Ben, Rachel & Audrey Kristine: My Birthday Weekend

My 24th birthday was this past March 2nd.
I had an idea of what I wanted life to be like when I reached this point in time.

I wanted to have served a mission.

Check.

I wanted to have graduated with a bachelors in college and probably be teaching.
Semi-check. Instead I went to a college for massage therapy and work as a massage therapist. (Which I LOVE!)

I wanted to have studied a semester in the BYU-Jerusalem Center.
Instead I took 3 trips to Israel and Jordan. (When I was 18, 20, and 23.) How I got so lucky, I still don't know.

I used to tell myself that I would DEFINITELY NOT get married until I was at LEAST 24. If Ben was the one I was going to make him wait.
Instead I found myself blissfully married for over a year (I ended up not wanting to wait to get married, either) ;)

I thought I for sure would have children at age 25 or later.
Instead I found my sweet 2 week and 4 day old in my arms to celebrate the day with me!

Life is beautiful. I still feel so blessed and am so grateful for the life I've been given and the love that I have in my life. Who wouldn't be ecstatic to hold this little darling girl in their arms?

Those were taken just as we were leaving to go to my birthday dinner! Ben took me to a steak and seafood restaurant that just so happened to have a crab buffet that night AND we learned while we were there that I got half off my meal as well as dessert for it being my birthday. That deserves a big HOORAY!

Just after a great dinner!

Audrey gave me a great present- she slept for 5 hours straight while we were out! It was SO WONDERFUL to spend one on one time with Ben, and just enjoy a date night together. Audrey was with us the whole time, but you wouldn't have known it. It would've been the same if we were pushing around an empty stroller and carrying an empty carseat. We went to the mall after dinner and picked out some new shoes. Overall it was a GREAT day and I loved it! :)

The next day, March 3rd, my friend Becka came over to do a newborn shoot of Audrey! Becka is a photographer just starting her business, and we were more than happy to hire her to make us one of her first shoots! We are planning on sending out baby announcements soon with pictures from the shoot, so I can't put the ones I'd like to on this blog.. but I'll share some we're not using! ;)