Resolutions and a Birthday Dinner

Let's talk resolutions.  I make resolutions every year, usually ones I can't measure.  Smile more.  Be a better person (I totally wrote that down last year).  Pray more.  Be a better student.  And the ones I can measure usually don't happen.  Read the Bible in a year.  Run five miles a week (ha! I didn't even make it one week with that one).  

This year, I have a few well-intentioned resolutions: try to walk 10,000 steps each day (thanks Mom and Dad for the pedometer!), drink more water, and so on.  But the one I'll be striving for every day is one I should have made a long time ago: love myself.  I'm going to tell myself that I am healthy and strong, even though I can't run a half marathon or bench press however many pounds.  That I can be confident and happy with how I look every single day, even though my skin isn't perfect and I will never look like a Victoria's Secret model.  That I have the power every single day to be generous, friendly, and compassionate.  That I can love myself and others every day, and here's the biggie: that God loves me and you and everyone else every single day and that He will never, ever stop.  

 Exciting, yes? :)

Okay.  Now let's talk Thai food.  I'm pretty sure that just about every birthday dinner in my immediate family for the past several years has been celebrated at a Thai restaurant.  Yesterday was my brother David's 23rd birthday, and being a vegetarian and Thai food lover he chose a vegetarian Thai restaurant in Seattle.  We always do things family-style, which in my opinion is the best way to do things because everyone gets to eat more of everything!  

I chose this Tom Kah soup

and it was unreal.  It's hard to see here, but there was a flame in the center, which I thought was pretty legit :)  The soup was coconut, lemongrass, tomato, mushroom, onion, cilantro, and more.  I ordered three stars out of five for a little spice, and it was perfect- plenty of heat without overpowering any of the flavors.

Then for dessert we shared two orders of black rice sticky pudding, which I'd never had before.

It was a perfect end to the meal, and I'm tracking down a few recipes so this can come out of my kitchen.


Now you tell me, how do you celebrate birthdays?


Have a wonderful Thursday night!  :)