My Birthday

I like to extend my birthday over as many days as possible. So, we started my birthday festivities on Sunday with a dinner put on by my siblings and Mom. It was real yummy and nice not to cook and clean after a very long day.

The Aunts with the littlest ones.

Grandma & my girls

Aubrey is still quite fascinated with baby Calli!

Blowing out the candles. There are two cakes because my brother in law, John also has a birthday in October, so it was a combined party.

Then Monday night Jeff took me and the girls out to dinner for my birthday. We weren't sure if we would have time for dinner on my birthday, so we went a day earlier. The girls gave me a wonderful present by being fabulous at the restaurant. It was actually relaxing, which is generally not the case with my little ones out to eat.

That night Jeff made homemade spudnuts (donuts made from potatoes) so we could eat them all day on my birthday. They were delicious! As you can see from the photo they were also pretty too!

The girls gave me another wonderful present on my birthday morning - they slept in until 7:30!! I am not a morning person at all - but my Aubrey and sometimes Brooke is. So, sleeping until 7:30 is a real treat for me. Quite possibly the best present they could have given me!

I spent a relaxing day at home with my girls. I didn't plan to do anything but just hang out and play with them. I also got a visit and a treat from Rachel that afternoon.

All day Aubrey kept rehearsing all of the things you do on birthdays. She would say, "Mommy after dinner you will open presents, sing happy birthday, blow out a candle and eat cake." She does not like birthdays to deviate from the set pattern. So that is just what we did, except we ate spudnuts instead of cake.

Jeff and the girls surprised me with a "Ladybug Land". We mail in for Ladybug Larvae and get to watch them turn into Ladybugs. I am really excited. It was so fun to watch the butterflies and I know the ladybugs will be cool too. I haven't decided if we will mail in for them now, or wait until Spring. I had the habitat on the counter for a few days and every day when she saw it, Aubrey would say, "Should we make ladybugs right now."She thinks you make ladybugs because of the Tinkerbell movie!

That night Jeff took me to the Opera. We saw "The Tales of Hoffman" put on by BYU. It was beautiful! I think it's my favorite opera I've been too. The music was just wonderful. The student voices are amazing and when they harmonized it was unbelievable. Jeff does not like the opera and fell asleep within the first 5 min. He did wake up a few minutes later - but he did not enjoy it like I did. Thanks for sacrificing an evening for me Jeff!

When we got home from the opera I saw the cutest little site. Uncle Bryan giving Brooke a bottle. Brooke was holding it all by herself and just smiling up at her Uncle. I've never seen Brooke hold a bottle before - it was so darling.

Aunt Esther says that the Buell girls have a crush on Uncle Bryan.

Then when I went to get ready for bed, I saw by my pillow a card and bracelet that Aubrey made for me (with the help of Aunt Esther!) It was so sweet.

The next morning when I thanked Aubrey for the bracelet she was beaming at me and said, "Wear it mommy." While I was getting ready to go to the dentist she said, "Wear your bracelet when you go bye bye mommy." She was real proud of the bracelet that she made for me. Thanks Esther for helping her make it.

I even have a few more things to look forward to. Rachel is taking me out on a girls night to celebrate my birthday. And Jeff & the girls also got for me Disney on Ice tickets. Now that may sound a little juvenile - but when I saw the ad for it, I knew that's what I wanted for my birthday. My favorite things are spending time together as a family and watching my girls get excited for something. I know Aubrey will just love it and I bet Brooke will like the lights and the music too. So, my birthday still continues for a few more weeks! Like I said, I like to drag out my birthday as long as possible!

Thanks everyone for all of the birthday wishes and making my birthday special!