My Birthday Week-End!!

Yesterday was my Birthday! I have to say, it was the best birthday I've had in a very long time!

A few months ago, my friend Celeste called me and told me that her mom just bought ticket for the three of us to see "Dirty Dancing" for my birthday! Celeste and I have always watched the movie together and it's our favorite, so we had to see the play!

They came and picked me up a few hours before the play because they wanted to take me out for sushi at a really cool restaurant, Katsuya, in Hollywood. I have wanted to try sushi for a few years now, but I've never had someone to go with. I was so excited and the food was even better than I was expecting! I LOVED it and now I crave it!

This year my Birthday was on Memorial Day again. I run into this problem often. It's a hard week-end to have a party growing up, because people go out of town or have family BBQ's and such. But, this year, because Disneyland was giving out free tickets for Birthdays, I wanted to get mine even though it was a crazy day to go! I had decided to make it a fun Birthday and see who could come along! In the end, it was Celeste, Ronda and Tiffany. All three of them had a hard time getting babysitters, but they did and they came!! I was so excited! I went and bought matching shirts for all of us and ironed on rhinestone crowns. I loved the way they turned out!

We went to California Adventure Park. We went on Tower of Terror, then got fast passes to the Grizzly River Run before we got lunch. I love the sourdough breadbowls with soup, and luckily that sounded good to everyone else, too. Ronda bought my lunch!

After lunch, we used our fast passes and had so much fun getting soaked! Then Tiffany had to go home to her baby, so we said good-bye. Celeste, Ronda and I went to the roller coaster California Screamin'. Ronda had never been on it before! She was terrified but wanted to go! I had to take lots of pictures on the ride!

Then we walked around and got ice cream sundaes while we sat and talked. It was such a wonderful time. Being with friends made the crowds and lines not so bad!

I came home in the later afternoon to the smell of brownies baking in the oven. Glenn and the kids had asked me what I wanted for my cake and I had told them, brownies with coconut pecan frosting. The kids were so excited to decorate the brownies with candles and tons of sprinkles!

Earlier in the day, I had asked the kids if they wanted to go out to dinner with Glenn and me for my Birthday, and they said "no". They wanted to go to Grandma Great's house and get babysat. (They really hoped she'd take them swimming!) Of course, my grandparents were so happy to watch the kids and Glenn and I were able to go out together. We went to the Olive Garden because that's where we always seem to go when we want to have a quiet dinner. It was really nice to sit and talk.

After dinner Glenn took me to the mall because I had a gift card that I wanted to spend. As much as he HATES shopping, he put on a happy face and didn't complain when I tried on clothes. That was a gift in itself! He ended up buying me a couple of outfits that I really like and will be nice for summer.

Then we picked up the kids and came home for cake! They put all the 34 candles on and it seemed like a lot! Charles gave me a DVD for my gift and Maryn gave me a white teddy bear so that I'll always have something to help me sleep.

It was such a wonderful day!!

Disneyland With Celeste!

Today was a blast! My dear Celeste invited us to go to Disneyland for her daughter, Brooklyn's birthday. We had an awesome time together and the girls were so cute! It was great to have some fun with my "twin sister". (People always ask us if we're twins even though we look nothing alike.)

Charles' Baptism!!

Charles was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on Friday, April 17, 2009, in Meridian, Idaho.

It was a beautiful trip!! We left on the Monday morning following Easter. We made it all the way to my sister, Beth's house in Clearfield, Ut. We stayed up and played games and talked for hours! The next morning, our BIL, Ken was a baking maniac! He made us cinnamon rolls, breadsticks and homemade pizza- all from scratch!!
The next day, we stopped at our friend's, the Woolf's house and visited for a couple of hours on our way to Glenn's brother, Gordon's house. They live in Smithfield, Ut. We got to visit the site where they are building their new home! Then they drove us up to Preston, Idaho to see Glenn's cousin, Lori's hot spring water park! I was very impressed! We are having our family reunion there in July. It is still a work in progress, but they've really done a lot with it! That night, Sandra, Laurel, Alison, and I watched Twilight together. The next morning, Sandra made us a wonderful breakfast before we headed out to Idaho.

We made it to Glenn's parent's house before dinner and had some time to sit and visit. Then Glenn's sister, Joanne and her family came over. Joanne and I went shopping for all of the food for the baptism dinner. We stayed at Joanne's house for the rest of the trip. The next morning, Joanne made Charles' cake and we got ready for the baptism festivities! We went to Deseret Book and I got him a really nice CTR ring. Glenn took Charles out with the guys and bought him a BB/pellet gun. Then we met up with Glenn's mom and went out to lunch.
The next day was the baptism!! Joanne had made all of the arrangements for the building, but we were on our own! We had to set up and fill the font ourselves! Joanne and Josh made the programs for me and I had bought each of the kids CTR rings to wear at the baptism. We were so excited because our wonderful bishop and his wife and youngest daughter had flown up to Idaho just to see Charles' baptism! It was so special to have them there. He conducted the baptism for us. Glenn got to baptize his son.

The reason we had the baptism in Idaho, was because of Glenn's father, Charles had gotten so ill in January and couldn't travel. Charles had asked him to do the confirmation blessing, and we had to make that happen for both of them. It was a beautiful blessing that made me cry. I felt the spirit so strongly in that room.

After the baptism, we all went to Joanne's house for dinner. I had made a pasta bar. We had red sauce and alfredo sauce over penne pasta with italian sausages cooked on the side. We also had rolls and salad. It was much better than the "spaghetti with no meat" that Charles had requested, and he loved it!

It was such a wonderful time to have almost all of Glenn's family together! Gordon and Sandra came up for the baptism even though we had just been at their house! That was such a blessing that they could make the trip! We loved seeing all of our family. I can't wait until July!!

The next morning, we left Idaho. We went to Glenn's parent's house to say our "good-bye's". His mom made us a good breakfast and sent us on our way!

That day, we made it all the way to St. George. On the way, we stopped in Orem to see my dear Mindy and her family. We had lunch together and visited, but it wasn't long enough! It never is.

When we got to St. George, it was dinner time, but the kids wanted to show Glenn Brigham Young's home before it closed. So we did the tour and I think Glenn liked it! We then checked in the hotel and got freshened up for dinner at Chuck-a-Rama. Glenn LOVED it and it was his favorite part of the whole trip I think. He ate sooo much!!

When we got back to the hotel, Charles wanted to swim, so I took him. Glenn and Maryn decided to watch TV together. I was too cold to go in the pool, but Charles jumped right in! I wanted to get in the jacuzzi, but it was bright green. Too many kids hanging out in there, I think. After a while, coldness won out and I got in knowing I'd be showering after anyway.

The next day, we went home! It was a long drive with minimal stops because Glenn was focused on getting back. We made it in record time, I think!

Thanks to all of you that made this trip so special for us and opened your homes to us! Thank you for helping with the baptism and making it such a happy, loving, experience for us! We love you all!

Easter 2009!!

Easter this year was awesome! The kids loved it! They looked so cute in their new clothes. The Easter bunny was generous and they had a wonderful time at Grandma and Grandpa Great's house!

Cousins!!