I had it all planned since our Bear Lake family vacay is at the end of the month. I know I get the birthday I want and the Mother's day I want if I take charge of it. It feels like self care.
I went on a 20-mile early morning bike ride-- I went without Wayne because he was needed in the hospital with one of our beloved YSA's Mackay Wood. Mackay was going into surgery. The bike ride was good physically and emotionally. I cried for a bit of it while I thought of my parents and grandparents and sister and all of my people in heaven I used to spend my birthday with. Instead of telling myself I shouldn't be crying and this is silly... I just let the tears roll...and it felt great.
Wayne surprised me with gorgeous roses and the required Rhubarb pie for breakfast. I will take Rhubarb pie over a cake any day! It's my taste bud thriller!
Next on the list was heading to the Temple to do Initiatories. I had a fun surprise in the initiatory booth because one of my BFF's Si was working it. She pronounced the blessings and the teachings and I just saw this as such a tender mercy, my tears came freely and I felt of my Heavenly Father's love.
Si and I headed to SLC for lunch at Gourmandies. I had been dreaming of their steak salad with blueberry compote for weeks. It was delicious and then we headed to the frame shop to pick up my present to myself... I got the Jesus rainbow print that I got for Mother's day framed. It looks great and hangs in my new office.
I face-timed, called or texted all of my kids and I just love that these are my people. I also received so many birthday wishes from friends and extended family with sweet texts and messages on social media.
Wayne and I went to a 4:00 -Toy Story 4 movie at the megaplex. It was cute, although I did sleep through ten minutes of it and finally had to go get me a diet coke and popcorn to stay awake, which took another ten minutes...so I missed at least 20 minutes of this movie that would surely have helped with what in the world was going on. I will have to see it again.
Dinner was at Chile Amor with Eric and Laura Belnap and Wayne. I love Mexican food and fajitas here are the BEST! I just love a good chips and salsa place. I got sung to and got free flan and to wear a gigantic sombrero, who could ask for anything more?
We got home and there were gifts and flowers on my doorstep. I was feeling the love.
The last thing on my list was to get home for a sunset stroll...which turned into a sunset sit because 30 YSA's showed up at my door to sing happy birthday and gift me with more roses and a sweet card. I cried again. We sat on our front lawn and talked til after ten. The sunset was glorious and a beautiful reminder of God's love for all of us.
Birthdays are happy and sad, filled with people and times of alone-ness, introspective and joyful...really just all of the stuff that makes up a good life. (It's 50/50, just as it should be.)
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| flowers from Wayne, from Brighton Taylor and from the YSA ward |
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