Enter Year 23

I had a great birthday yesterday. For starters, we both had the day off and I got to sleep in! For breakfast, we made blintzes, since we didn't get around to it on Christmas. They were sure tasty! I wanted to watch Beauty & the Beast, so Zak obliged, because he is a great husband. After that, I opened my presents, and got some great things! My parents got me a like, deluxe Bath & Body Works set, some warm red slippers, the Lego Harry Potter game, and a few other things. Zak's parents got me a French (tapered) rolling pin, along with some other gifts that are in the mail at the moment.

Zak got me a beautiful new ring...with blue diamonds, my favorite! He was great about not telling me about my presents for Christmas or my birthday (he usually can't wait, and will tell me or show me, even if I don't ask), so I was surprised. Although, about a week before Christmas, he had me close my eyes and look away and he slipped on the ring just to be sure it fit! Well, it fits and I love it. I am a very lucky girl, I have so many nice pieces of jewelry; he is so sweet to me. Whenever I protest, he tells me that he gets good deals on them, and he likes seeing me with pretty sparkly things on. So how can I complain after that?

love love love this ring

We went out to dinner at a local restaurant called the Red Door. It's a small place that uses local food, with a menu that rotates every month or so. Everything was fantastic! We split an appetizer of 'spicy firecracker balls', which were 6 balls of tuna and salmon done almost like tempura, with three different sauces, and one I think was real wasabi. Now, I am not a sushi or spicy type of girl, but I absolutely loved them. They were just incredible. For entrees, Zak got pasta with a garlic cream sauce and sausage; the sausage was very tasty. I had thai coconut ginger shrimp with rice noodles, which was also good. There was so much that I had to take it home, darn! But it was just a wonderful dinner, and we will definitely be going back for more.

We then came home and played some video games and just relaxed. It was a great birthday, and I was happy to spend it with the one I love. I'm a bit 'weirded out' by being 23 already, but it's also kind of neat. I've survived this long without any major problems, and I am pretty happy. Thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes (email, texts...facebook, haha), I had a great day! And thank you to you, Zakky, for making it wonderful! :)

(my new favorite picture)