Abe went to work late on my birthday, and having him home in the morning was so fun. After he left and I put Clarissa down for her nap, I put Ammon in front of the TV and climbed back into bed to read. I spent two hours on a novel that I didn’t like and then Clarissa woke up. When she woke up, I took all of the kids to the pool.
Of course, I have trouble taking pictures at the pool because I am worried that someone will drown. But the pool with the kids was the highlight of my day. I felt so blessed to have four beautiful children, and I felt so loved by all of them. When we’re at the pool, all of them (except for Clarissa, of course!) yell, “Mom, look at me!!” Lydia loved showing off how she can float on her back, and Ammon and Mary kept jumping in the pool. Mary says “carananball!” instead of “cannonball,” and Ammon’s approximation of Mary’s approximation of the word was even more distant. I couldn’t catch it quite, but I think it had two syllables and started with a “t.” At any rate, with the kids all demanding that I look at them and admire them the whole time, I felt very inclined to look and admire. I felt very full of love–and loved!
Then we drove to Dairy Queen and got my favorite blizzard and ice cream for everyone. After that we met up with Abe, who also came home early! We dropped Lydia off at a harp master class and picked up pizza and cupcakes for dinner. After that I felt pooped so I actually went back to bed during dinner and finally picked up a book that I liked: Rebecca. It was exactly the type of book I had been wanting to read all day.
At one point I came down so the kids could sing to me and Ammon could blow out my candles. Abe then told me his present which he has been planning for months: He booked a hotel in Midway for my friend Misty and me to have a friend getaway.
Honestly, I was shocked at first. I love, adore, and honestly idolize Misty, but I HATE inconveniencing people, and Misty just moved two weeks ago. I had trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that Abe asked her to take time away from her family and make Rich babysit so we could have a weekend away.
Anyway, like I said, I was in shock so I went back upstairs and burst into tears. Abe came up after putting the kids down and gave me a massage. During the massage, he explained how this could actually be fun for Misty and that Rich probably will survive watching his kids for two days. I calmed down while Abe talked and started to actually look forward to the weekend.
All in all, turning 35 was a bit of a roller coaster, but it ended well. Hello, official mid-life!