My Birthday

My birthday fell on Valentine's Day this year, as it has for every one I can remember. I was feeling really sad the two days before my birthday, so I wasn't really excited about it. But, thanks to my friend Marinda, I ended up having a fabulous day. Her birthday was a month before mine and she had her husband take off work so she could do fun things that she never ordinarily gets to do--without kids. Now, I love my kids, quite a bit actually. But just being able to do something other than change diapers or clean up messes or break up fights or fix another snack/meal was heavenly.

Jared took the day off, so... I woke up to breakfast in bed: cheesy eggs, turkey bacon, toast and a lot of orange juice. Jared got everyone ready, packed Erin's lunch and took her to school. He did everything that day actually: went grocery shopping, made dinner, baked and decorated my cake, took the kids to swimming lessons and pampered me to no end. He is a good man. It was delightful and definitely a new birthday tradition, at least until the kids are grown up a little more I would say.

I didn't really have anything planned out until that morning, but it filled up rather nicely. I started out going to the temple because I needed a pick-me-up and a way to recharge my soul. It worked. I decided to just to initiatories to save time, but it turned out to be way more busy than I imagined due to the Draper temple closing. I waited for over an hour and 15 minutes just to get in, but it was the best time I've had in a long to time to think and ponder in relative peace (I mean, there were still old ladies blabbing about stuff). I read the entire address of King Benjamin and had forgotten how much good stuff there is in it. I felt so good afterward. Don't worry, I didn't spend the whole day in a skirt. As my luck usually has it, a car pulled up right next to me while I was half dressed in my car. Good times at the temple.

I made it just in time for my next outing: a makeover. You never really know how one of those is going to turn out, but this one was perfect. I needed new make-up anyway, so it was a good way to get a professional's perspective on what I should get. I definitely spent my (self-inflicted) yearly allotted make-up allowance. And I got a free gift because it was my birthday. I told them it was my birthday at the next store but it didn't go over quite as well (that is unless I wanted to apply for a credit card--then they'd give me 25% off). I bought a shirt and a sweater and then met Jared and the kids for lunch.

We ended up going to a Tuscan restaurant which was pretty good. It may have even been a little romantic, being Valentine's Day and all, had we not had three wiggly kids with us. The kids ordered one $4.50 kids' meal pizza to share, which turned out to be giant, and then got their own piece of pizza dough to mash and watch get made into another little personal pizza. That was money well spent, and quite a bit of pizza! Our waiter was really slow, and Jared had to go pick up Erin, but we didn't even have the check yet and I wanted my free dessert. So Jared took off and left me to sit in a restaurant--on Valentine's Day--to eat my dessert all alone like a loser. It was the one day I got a free dessert and I wasn't going to miss it! I thought it was amusing anyway.

Next up was a little vintage store I've been dying to go to and another store that I thought would be cooler but wasn't. I had at least two more stops on my list, but I got a call from one of my best friends and I always prefer talking to shopping. It was getting to be dinner time so I drove home to find a display of cards, flowers, cake, chocolates and my birthday present on the table.

Somehow Jared got the impression that I was 36 (which is a little offensive), but I played along anyway due to the numbered candles. Reminds me of the time I made a cake for Hermana Sigampa on my mission with a big 86 on it... and come to find out she was only 85! How embarrassing, although, in my defense, I understood very little Spanish at that point in the country. Can you tell I got a makeover? Not shown in this picture are the presents I got on Sunday from my family: earrings, nail polish and a set of glasses. Every time my mom has come to my house for the past 9 years she has asked if we have any glasses and the answer is always the same, "Yep, we have two, and one is chipped" (and the other was usually dirty). We must have gotten one set of four for our wedding and only one is still in its original state. Maybe it goes back to my long standing preference for mugs, because it's the perfect amount of liquid, don't you think? I guess we just kept using plastic cups too because of kids and just never thought to get any glass ones. Now we have 13, and a chipped one.

Oh, and after dinner I got to take my first annual birthday bath, also inspired by Marinda. It was so relaxing!

Here is the Special plate that we only use for the birthday person. When Jared and I first got married we went to a place that let you paint your own pottery/cups/plates/etc. I remember it being really pricey because it was on Las Olas Blvd. (ritzy) but it was so fun. I made the special plate and Jared made a mug that we still have. It makes me smile to see them because it reminds me of the time in Florida when we were newlyweds. Awww.Anyway, I am so excited for my new, slightly expensive, totally not necessary toy--my Silhouette Cameo. I've wanted one of these for so long, but was waiting for them to come out with a version that worked with a Mac and was also weighing the price vs. how much I wanted it. I finally told Jared he could do his racquetball tournament if I could have one of these for my birthday. For anyone that doesn't know what this machine is, it is an awesome cutting machine that allows you to design or download things on your computer and then sends them to be cut out on the machine. There are so many possibilities! I originally wanted it for lettering, like to make signs like "Laundry, Loads of Fun" and "No husband was ever murdered by his wife while he was doing the dishes" but now I realize there is a whole world possibilities with stencils, fabric, paper and even jewels (which I'll be honest, I don't see me delving into). My first project is a menu board, or the filing cabinet. Now the only problem is that I have way too many ideas for the amount of energy I currently have. My house looks way better in my head than it probably does in real life. Anyway, here's to some exciting projects to come!