.:turning twenty-seven:.

Yesterday I turned 27. That's right, TWENTY SEVEN. (Though people still think I'm in high school on a pretty consistent basis. For the first time in my life, I'm now cool with looking much younger than I am.) Twenty-seven used to seem SUPER old. Twenty-seven-year-olds were almost thirty and, as such, possessed most of the wisdom necessary for rearing children and paying bills. They knew how to manipulate the stock market, petition the government for cool stuff, and put together big word things like itineraries. They had huge homes and responsibilities and nice cars and a portfolio and professionally decorated interior spaces.

Yet, here I am, twenty-seven, living simply (with an adorable husband and two pretty sweet cats) and still forgetting sometimes that I'm supposed to be wise by now. I spent the weekend filled with family, old friends, new friends (yes, Sarah and Travis!) and a few little twists and turns.

To top it all off, I received not one, not two, but eight bagillion facebook happy birthday wishes. So, thank you Ben Luten, Cheryl Kleeschulte, Zeca Penha, Samantha Peters, Colin Kerr, Keila Pena-Hernandez, Veronica Hilyard, Katie Bailey, Christine Hoecker, Atreyee Das, Chan Tsun-Wai, Stephen O-Brien, Cheryl Metz, Elizabeth Rodman, Bellyn Witteker, Lin Huang, Chien-hsueh Huang, Shannon Hodges, LaMont Walker, Elizabeth Trovall, Austyn James, Ulrika Rudenko, Jonathan Lumpkin, Allen Rogers, Roland Branconnier, John Brown, Lance White, Tiffany Hernandez, Kemi Omotehinse, Lisa Adams-Floyd, Kerri Packard, Ed Hanson, Sarah Ordway, Sandy Gallimore, Suzanne Hickman, Kimberly Atnip, Darlene Brown, Micki Davison, Josh Kulp, Katrice Edwards, Paul Ladipo, Steve Glassner, Liz Goebel, Aja Abney, Jordan Davidson, Kristen Heidbreder, Candice Taube, Carly Webster, Cfrancis Blackchild, Mike Tsai, Chris Canote, Sasha Gooberman, Hannah Delp, Tina Edholm, Andy Rea, James Henderson, Tara Rentel, Connie Clark, Tom Hickman, Darla Klinge, Jerry Thomas, Heidi Kuttenkuler, Alison Shadrach, Stephanie Stogsdill, Jessica Green, Kerri Hogan, Emily Rollie, Demetrius davis, Kim Rollins, Darlene Backes, Bismark Gonzalez, Karen Wilson, Brenda Kliethermes, Jason Viox, Debbie Wagner, Jon Baysinger, Ricky Brandt, Sarah Ranney, Darlene Green, Barbara Hobbs, Precious Brown, Geraldine Cols, Tammy Mullins, Maiko Mitchem, Catherine Rhodes, Cole Payne, Natalie Abright, Jamie Kennison, Mark Walsh, Amber Roehrs, Sheldon Price, Manasa Vedula, Shawna Kelty, Becca Turner, Lori Collins, Jon Drtina, Carolyn Vargas, Roxanne Schellman, Fuad Feshitan, Fraisia Logan, Charlie Strong, Heather Stewart, Charlie Holmes, Anderson Santos, Drew Turner, Tina Bowen, Ashley Inman, Sekou Gaidi, Silas Allen, Mahlia Fulk, Ashley Sandbothe, Erin Castle, Emily Wildhaber, Madina Bidibekova, James Bhaskar Bandela, Shuyang Li, Betsy Healy, David Marriott, Stephanie Bryan, Karen Dothage, Tracy Kinealy, Veronica Putnam, Emily Henley, Valerie Nicole, Jason Kettinger, Cynthia Holzbierlein, Leslie Shaw, Brendan Talty, Sirius Hu, Laura Convery, Heather Vader, Brooke Shepherd, Craig Colbert, David Shapiro, Kyndal Marshall, Aubrey Winkelman, Brooke Epple, Suzanne White, Diane Gollaher, Charis Chiu, Mahaley Sullivan, Kathryn Daniel, Steven Smith, Meredith Johnson, Crista Parker, Andrea Larison, Anna Tyler, Josh Franken, Kelsi Davis, Yee Tsuey, Lisa Price, Jenna Durnell, Jessica White, Ashley Clark, Brian Scanlan, Courtney Barnes, Katy Dickherber, Rachel Briner, Candace Englind, Brenda Winkelman, Annie Arnone, Emily Green, Courtney Bandeko, Crystal Reddick, Soa Ha, Melanie Brown, Maureen Smith, Eric Hemeyer, Beath Meador, Charlie Huggard-Lee, Juanita Dorner, Mark Baker, Jack Lake, Amy Enderle, Mark Fauser, Kerry Davis, Funmi Olatunji, Shaunese Foreman, Angela Lewis, Patrick Pullins, Connie Thomas, Benoy Thomas, Ted Tarkow, & Florian Gilbert!!!

I am loved. Thank you all!

