Yesterday I traveled home to New Jersey to surprise my twin brother for our birthday. See, we’ve managed to spend almost every single October 8th together over the last 31 years. There have been a few times where we’ve missed the day, but made the weekend. But we’ve never NOT celebrated on or right around our birthday. Twice, we thought that might have to happen, based on travel logistics and timing. Once was 10 years ago on our 21st birthday and the second was this year. Matt surprised me 10 years ago by coming up to visit me at college, so I thought I’d return the favor with a surprise visit this year.

It’s only fitting that we’re big fans of surprises. After all, on 10/8/81, we gave my parents the biggest surprise of their lives! My mother and father did not know that they were having twins until AFTER I was born!! (Thank God for advances in medical technology, eh?) The story goes like this…

My mother’s Ob/Gyn was on vacation when she had her last sonogram, so it was performed by a technician (who winds up being the scapegoat in this story). Needless to say they didn’t have any of these highly detailed sonogram photos that we have today. So, my mother went into labor thinking that she was carrying one GIANT baby. I mean, my dad is 6’8″ tall, so we grow ’em big in the Griffiths family. But when she went into labor and delivered one 6 pound baby (Me!), her doctor said, “This baby is too small, we’re going to have to look for another one!” My mother’s (classic) response? “And you can drop dead, ’cause I’m not pushing again!” Five minutes later, out came another 6lbs of baby, named Matthew.

Since I’m not doing much cooking while I’m home in NJ, I thought I’d share that classic Griffiths story – as well as some photos from my childhood home. Enjoy!

My dad made me french toast for dinner – one of my all-time favorites!

Remember my love for Penzeys? This is where it comes from…

I had to bring home some cupcake cookies for the birthday boy!

One of my inspirations to get into cookie-decorating.

Happy birthday to me! (Oh, and I guess to Matt, too!)