Cheesecake and Thoughts

I started out 2011 sick. New Year's Eve is my absolute favorite holiday of the whole year. I'm not sure why; when I was young, every New Year's Eve was spent in church in a midnight service (which to be totally truthful I hated) and when that stopped, usually New Year's Eve was just spent at home, but for some reason, I have always looked forward to ringing the new year in! My best New Year's Eve was the one my hubby and I spent at Disneyland; it was freezing and over-packed with crowded bodies, but it was fantastic.

This year, I had plans, but as the day went by and I felt worse and worse, it became apparent 2011 was going to be quietly rung in at home. Actually, it was perfect. My hubby went and got movies and we just snuggled at home. I ended up being thankful I had someone wonderful to snuggle on the couch with even as sick as I was. We watched the ball drop as 2010 went out with the fireworks and cheers.

2010 was quite a year. January, we started a Daniel Fast with our church. I must admit, we thought our pastors had lost their minds. I couldn't fathom having no caffeine or sugar for 21 days! However, we have made it our motto to be a support to our pastors and we willingly did it. Well, of course, the rewards well made up for the sacrifice and set the tone for our year. It truly changed our lives. In March, we said goodbye to a little dream of ours and I must say, if it hadn't been for the fast and the days after it, I probably wouldn't have handled it as well. 2010 was a year of restoration in some things, lessons in others, and the rest was just perseverance as we weathered another year of unemployment woes.

Now, always after New Year's Eve comes a day I usually want to forget...my birthday. Now for some reason as I have gotten older, I have dreaded my birthday. The whole thing of getting older and the feeling of un-accomplishment has really gotten to me in the past.

This year was different. I wanted the dinner, the birthday song, the birthday cake, and the birthday ice cream! Yeah, I know, sounds high maintenance, but normally seeing as I don't usually want those things, it is not! Maybe it is the fact that I've accepted getting older; some days I can still pass for my 20s anyway and I have managed to achieve a little wisdom after all. :) I had a destination in mind: The Cheesecake Factory. It really is my favorite place to go for dessert. The Red Velvet cheesecake is like a dream in your mouth, definitely yummy in your tummy. Well, we didn't make it on my actual birthday, but the Friday after, my parents along with my aunt and uncle, Justin, and I made the journey to cheesecake. Their food to me isn't all that, but the cheesecake makes up for it! I still don't know when they did it and I wasn't expecting a song, but I got one along with my birthday ice cream! We ordered three different cheesecakes so we could cut them up and each have a little bit of different ones. We ordered red velvet, chocolate coconut, and brownie sundae cheesecakes. The picture below looks like I was eating all of them!


Normally, the red velvet is my favorite, but this year, I ended up eating almost all the chocolate coconut. It is similar to an Almond Joy with cheesecake! I fell in love with it! I admit I didn't hold back from eating these rich desserts; perhaps it was the thought that the 23rd, I will be on our church annual Daniel Fast again. :)

I can't see what 2011 will bring and the economy and news are worse than ever, but I do know whatever happens, job or not, I am blessed with a man who makes me laugh even in the worst of times, a God up above, great family, and friends. Whatever happens this year, don't take love for granted and keep close the ones you hold in your heart.