Thirty Seven Candles

Thursday was my birthday, and it was a great day.

 I made my debut at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah.  (I bet more babies are born there than just about anywhere.) Yes, I'm a native Utah'n, but I won't readily admit it.  Hey, I only lived there a few weeks.  For all intents and purposes I am a California girl.

Fast forward 37 years.  Another birthday.  

I started my birthday with an early trip to the temple with my mom.  I decided late the night before that that is what I really wanted to do on "my day".  It was absolutely wonderful.  I really got some great insight into my life and what I need to be doing.  I put everything in perspective, and made me appreciate the family and friends that I would see/hear from all day.

After the temple mom and I were asked to an impromptu lunch party at Panera with my sweet friends Nonie, Denice (hiding - she'd so sneaky), Jenie, and Alysa.

I love all these beautiful women!

I opened some gifts.  Mom's was really wrapped in plastic and bubble wrap and took forever. What a mess.  And the gift wasn't even fragile.  It was a serious tape gun for stamping that I am really excited about - thanks Mom!

Denice gave me a bunch of fun balloons (it has been forever since anyone gave me balloons for my birthday!), a wonderful book by President Hinkley, and a relaxing fountain so I can find my peaceful place.  (Hope it works 'cause  I need to find my peaceful place!)

My sweet friend Diane dropped of a scrumptious coffee cake and this oh-so-darling oilcloth apron with cherries on it.  It just screams domestic goddess.  I LOVE it!

I saw Nonie again when she a Keith brought over my birthday cake - a towering homemade Italian wedding cake (I love all things Italian!) filled with nuts and coconut and just super delicious! 

When I got home my boys announced that they had made me brownies, but when they presented me with them, they looked like this:

I'm thinking that the candles were originally all over , and kept getting moved over as the brownies were nibbled away.  Hilarious!  Thanks for saving me some of my birthday brownies, fellas.  You were so thoughtful.

 I really had it sweet!  There was cake, cookies, coffee cake, cheesecake, caramel corn, and  brownies.  Good thing calories don't count on your birthday, huh?

My dear Dayna was out of town, but before she left, she delivered my gift, this super-cute picture.  It's pink, and black, girly, and quotes Shakespeare.  (Shakespeare and I are tight!)  Perfect for the pink room.  That girl has me figured out exactly!

Alysa gave me that fun chandelier vinyl sticker for my pink room, and some great books (only one turned out to be a bit porn.  Oops!  Posting no pics of that one.)

Everyone must know I love chandeliers because this is the incredibly darling card Mom made me.   It is bejeweled!

My friend Diana sent me this card from Utah.  I love everything about it!

Dinner was so romantic - OK, not really.  Dennis signed up to feed the missionaries. But he did all the work.  I just sat back and enjoyed not having to do the entertaining.

Little Dylan made my most special gift - a sculpture of our family as it looked when he and his twin brother were born.  Isn't it wonderful?  That kid!

See the poster in the background that my boys made for me?  It is still up, but will likely be replaced by a Father's Day poster very soon.

In the evening, my wonderful friend Shari dropped by with a fabulous new purse filled with moose munch popcorn (yum - ee!)  I moved right into that purse already.  Her "quick visit" turned into a two hour conversation in the front yard.  Her youngest sat and watched an entire movie in the car while he waited for us to quit yaking.  Oops!  

Dennis gave me a new bluetooth device to replace the one he gave me for Christmas and then accidently threw away (remember that?) and a new professional wide angle zoom lens for my camera that I am SO excited about.  (All my excuses for lousy pictures are quickly disappearing.  I better start learning how to take a photograph now, huh?)

It was a great day, and didn't even end there, because early the next morning I snuck out of the house to drive to Riverside to do some Martial Arts training with my dear friend, and instructor, Kylee.  It was SO FUN!  I loved every minute of it.  Afterwards she took me to a belated birthday lunch.  I really love that girl!

I love birthdays, and this was a good one.  I had so many visits, calls, cards, and emails from people who care.  It was so fun to open my emails and see the whole page filled with birthday wishes from my facebook friends.  I was so impressed with all the thoughtful gifts from my friends who really knew just what I would love.  Bravo!

Thanks everyone for my wonderful day!  You make getting older really worth it!