It's My Birthday and I'll {run-lunch-party-reunion-cry} if I Want To

 Happy Birthday to ME!  
I have always loved my birthday. I have waited for you for a whole year!  I really do love my birthday!  I am not one of those women who dread it when it arrives.  I actually look forward to it.  I mean after all how many days can you get away with this:

Not many!  So I take full advantage!  hah  It's always better to become another year older than to spend another year under the ground right?  RIGHT!   Birthday's should be a celebration of life!  The fact that I am alive and healthy is more than a reason to celebrate!  I used to take for granted the years as they would go by, but not anymore.  One thing losing my son Tyson has taught me is that LIFE IS SHORT and so we must live it to the fullest!  We must CHERISH the MOMENTS and the DAYS - especially birthdays!  Don't let one day (or one birthday) be mundane!  There is so much to celebrate, the least of which is that I was blessed enough to be able to spend another year on this planet enjoying my life! 
(And the chocolate I inevitably get, is always a bonus too!)
 
This year, since it was on a Saturday, it was pretty low key.  I had to get in a 12 mile run early on and then I had lots of other things that had to be done - birthday or not- and so there was really no party on my actual birthday.  The party was planned for Monday.  The main reason for no party this year on my real day is because I had my Class Reunion that night as well.

Best present by far ALL day was this ↓!!!!  

Yes... all the way from Brazil!  Now, that totally made my day!
It was on Facebook! ☺


I got some really nice things from some really nice people.  I am always amazed at how my family and friends always pick out the most perfect gifts for me!  I wish I was that good at giving gifts to others.  I try, but I am always seriously amazed how they all choose the perfect gift for me.  And very grateful!

  

Dave gave me a Willow Tree that had a mom cuddling a little boy in a quilt.  He said it reminded him of me and Tyson.  I cried when I opened it.  It will always mean a lot to me.  My Mom gave me the most gorgeous purple earrings and scarf, as well as a cardigan (I picked out!).  She always finds the greatest things for me.  Bonnie searched and found me a Lenox Bowl that we both fell in love with at a bridal shower.  She is just so amazing!  And such a wonderful friend and example to me.  I love that woman!

I got some awesome stuff, like a purple super cool spatula and awesome running book, purple candy from Oregon, dishcloths, a book I have always wanted, Halloween stuff, purple blanket, candles, etc.  I felt like I got super spoiled...

 I really loved all my gifts, but what I love most about birthdays are the cards I get from my friends and family because of the heart felt messages inside.  My love language has always been words of affirmation.  I usually save my cards and love to re-read them when I need a boost.

My Mom brought over a chocolate (and purple!) cake for the party and I invited Linda to join in on the fun and she brought an apple pie.

My Mom has always got me a cake on my birthday ever since I can remember.  I am sure Dave and the boys appreciate that!  If it was left up to them, not sure if cake would happen!  My sweet Mom always comes through and I appreciate her so much!

I got to see my cute little grand-niece Kylah!  Love her!

This is me with my sister in law Linda. ↓ We both share the same birthday, though I won't let her forget she is one year older than me.  It has been something that has bonded us and we usually are able to get together at some point during our birthday.

 On my actual "day of" birthday, I began it with a 12.5 mile run with Jen.  We started at Sherwood Hills and then had a bit of a detour via Dave.  It was a great day for a run and I was happy to have it over with.  More of that HERE.

She gave me a birthday present after we finished and I ran home carrying it.  Bet that looked funny!  hah  She gave me some cool stuff!  Including a running book that I have loved reading.  It's called Mile Markers and has already inspired me!  It was a great way to start the day!

Jen has been such a great friend to me in so many ways.  We have shared pretty much everything about each others lives over the years and now that we are running mates, we share even more than we should! haha  It's amazing what comes out on those long runs!  lol  It's so nice to have a friend that you can share all your secrets with.  Good and bad.  We have a lot of fun together too and we never tire of each others company.  At least I never do of hers.  She is a great example to me in so many ways.  I feel blessed to have her as a friend.


That night, it was the second night of my 35th High School Class Reunion.  

It was tough to decide what to do as far as if I was going or not since it was my birthday, but in the end I decided these things come so rarely and you never know how long it will be until you see some of these people again, so I decided to go.  Dave could have gone with me on this one, but we decided to save the money (since he would be bored out of his gourd anyway) and celebrate together later. 

I am really glad that I went even if they embarrassed me and made me go up to the front to be sang Happy Birthday too.  That was NOT something I wanted to do!  They gave me birthday crowns and candles (a 5 and a 3) but I turned them around to make 35 instead of 53.  Yes, I turned 35 on my 35th class reunion!  Not sure how to explain that, but...  

I have a full post on the reunion HERE.

And...I had lots of fun doing my favorite thing with some of my favorite people.
Going out to lunch!

At Idle Isle with Julie....

I got the open faced hot turkey sandwich. Mmmm....

Julie and I have been friends for over 20 years and have really been through the ups and downs in each others lives.  She is a true friend and has a heart of gold.  If I could be half as good as her, then I would consider myself pretty awesome.  She is one of those friends that you know that no matter what storm is happening in your life she will be there to throw you a life preserver.  I am very blessed to have her as a friend.

