It's My Birthday

Or I should say, it WAS my birthday.  We can still celebrate, right?  Here are my 3 days of celebrations...

Birthday eve at the symphony with a handsome guy...

and my niece Lexie and her BF, Juvol.  We had gotten student tickets, and none of our kids could go.  Lexie needed a concert report, so it worked out perfectly.  Fun double date, guys! ;)  The program included Carmina Burana, which - who doesn't love it?  Dad, thanks for introducing me to Carl Orff way back when.

Saturday was my birthday, so I could essentially do whatever I wanted.  Normally I would have taken Araceli to Youth Symphony, but I felt like staying home and getting ready for Ruby's Halloween dance dinner.  Scott took Celi and I puttered arund, making soup, driving kids, and tidying up the house.  It's so fun to be home and engaged in a fun project.  Everyone got their chores and practicing done for me for my birthday, and by 2:00, all of our Saturday activities were wrapped up, so I went to see "Inside Out" at the Kaysville Theatre, just me and my good friends, Buttered Popcorn and Diet Coke.  Those two are a match made in heaven, I tell ya.

My birthday was happy and relaxing, and full of fun, but my heart was sad because Golda wasn't there.  She hadn't even called to say happy birthday, but I figured that was OK.  She was busy.  Around 5, Scott left to "go pick something up."  I was regretting telling him that I wanted a new frying pan for my birthday.  Dumb!  Who cares about a frying pan?  And now he had to go run a stupid errand.  When he pulled in the driveway, Golda got out of the car!  To my surprise, I burst into tears.  She tricked me into thinking she had forgotten my birthday.  Again, Scott delivered the perfect gift.  He's goooood!

Ruby's friends arrived, some in time for daylight pictures, some too late.  There were 7 darling couples, and they had a great time before suddenly scattering to make it to the dance.  I had told Ruby that the dance was on my birthday and I would be really sad if I didn't get to have the group over for dinner, or at least over afterward for a fun activity.  She came through and I got to do my favorite thing on my birthday.  Thanks, Ruby!

Ruby and John Harvey, my dad's best friend Malcolm's grandson.  I'm sure it didn't occur to them in high school that their descendants would be going to a dance together at the very same school, waaaay in the future!  Or that both of them would have Chinese granddaughters, Hazel and Xanthe, or that we'd all still be in Kaysville!  OK, that last one,t hey might have predicted.  They both love this place.

During the dinner, Araceli took the kids to the ward trunk-or-treat, except Xanthe, who had a birthday party in Fruit Heights.  Everyone was happy.  Scott quietly watched the Utah game in the TV room, a good backdrop to the teens' revelry. 

Dinner was simple.  I made a sort of taco soup with my new favorite shortcut: organic pumpkin soup as a base.  It adds a lot of flavor.  Emily Major brought rolls, Taylor Knighton brought drinks, and Emily Knight brought cookies for dessert.  I had dry ice in the glasses, and the kids had fun playing with it.  Who knew dry ice could be so entertaining?

On Sunday, there was church.  Scott taught the Sunday School lesson for me, and did a great job.  He always gets emotional and says nice things about me, so it's always great to be there.  After church, Josh and Emily came over for nachos.  The kids were pretty excited about last-minute cheese on chips!  See, why cook?  Scott and I had planned a getaway to Park City, and when Golda came home, we added a detour through Orem so we could take her home.  I hate that the Frontrunner doesn't frontrun on Sundays.

We visited Nana on the way, who was as chipper as usual.  She showed us a letter from Athena that she had put in the lobby for everyone to see.  I think she' gets confused about which areas are "hers" and just thinks the whole facility is her house.  I'll often find her belongings in the entryway book shelves.

My hair was already bleached from before our California trip, so I went ahead and dyed it blue because "it's my party and I'll dye if I want to!"  Ha ha.  Ill have to cover it up when I put on my formal ballet teacher persona, but colorful hair makes me so happy.

In Golda's dorm.  She keeps it so neat and clean.

At last, the getaway part of the weekend!  The drive to Heber from Orem was pretty.  We just took in the canyon and the colors, and ended up on Main Street at Wasatch Brew Pub for dinner.  All I wanted in life was a good, juicy cheeseburger, and Wasatch delivered.  With tater tots, too!  It's like the universe was in on making my birthday the best.  Scott and I and our books spent the night in front of the fireplace at the Ranch, and came home Monday morning in time to get kids to school.

44th birthday, I give you an A+.

Sinatra says happy birthday.