Twenty-eight (a birthday post)

On Sunday, I turned twenty-eight.

I had a fun birthday weekend planned, thanks to friends who make birthdays and the days leading up to them so fun.

On Saturday, I met two friends for birthday coffee and knitting at Revival coffee, since it seemed only right to have coffee at a favorite coffee shop.

After morning coffee, I headed home and putzed around the house, doing a bunch of productive/fun things:

• I baked a birthday cake, specifically the yummiest Swedish coffee cake from the book Scandinavian Gatherings (a book I cannot recommend enough)!
• I prepped a few dishes for a fall-themed potluck with some friends on Saturday night, including collard greens and stuffing.
• I also blocked a bunch of recently finished knitted items (none I can share just yet, since most of them are Christmas gifts)! There's something so satisfying about freshly-washed knitwear, lavender-scented and slowly drying around the apartment.
• I added a tiny navy blue ceramic pumpkin and a fall dish towel out as fall decor (both gifts from my friend, Jessica!)
• I swapped out our table runner for the one I made last year on my birthday
• I flipped through and dreamed about knitting a sweater (or five!) from this book, a gift from my friend, Molly
• I tried not cave in and taste the cake in advance (and succeeded, phew)

That evening, we headed over to our friends' home for a meal of ham, gf mac n'cheese, stuffing, stuffed squash, and collard greens. We played with our friends' little boy, and brought the desserts outside to take some pictures of them. We drank decaf coffee and ate coffee cake and pumpkin pie, and talked about Lord of the Rings and a million other things and I laughed so hard I cried.

On Sunday, my actual birthday, I planned to spend the whole day with Nicholas. We woke up, at a breakfast of scrambled eggs, collard greens and stuffing (a surprisingly good combination!), went to church, and then drove down into Austin for ricotta gnocchi to share, marinara pizza for him, and margherita pizza for me at Bufalina. It's a restaurant I've been wanting to try since we moved to Austin! It was so good. And then we headed a few blocks north to Greater Goods Roasting, where he ordered a drip coffee and I had a Turmeric Chai latte. We talked about future plans and worked on a crossword puzzle together. I wore my recently finished (second) Metamorphic reversible dress, since I knew I would feel most like myself on my birthday, wearing something I made myself. We came home after that, and took a long nap on the couch, before eating leftovers for dinner and talking to both of our families on the phone.

I felt so loved by the calls, texts, cards, gifts, and love sent my way this weekend! Nicholas gave me a snuggly quilted Patagonia and so many hugs. My family gave me some Icelandic wool from their recent trip to Iceland (and more skeins next time I see them!) And my friend Rachael hand-lettered this gorgeous card.

And as I usually do in my birthday posts, I want to mention a few things about my life right now, as a newly twenty-eight-year-old:

• I've learned to taste food before I serve it, and adjust the seasonings as necessary
• it really is worth it to empty the dishwasher the night before and not wake up to a messy kitchen
• weather and seasons affect my mood—it's good to be aware of, but not let myself be ruled by it
• I still can't snap or whistle, not sure that's likely to change anytime soon ;)
• This has been my most confident sewing year, ever, in part because I'm learning new things all the time, but also because I've gotten more comfortable with being a beginner
• My favorite cozy outfit is a hand-knit sweater (weather or A/C permitting) or my Acadia National Park long-sleeved tee
• I just got a Costco membership for the first time
• I love to unwind from the day with a library book or knitting and a video knitting podcast
• bullet journaling keeps me much more organized

And this has also been a year of waiting, and a year of balancing contentment with anticipation. A few days ago, a friend sent me some lyrics to the song "Seasons," by Hillsong. The lyrics resonated with me in a big way, and maybe they will resonate with you too?

I can see the promise I can see the future You’re the God of seasons I’m just in the winter If all I know of harvest Is that it’s worth my patience Then if You’re not done working God I’m not done waiting You can see my promise Even in the winter Cause You’re the God of greatness Even in a manger For all I know of seasons Is that You take Your time You could have saved us in a second Instead You sent a child

I know my life is in the best hands, that I can trust Him, that He is the God of greatness. I know that He is faithful in this season, and the season to come, and whatever my twenty-eighth year brings. I'm looking forward to it! :)

And for anyone curious, here are previous year's birthday posts:

Twenty-four // Twenty-five // Twenty-six // Twenty-seven