Birthdays! And thoughts on turning 30.

In the close-knit Wernet side of the family, we have lots of close-knit summer birthdays:

Jamie - June 21st
Annie - June 24th
Lisa - July 6th
Nellie - July 11th
Sarah - July 30th
Robynne - August 10th

I got to be first, and it was a big one--30!! Kevin threw a great party at Pam's house on Gull Lake. I hovered over weather.com all week hoping for no rain, and the storms stayed away! We had lots of fun--so much fun, in fact, that we decided to move the girls' birthday party from our house to Pam's to recreate the fun the next weekend.

I took the girls to Francis Park the morning of my birthday

Annie and I in the cold lake at my birthday party

And Kevin took me out for dinner. I did not eat that whole piece of cake.

Annie's birthday was nice because it gave us a great chance to celebrate Annie! We filled the living room with balloons and opened presents in the morning, then went to a Lugnuts game in the evening. And of course, we ate cupcakes. :)

Trying to get Annie excited about her big present--a doll highchair.

Balloons! And Nellie in her underpants (big surprise)!

As the wonderful parents that we are, we like to make sure our kids know that they're special but not that special. Just kidding. We do like to have shared birthday parties for the girls, though. Since so many family members were taking European vacations this year, we had a Wernet party with a Pooh theme the weekend of Annie's birthday, and a Princess and the Frog party for the Wacyk side the weekend of Nellie's birthday. I would call the parties successful (aside from the really gross Greek yogurt veggie dip that I served--I definitely should have tried it first), because the girls were generally good-natured, remembered to say thank you, and didn't have any tantrums. Really, can you ask for more?

Nellie at the Pooh party

I cut the cake while Annie dug her fingers in it--which I later realized

Most beloved present--princess pool

Princess and the Frog party

Nellie's favorite present--Rapunzel

As the title suggests, I am now going to pontificate on being 30. Actually, it will be brief, because I really don't mind. It is a little strange--I mean, am I going to have to start doing new medical tests or something? That makes me feel old. But otherwise, it was just a pretty normal birthday and really--I've always wanted to be 30. In fact, I remember telling Kevin very early in our relationship that I would like to date a 30-year-old (I was 19) because he would be better aligned with my preferred lifestyle (think pajamas and movies on the couch by 8:00, not going out to parties at 11:30. 11:30!! People are crazy.) What a weird thing to tell a guy you're dating! But it was and is true--I love babies and minivans and I was ill-suited to the college life. Of course, here I am back in college, but that's another story. ANYWAY, the point is that 30 could be harder, but I have everything I always wanted when I imagined turning 30--husband, 2.5 kids (quite literally), a house, I'm working on my Ph.D (actually much sooner than I had imagined), and I'm often in my pajamas by 8:00. No minivan yet, but maybe by 31?