Birthday Brat!

Em will be turning "28" on February 9th! Unfortunately I will not be able to be with her this year, so since she is such a prolific talented blogger I will dedicated a blog a day until her Birthday! So Em, check each day for your Birthday Blog and maybe I'll bring you back an elephant from Thailand!

Some background on birthday traditions: The original Dubs hang birthday signs in the kitchen. Most of these were drawn with the help of Ed Emberly how to draw books. They were usually a little silly and a bit corny but fun and creative.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!

Fun Birthday days!

First off, a thank you all who have wished me a Happy Birthday, especially the many on my wall on Facebook!

Emily did many a nice thing for my birthday, the least of which wasn't putting up with me saying "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" after each birthday demand. It all began with having the day off from work. Em let me sleep in a little. Then came the Eggs Benedict (Eggs-B: My 2nd favorite breakfast closely behind Eggs-a-la-Goldenrod, which subsequently became the dinner request). Then Boy #1 was sent off to school and the rest went on a trip to Oriase Gorge. This was an approximately 70 km drive through beautiful rice field country, which is turning a beautiful golden color. My main desire was to finally let my camera get out in the open. The only problem, other then taking the wrong fork in the road at one point, was getting to the wooded Gorge and Sam getting sacred of bears and wanting to go home. We found a good place to park 50 yards from a beautiful waterfall. We, mostly Em, distracted Sam from the fear of bears and the subsequent fear of snakes and the subsubsequent fears of his parents falling in the river/stream (Em did fall in with one leg later on=)). "Daddy! Down't Dat's Dane-gerr-ous!"It was a very pretty, yet short walk. I got to do some fun photography and see a little of the beautiful area we call home(ish).

Em continued to put up with some more birthday demands, I went and bought myself a Spiderman football at the BX (base exchange...store) to play catch with Max (Gabe has claimed complete ownership of the ball now), and had my favorite dinner. 31 is great!

But no!!!! My Birthday wasn't over yet! We went out to eat with our friends the next night. Then on Saturday I went on a fun ride with my new friend Merrill and our collective 6 kids, yes all 6! (See picture for how such a thing is possible) Then watching the BYU Utah St football game.

Sunday was the final day my Birthday was honored, strike that, considered as Em made dinner and my favorite America's Test Kitchen Carrot Cake!

Happy B-day

My most adorable wife again made a magnificent Birthday Cake for Boy #3. This years was a lion cake, because I have always thought he looked like a lion cub! Here's how it went down:

Part one: Hungry Cub

Part two: Never take food from a lion, no matter how small!

Pinata Dangers

Some may say it isn't smart to stand near a pinata when there are 3-6 year olds swinging at it. I would agree, yet it was the only viable option.

Max had a great B-day last week and got to have lots of Dad and Max time, including a professional magic show! (It was really good/amazing, even if the lady magician was corny and wore strange tights!)

The Big 3-O

I turned 30 on Tuesday! It was my best birthday in 30 years.

A while ago I was planning on attending a Sedation Course in Seattle on this weekend. Then Em began telling me that because it was my birthday week I couldn’t go to it. It was maddening. I tried to get her to move whatever she had planned but she wouldn’t budge. So Monday evening I come home from work and there is a strange car in the driveway. I walked in downstairs and there was a little girl watching TV with the boys. She looked familiar but I wasn’t sure where she fit in. Then when I made it upstairs Mike and Lindsay Dunn were there. I think all I said was “What!” then just stared in dumb silent astonishment. I was totally blown away. I couldn’t believe that he was there!!

(Mike is one of my best friends. He was part of the V3ST (V Hall @ Deseret Towers, 3rd floor, Sauce Troupers=a silly name for our group of friends, I was an honorary member as I lived on the 4th floor. He is also partly responsible for me meeting Em as he taught me how to rock climb and also was the friend I made go climbing with me and Em on our first date)

So they stayed with us until Friday morning. Tuesday we had Eggs-Ala-Goldenrod for breakfast, then went up to Boston to spend my B-day. Along the way we stopped in Quincy to see the Adams National historical Park. I have been fascinated with John Adams ever since I listened to his Biography on CD by David McCullough. After Quincy we went to Boston Common, let the kids play and then walked the streets and had Pizza at Upper Crust. It was very good. I elected to go back to that restaurant despite the crowds because I figured it would be better then one down the street called Nino’s where there were no customers. Correct decision.

Wednesday night we had a babysitter and we went down to a nice restaurant in East Greenwich, Table 24. Very nice and very fun. (Great Lobster Bisque!) Thursday ended with Wienerschnitzel and kyacking with Mike at night.
It was so nice to have them here. I can’t believe 1)Em invited them, 2)that they came, 3) They pulled it off and surprised me. I don’t think I have ever been surprised that well before. They all made it my best Birthday ever.