My 25th Year

Today, November 16th is my 25th Birthday. A quarter of a century old and perfectly placed into my mid-twenties.

^ Here's the photo my sister posted on my Facebook last year ^

^ And here's my 24.5 Birthday! ^

I was born in the early hours of the morning on a Monday in 1987. One of my favorite traditions each year is being woken up by a phone call from my mom and dad at 3:10 in the morning to hear their sweet voices singing me Happy Birthday. Sometimes they even included banging pots and pans in the background.

My birthday is always an incredibly special day and this year will be no different. Things I'm seriously looking forward to are:

• A week day off from work.
• A serious sweat session from 6:15-7:15 in the morning.
• A manicure.
• A 90 minute massage from Miracle-worker Maggie.
• A mom-daughter coffee date in the afternoon.
• Family Dinner at Montage (+ Dan).
• Birthday cake and presents that my mom and dad weren't supposed to get me because they helped me for my summer Europe trip.
• Watching Bailey eat cupcakes!

This will be a fun-filled extended weekend as I'm taking today through November 26th off from work for the holiday, my mom's birthday (the 18th!) and while my Brother is in town.

This week I asked my mom a very important question to start out on the right foot for my 25th year.

Q: What advice would you give your 25 year old self?

A: That's a hard one... At 25 I'd encourage myself to become what I dreamed for myself.

Knowing what I know now, I'd tell myself to stop worrying and judging myself and be kind to myself.

Seriously great advice.

Thank you everyone for all of the birthday wishes today - I sure do feel special!

<3 JE