (and they were superb, as always).  We made one last stop before heading home: Jean Louise Candies (one of two candy shops along the main road in town).  There we selected an assortment of mouth-watering chocolate candy and promptly enjoyed a few on a bench directly after leaving the shop.  The rest of the evening was pretty low-key, but after such a wonderful day, I really have nothing to complain about on my special day.

 

So here is to another year!  Another 365 days to enjoy each day as it comes!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So... GET ON YOUR WAY
 

(By the way - here are the birthday presents I received from my husband - does he know me or what? :D) 

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