Look who's 26

Today is Alison's 26th birthday. We woke up this morning and packed our belongings. We drove over to the Paris Hotel to get some breakfast. Alison wanted a crepe so we stood in line at La Creperie. Alison got one with a lot of berries, which looked like a great birthday breakfast.

After breakfast, we wandered around the Paris Hotel trying to find some macaroons. It used to be really easy to find macaroons around the Paris Hotel, but now it is really difficult. We could only find one place that had them. We bought a little package - they weren't the best, but they look pretty good. I wanted to take a picture of Alison holding the macaroons, but she didn't want to play along. Finally, after I asked really nicely she gave me a good smile. 

We spend most of the day driving. It was not the way most people would want to spend their birthday, but Alison was willing to do it to make this trip work. It was worth it. We got home and spent the night at Blake and Debbie's eating dinner and watching the Yankees game (they won and Eovaldi threw 6 & 1/3 no-hit innings.)

I don't often post how much I love and appreciate Alison on social media. I do want to take a moment today to reflect on how amazing Alison is. I have watched over the past year as Alison decided to go back to school to get her MBA. It has been much harder than either of us anticipated. She has embraced it and thrived. I am so proud of her. There are so many things that are important to Alison and she finds a way to have them all - family, school, work, church, and fun. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but she handles everything life throws at her. Alison doesn't do anything halfway - she is easily the most passionate person I know. She works incredibly hard. Work can be stressful and her schedule can be unbelievably busy, but she will always take time to help others, reach out, and be kind. I admire her so much for her work ethic, her passion, and her kindness. I get a front-row seat to everything she has already and will accomplish in the future. Let me tell you she is going to do great things.

I love her more than anything and I feel very blessed that I get to share my life with such a wonderful woman.

Happy Birthday!