matthew's 23rd birthday

I am married to a man who is 23. (p.s. there's a birthday poll up this week for everyone who feels participatory)

This post is about his birthday. It was last Friday, so both of us had work/school to keep us occupied until after 5. 6/8 of Matthew's immediate family was able to come for his birthday. We have a one bedroom house. It was like a happy little can of sardines. :) 

So his family was supposed to get in around 5 and I was afraid they would beat me home. Fortunately they didn't, so I got to make out with my husband a little without having to gross out his family {too honest?}. Dinner and the cake were both in the works when they arrived at our Home Sweet Home. 

After dinner and a round of carcassonne it was time for presents. Matthew received:

• Money {my favorite present to receive every year} 
• A yellow teapot {to be pictured in another post}
• Glow-in-the-dark shoelaces 
• Work gloves
• Warm socks
• A wooden tie {to be pictured in this post}
• A couple of CDs that Katie mixed {i've been really enjoying them}
• Some food from Annapolis 
• A book
• Some safety glasses
• A few handmade cards from friends
• A game {already mentioned in Bekah's birthday post} from my mom.

Quite a list, right? I think so too. :) Here's the promised wooden tie picture. It's awesome, don'tchathink? Me too.

It's basically like wearing a brown Jacob's ladder shaped like a tie around your neck. Love. 

After presents, it was cake time. Strawberry cake with Chocolate icing. Good choice, handsome. Instead of taking the easy way out and buying the "number candles" I lit 23 candles on his cake and basically freaked out that the apartment was going to burn down until he blew them out.

I didn't even ask him what he wished for, but he got them all on the first try. Attaman {like attaboy, only for adults?}.

The next day, once his sister got here from Nashville, we hit up a couple of thrift stores, my favorite vintique market, our amazing Indian restaurant {2nd weekend in a row}, the sun sphere, and a very closed market square. We picked up a couple little things here and there, but the most memorable experience we had started when Matthew spotted a model sailboat at the thrift store across the street. It was possibly a foot high with rigging and everything, and after some examining, we collectively agreed that it might actually float. We set off for the nearest river {which happened to be in a multi million dollar home sub-division}. So with our $1 thrift store find and very high hopes we placed the H.M.S. Bobby Socks into the river. 

It didn't float. Ever. We tried over and over, and every time it ended up on its side. Drat. Oh well. Matthew is planning to rig it up, and if it every truly has its maiden voyage then I will let you know. 

Here's the good news. This might be my favorite picture of Matthew ever. Matthew and the H.M.S. Bobby Socks.

That's a genuine, candid, happy, "I'm having an awesome birthday weekend with the coolest family ever" smile. It makes me happy.