Happy Birthday to me!

For my 33rd (is that right?) my little family spoiled me rotten as always. They showered me with gifts and fattened me up with one of my absolute favorites...berry rhubarb pie from the Victorian Rose Tea Room. The perfect pie crust with the perfect fruit combination with the perfect whip cream on top. Mmmmmm.

Don surprised me with dinner at The Melting Pot, somewhere we had never tried. It was a really fun dining experience getting to cook our own food at the table and dip combinations of food you'd never think to combine. Our suggestion... You have to try it once, but that's all you need. It was fun and different, but the food wasn't incredible and the price was ridiculous. Is that rude to say about my special birthday dinner? Don would agree with me and I still loved every minute of it with my sweet hubby.


For my birthday, Don gave me many gifts, but the sweetest, greatest, most thoughtful gift was that he was flying one of my best friends to be with me on my sister Ginger's birthday. Don knew how much I had worried about how I would make it through her birthday, especially once I found out that Don would have to be out of town that day. When he told me she was coming, I started bawling. I was so excited and so touched that he would do that for me.


Hilary and I met at Girl's Camp when we were only twelve. We hit it off right away and even though we went to different schools and were in different wards, we were close through junior high and high school and have been friends ever since. Hilary is the kind of friend everyone dreams about having. She was always so good, so friendly to everyone, such a great example of a good LDS girl. Not to mention that she was beautiful and fun and EVERYONE knew her whereever we went. Knowing that Hilary would be with me on Ginger's Birthday, my sadness and dread turned to excitement and happiness. With Don gone for a couple days we just played and played. We shopped and went out to eat and Hilary even treated me to a pedicure for my birthday! The best part was just being able to talk to someone about Ginger, to share funny memories about her, to look through photo albums with, and just to have someone to laugh and cry with. Those few days with Hilary were so healing for me and I found myself just smiling and laughing when I thought of Ginger, instead of wanting to cry because I missed her so much. Thanks for everything, Hil! And Don, you win the prize for the best husband ever.


I snuck this picture of Hilary reading to my kids. Can I just say that it was amazing having 2 of me for a couple days? It was so great and the kids love her!