My Birthday!

My birthday was Wednesday, the 16th. I'm now thirty-onederful years old. I can't believe it. Inside, I feel like I'm 18 still. Like an 18-year-old who is trying to figure out how to raise kids.


The day actually started out horribly. I had gotten paid, and I put my paycheck in my back pocket of my jeans. I ran a couple of errands, and when I went to deposit my paycheck, it was GONE. I backtracked to all of my errands and looked everywhere and asked everyone. And I obviously combed my car, my lawn, my purse, etc. It just disappeared into thin air. I was going to call the payroll guy at my work to do a stop payment on the check, but he was gone, as was everyone, because it was the day after tax season at a CPA firm. They had the day off, and understandably so. So I had to sit on pins and needles until yesterday. So yesterday, the payroll guy, who is on vacation in the East somewhere, had to find a computer, issue a stop payment (luckily, no one had succeeded in depositing or cashing my check. I know it's hard to cash or deposit a check that isn't yours, but you always hear stories, so I was freaking out), and reissue me another check. All because I probably misplaced the check somewhere. I was so mad at myself and so upset and worried that someone would spend my paycheck, leaving us with no grocery money. I cried for a couple of hours about it (cut me some slack; I am hormonal right now).


I knew Ben had invited my family over for cake that night (I inadvertently spoiled the surprise by making a lame joke about Ben forgetting about my birthday. Sorry, Ben. I spoil every surprise you try to plan), and I hadn't even showered or done hair or makeup, and I was all pouty - "I don't care. I'm in a bad mood. I'm having the worst birthday ever." So I didn't make any kind of effort to look cute for my birthday. Sorry you have to see me in my jammies.


My dear, sweet Ben made my birthday so wonderful, though. He went to so much work. I love this man:

First of all, he not only invited my family, but a bunch of friends over. And how he figured out who to invite? A couple of weeks ago, he nonchalantly asked me, "Kar, if we moved to a different ward in Idaho Falls, which of your friends in the ward would you miss the most?" I was like, "Um, are we moving??" He's all, "No. I was just wondering who your friends are." So I listed off a few people, and that's how he figured out who to call. Unfortunately, only one of those friends was able to come. Her name is Patty, and her husband is Ken. This is them, playing a game with us at the party:

Here is my nephew, Troy, while we were playing the game:

Nat's kids and my kids always "want to see" any picture anyone takes, right after they take it, so here I am, showing Sadie and Troy the above picture:

Then we went to the dining room to sing, have cake, etc. My cute Ben baked this quadruple-layer cake by himself. He made me go away the night before so he could bake it in secret, then he put it in our cake holder and hid it somewhere in the house. Secrets are really important to him. :) Me, during "Happy Birthday" singing:

Sadie got a little too excited and blew out like ten of my candles before I got a chance to do it. Ben scolded her, and she was, of course heartbroken about the scolding (she is sooooo sensitive. Very different from Dylan), so I told her she could blow out a couple of candles after I was done. So here I am, blowing out my 31 re-lit candles:

And here is Sadie, blowing out two candles:

Of course, then all of the kids had to blow out candles, so we had to do that for a little while.



Ben had let me buy some scrapbooking stuff for my birthday, and I had also gotten my haircut, so I thought that was it in the present department from him, but of course he went all out. He got me a dozen roses:

The movie, Pride and Prejudice:

And perhaps my favorite present of all:

Our song is a song called "Green Eyes," by Coldplay:

Ben says it reminds him of me, not only because the lead singer calls the person he's singing to "green eyes," (and I have green eyes), but because the song talks about how the woman is the rock upon which he stands. Ben always says that I am his rock. Well, he found some old pictures we took at the beach in California of these beautiful rocks that were on a really wet sandy beach. He printed those out, and then he printed out the lyrics to "Green Eyes," and then framed them all nicely. I nearly cried. I usually get teary-eyed when I hear that song, as it is, because I think it's so sweet that he thinks of me in that way.



So yep, Ben wins the Best Husband in the Universe award. He single-handedly turned my birthday around. I love that man. He is so perfect for me in every way. Sorry. Enough mushy stuff.



My parents got me some pansies:

and a cute planter to put them in, in addition to birthday spending money. Thanks, you guys. The pansies look great. It's nice to have some color in my front yard. And I love the planter. And I'll love whatever I decide to buy. :) Mom and Dad also got me some maternity clothes for warmer weather, if we ever get warmer weather!! Here I am with some white capris they got me. There is this cute little jewel pattern on the back pockets, so here I am, saying that I got "sprayed by ice":

Nat made a homemade certificate for her to take me to lunch sometime - and I can't wait! Patty gave me a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble, because she knows I'm a read-a-holic. Brianna gave me some scrapbook storage things, which I desperately needed, and Lex gave me some moola. Thanks, you guys. You know that I'll be writing you thank-you notes soon. You know me.



Heavenly Father gave me a couple of really great presents, too. He gave me skinny ankles for the day. I don't know how; I was on my feet all day long. But I was so ecstatic at seeing my ankles again that I took a picture of them. :)

Another present from Heavenly Father - my hip didn't hurt all day. And the third present from him was that we were able to fix the paycheck snafu. I sent him a thank-you note last night, in the form of a prayer. :)



It turned out to be a spectacular day.