I knew what I wanted for my birthday a looong time ago. The minute I saw the zip line tours in Hawaii I wanted to go...but the boys don't make the age or weight limits so it wasn't something we could do together....not to mention holy expensive. So for my birthday I treated myself to a tour, Miriam earned the $ this summer to come along, and Darin graciously will stay with the boys at the ranch.
So, I purchased and scheduled my own birthday gift a month ago. I told Darin I was doing it, and I am over-the-moon excited and happy and content about it....but it wasn't good enough for Darin and the kids. 40 is just too big of a milestone so they were sure to make it one I would remember.
Miriam snuck the birthday pillowcase on my bed. She wanted to add this to our family traditions so she made a pillowcase this summer at her sewing class. It's nice to have a little party planner in the family.
Darin's family was in town from back East. Family that we hardly ever get to see, but so love to be with whenever possible we decided to run up North to spend the day with them. We stopped by Pettingill's for a sweeter larger variety of peaches (Rosa, for future reference...LOVE THEM).
and we shared some fresh peach shakes.
We listened to Snap Judgment all the way up the canyon...so interesting, and the drive was beautiful!
We had a great lunch which included 40 of these Swig cookies!
(thank you C, L, C & E!)
We all took the 16 personalities quiz, laughed, and took a trip down memory lane with a photo video Darin had put together.
When my kiddos needed some active time, I took them and Cameron's sweet dog Goose on a walk up to the new white sand park.
We walked past tons of my birthday flowers!
The kids and I played frisbee and had handstand competitions (I even won once!) did cartwheels and made weed farms in the sand.
Darin surprised me with my own photo video, so Darin's family humored me by watching 40 years of my life go by. It's been a good 40 years...can't complain (except maybe those awkward years from 11-15...but then again they made me who I am so not too bad).
Then....the big surprise!
This is what those rascals were working so hard on the nights before.
40 balloons in a rainbow fedora!!
I have never seen anything like it, and keep meaning to put it up on Pinterest!
My hubby is a super creative guy, and so thoughtful of me. He would hate wearing something like this but he knows I eat it up with a spoon!
See that tuxedo cake...my favorite, and Soren declared this special day my "cheat day". It's actually turned into my cheat dayS...but I am 40 so live it up right?!
The kids were so sweet, they pooled their money to get a gift card to my favorite place, gourmet chocolate, and I get to go pick out some trail running shoes after Darin saw what I have been hiking in all summer. He was appalled, and got that situation fixed as quickly as possible.
He also has another surprise up his sleeve, but that is another post for another time.