In my Mizzou days I was blessed to have a group of AMAZING gals around me (Yes, Amy, Mary, Veronica, Camry, Tamika, & Mazvita, I'm looking at you!). They loved me as we walked through life together, sometimes a little more in sync than others. On my 22nd birthday, completely unknown to me, a few of the girls gathered together and schemed a surprise plot. I was singing that Monday night at a local gathering and, needless to say, it was an emotion-filled evening as I was overwhelmed (in a good way!) with new revelation and understanding in my life. I made several trips to the bathroom during the evening to gather tissues to mop up my tears. My dear friend, fun-sized Camry, was almost always a step behind me as I exited the room, making sure I was okay. I thought her attentiveness was sweet, but slightly unnecessary having no idea that she had been employed as the lookout/don't-let-mallory-go-downstairs-while-we-get-things-ready person. When the night of singing ended, the room of persons emptied out quickly into the Memorial Union Lounge where I was surprised to find my friend Mary sitting behind a table with TONS of red velvet cupcakes that she had stayed up ALL NIGHT making in honor of my birthday. In addition, the gals had made a card for everyone to sign that night. I found the giganto card last week as I was sorting through old stuff, just in time to look back fondly on the memories of friends, cards, and red velvet cupcakes.

Mothers and grandmothers are always faithful in sending cards. = )

My dear prayer partner and Puerto Rican sister in crime (the good kind!), Keila, not only teaches me to make different Indian dishes what seems almost monthly but remembered to give me a birthday present on my birthday. She even wrapped it and gave me a sweet card with a note in Spanish!


Brian isn't the greatest at planning surprises. In fact, he generally doesn't (so far every "surprise" date we've gone on has consisted of a surprise dinner and surprise movie-not super creative, but adorable just the same!). Those of you that know the story of his proposal are probably giggling a little right now if you remember what it shows of his creative prowess in planning. (We are living proof that a lameish proposal does not mean your marriage is doomed!) This past year especially, he has been making more of an effort to surprise me (albeit the same surprise every time, but we're getting somewhere, right?) so I was kind of hoping that he would perhaps apply that knowledge to the day of my birth. Sad to say, I realized quickly that he had nothing really planned out and had accidentally scheduled time to spend with friends because he had forgotten it was my birthday. When my face fell a little when he told me about our hangout time with Debra and Michael, he realized what he'd done and offered to call them back and cancel. Since Debra and Michael are two of our favorite people, I said no, I'd rather spend time with them on my birthday hanging out than doing nothing at home.

Sunday (my actual birthday) Brian took me to Lollicup for my favorite drink after the morning's activities and we snuggled in our hammock and talked about life as I slurped my boba from the tea and he let the little kitty lick the cold frosties from the outside of his cup of pineapple slushie. We decompressed and enjoyed the afternoon. Before we left the house, Brian suggested we bring some games to Debra and Michael's which seemed like a great idea because I was ready for something a little more upbeat. When we arrived and they opened the door, we were greeted with a wall of sound, "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday!!!!" by the whole family. Debra and Michael and their boys made me signs and blew up balloons and decorated the downstairs with birthday well wishes and had an Indian meal (at the request of Brian on my behalf) waiting for us to partake in. Apparently Brian had orchestrated the whole thing (other than the decorations). That rascal. = )

Shelomi, Debra & Michael's middle son, made me a card and a "present". He worked hard drawing little figures from one of their coloring books and cutting them out for the card. He confessed to me later, "Miss Mallory, it was really hard putting together a present and card with such short notice but I hope you like it". He informed me, when I asked, that the colored things that you see above are actually rubber bands. I asked him what you do with them and was told that you wear them around your wrist. I spent the rest of the night rearranging them into different figures. To be 8 again like Shelomi!


Brian also told me when we arrived at Michael and Debra's that he had three additional surprises for me that he had worked very hard to think of. Friday he had an appointment with a good friend. He left at 10:30 and returned at noon. Usually he stay's at the friend's house for hours so I was surprised when he returned so quickly. I found out yesterday that apparently the friend had cancelled last minute and Brian had used that time to purchase my "surprises" and had then run them to Debra & Michael's place. Apparently he felt super guilty for lying every time I asked about his appointment and almost blew his surprise several times to repent and confess his lies!

His (adorably unrelated) three surprises consisted of random things he knew I liked:

1. A pretty bottle of non-alcoholic tasting wine. (We learned long ago that though neither of us are big drinkers, the more something tastes like kool-aid and less like alcohol, the more apt I am to like it!)

2. A box of mint Edy's Dibs. I used to buy a box of Dibs once every other month when we were first married and eat a few each day. Though I've been out of the habit for awhile now, he still remembered how much I liked them. How cute.

3. Red velvet cake. Just as my dear friends made me red velvet cupcakes oh-so-many-years-ago, Brian has remembered since we started dating (on more than one occasion) that I like red velvet cake. So he bought us one for everyone to share. I may or may not have possibly eaten a slice for breakfast this morning. Maybe.

And, finally, what was the biggest gift Brian gave me? The night before, Brian climbed in the hammock with me with a sheepish grin and said, "So, you haven't asked me what I got you for your birthday, yet." We aren't big gift givers (in fact, we usually don't do gifts for each other because it isn't important to either of us) so I hadn't been expecting or hoping for anything. So, I asked him, with a smile beginning to form on my face to match his, "What did you get me, Brian?" His answer? "I'm going to stop being so combative when you come up with an idea that I don't like. I started this week, did you notice?" I did notice that my dear husband has been trying harder than ever to consider and appreciate my ideas. He's always been fantastic at it but on occasion he's been slightly whiney. How adorable that his present to me was to stop being a brat when he didn't like what I suggested on occasion. I love my husband. = )


So thank you everyone who sent me well wishes on facebook or in person or who have just loved me and encouraged me through the years. You are all so dear to me!

-Mallory