love. happiness. they're not the same.

Happy Philip's28thBirthdayValentinesDayPresidentsDay!

Philip's 2nd birthday happened to fall during a trip we made to visit Leres in February 1987.  My mom decorated him a cake.  Clearly I was fairly unimpressed with the attention he was receiving. Or perhaps I didn't approve of the choice of vanilla frosting.

That's been our week.  I haven't been blogging since we've been really busy with fancy celebrations (you know, Chipotle dinner dates, evenings of entertainment furnished by Netflix and the like. . .)  We did have a very nice week last week just very laid back/low key/enjoying each others company.  Philip's birthday and Valentine's Day often bleed together (he was a 2/13 baby).  I joke that the 13th is his day and the 14th is my day.  Well, actually that's not really a joke.  We avoided hoards of crowds on the restaurant scene.  I gave strict instructions to not spend money on cards/flowers/pink-, red- and/or heart-shaped chatche which he honored (and he knows me well enough that I'm not a game player who says "don't get me anything" and secretly has lofty expectations of something magical and whimsical and then gets mad when he doesn't swoop in on a white horse. . . yeah, that does no one any good.  ladies, guys don't do reverse psychology.).  Actually I got the most freaking amazing V-day present EVER.  He skipped is workout for the day to come home early and clean the house for me.  That man knows the way to my heart people.   Nothing makes me weak in the knees like the smell of bleach.  [Notevenjoking] Wow.

My wise husband made an astute observation tonight as we were watching a sitcom:  our culture is OBSESSED with happiness.  True story.  People believe the world (their spouse, their friends, their boss, their parents, their *insert individual who crosses their path here*) owes them happiness.  Parents are terrified of their children not being "happy" and do STUPID things (that in the long run are enabling, NOT loving) as a result.  In marriage, the pursuit of happiness I think can really wreak havoc on what true love is.  True love in marriage is not about my happiness.

Just a thought.

In other random, mundane, less profound news. . . we decided on a whim to go to Zero Dark Thirty last night.  So so SO good.  Wow.

Images from the week and a bit of a blast from the past for your viewing enjoyment. . .

 so technically Philip had 2 birthday dinners:  one on the 12th because he was dying to have Mongolian BBQ after a 7+ mile run and then naturally I obliged his wishes to go to Chipotle for a birthday burrito on the 13th :)

 Philip knew my mom would not approve that he was ripping open the envelope containing the card from my mom and dad --- my mom is pretty strict on USING A LETTER OPENER for a clean tear. . . sorry mum

and from 28th birthday back to 2nd birthday. . . 

Philip's dad is the same age in this picture that he is now (Philip reminds me as I type this that we are WAY behind the power curve)

a picture of cokes in Mexico City - very fun to have this picture Philip's Grandma Sarah

 Philip was part of the family from the start.  Truthfully, he's always been my parent's favorite.    I mean look at that picture with the Coke drinking.  I'm shoved in a corner in a third world country having to wave for attention.  They're lucky some sombrero-wearing, maraca-playing bandido didn't drive away with that stroller.  Sheesh.  Yes, yes, Philip is so cute and so adorable and so well-mannered and . . .   I couldn't compete with the kid, so I had to marry him.  If you can't beat em, join em. . .