Halfway to 50...Quarter of a Century...Old.

So, I'm 25.  Officially on the downhill slide to thirty.  I just don't feel old enough to 25!  Not that the age itself really bothers me, it's just that I remember being a kid and thinking 25 was SO old and grown up and "adult" ... and I'm not sure I feel like any of those yet!

I'm not the type to mope over getting older (besides, as my dear mother puts it "getting older is better than the alternative" -- get it... death... good one mom). 

I told Tony I wanted to take a small trip instead of him getting me something.  We decided to head up to Asheville (thanks to some free Biltmore tickets I weaseled from work) and Greenville.  Tony took the initiative to plan everything himself.  And he gets 1,000 husband bonus points because when we went to check into our hotel in Asheville, we entered the room and my whole family was there!  Mom, Dad, Court, Cait, Courtney's bf Byron, Grammy, and even their dogs! 

(my dad is glowing...)

Tony had organized it with them to come meet us for the day and evening.  I love my family so much and hate the fact that I only see them every few months or so, so this was a great treat.  It's always crazy and loud when there are 9 of us, but I love it (in small doses, of course!).  Growing up in a big-ish family makes me cherish those times together.

It even snowed, although it didn't stick.  We froze to death and ate too much food, and topped the evening off with cupcakes. 

My family headed home and Tony and I went to the Biltmore - which I had been to, just not during Christmas.  Everything is a million times more enjoyable when decorated for Christmas.  The hands down best part of the house was the live 30 ft tall tree in their dining room (dining hall is a better word) that was covered in old-fashioned ornaments with real-sized presents hanging from it - apparently the family's presents for the servents were displayed this way when they really lived there. 

We spent some time in Greenville as well, mostly napping in the gloriously huge bed. Nothing to do but relax.
 Great birthday.  Sure beats the alternative.