Me and my cute friend Dawn celebrated our birthdays together and she was sweet enough to come to my city!  We exchanged gifts and I loved what she gave me!  Chocolate of course, and a darling Willow Tree plaque of two friends (twins).  We always say we are twins separated at birth because we really have so much in common.  And we just keep discovering more every time we are together.  It will always remind me of our bond and friendship whenever I see it.

   This little card that came with the Willow Tree really sums it up.  

We went to the same high school together but since she is one grade ahead of me, we never really hung out much.  We became fast friends on Facebook though.  She came to some of the crafting events our mutual friend Kathy had and we hit it off immediately.  It really is amazing how much alike we are.  There are many ways that I really wish I was more like her though.  She is always thinking of others....ALWAYS!  She will come up with ideas to lift other people's day in simple ways that really make an impact on them.  She started doing Sunshine Bags and giving them to random strangers she felt needed a boost.  She always has something up her sleeve to help life another person.

Her birthday happens to fall on National Milk Chocolate Day (lucky!) and mine falls on National Ice Cream Sandwich Day and so she made up this cute little card that we can pass out to random strangers to brighten their days along with some chocolate and ice cream sandwiches.  We want to start doing this every year around our birthdays since they are only five days apart.  What a great idea!  That is just one of the many things she does to lift others.  She is amazing!  I am so grateful our paths crossed again, even if it was later in life, because she really inspires me and enriches my life.

My favorite picture of us.  Taken a few months ago, but I love it!

 I just feel so blessed to have so many great friends!  And I've only touched the surface with the few I talked about.  I have been abundantly blessed with so many others that I love so much and who also inspire me daily! 

I've also been greatly blessed with family.  I love my in law family as much as I love my own. Dave's sister Karen took me and his sister Linda out for our birthdays together since we share a birthday.

We hit Rovolli's on 25th Street and it was yummy!  Linda's daughter Kimber and grandaughter Kylah also joined us.

It doesn't take us long to find a photo opp!  And THIS one was perfect!!!

We had a lot of fun together even if the time was short.

I had a wonderful birthday and stretched it out over a week or so.  I think I should keep stretching it out over the month!  Like I said above, as long as I'm here and kicking I'll be celebrating LIFE!

The numbers don't matter only the feelings! And I feel great!

I have been so blessed!

It was a great birthday!

SIDE NOTE:

 I have asked for a bike for several years for my birthday, but I don't think Dave wants me riding one because he has had too many friends get really hurt (or die!) on them.  I just want one to cross train on when I can't run (like now) and so Jen and I went looking for a good entry level bike for me and found this one.  Since I am injured right now, I really needed it while I can't run.  So I told Dave I was going to order it for my birthday.  He wasn't super thrilled but was okay with it.  I can't wait until it arrives!

SHOCK and AWE!!! Yes! BUT, it's REALLY TRUE!!!

It's true! (Squeeeeeeal!!!!)


It really happened! (Screeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaam!!!!)


I WON the Sego Lily Spa Contest and was crowned the Sego Lily Spa Official Blogger!!!! (fainting...slowly fainting....please administer smelling salts stat! ~ NO!... make that aromatherapy AND a massage instead!)




















Is it a DREAM?
YES! It IS a dream! A dream coming true!!!!

WOW!!! What a ride this has been! From writing my original entry HERE ~~~to being selected as one of the FIVE finalists and writing my post to be voted on publicly HERE ~~~to appearing on TV HERE ~~~ to being crowned the Sego Lily Blogger HERE!!!!!!!!! (don't click on that one - you are already here!)

The ride wasn't always a smooth one by any stretch of any of my soon to be pampered muscles. The voting tallies became very intense a time or two, but thanks to my AMAZING friends and family and MANY- MANY strangers I do not even know....I was able to rise victorious in the public vote. It turned into a real nail biter though just hours before voting closed. I was no longer in the lead and that's when my incredible friends really came through for me and I pulled out on top once again! Whew!

BUT...that didn't mean it was in the bag. Oh no! The spa management team would still vote in a secret ballot and then we would be ranked based on those results averaged in with our ranking according to public vote. The competition was tough. Each of the other finalists were incredibly gifted and amazingly talented bloggers. Once the public voting was closed we had to wait over one (very loooooong) week to find out the winner! Torture!!!

On Monday I received a phone call informing me they wanted to meet with each of us individually. My appointment time was set for Tuesday at 3 pm at the Layton Spa location. I was getting extremely nervous. A few hours later I received another call telling me in order to make this a little more fun for everyone I was able to bring my friends along. Well, I wish I could have brought every single person that voted for me or posted on their blogs for their readers to vote for me, or posted on Facebook, or started a group on Facebook just for this contest, or those that begged their husbands, mothers, fathers, grandmas, uncles, aunts, and cousins twice removed to vote for me too! I was blown away by the support I received from everyone! I wish I could name each one individually but there isn't that much room on the web! It was worth being a part of this JUST for that. It taught me that people are just down right GOOD!!! And that they will take time out of their busy lives to help someone else out when they are in need. And trust me, I was in desperate NEED of winning this!

Oh my gosh!!! I really won!!! I STILL can't believe it!!!


Here are some of my INCREDIBLE friends and supporters that showed up to cheer me on even without knowing the outcome of the whole thing!





















Here's some more ↓ I am sooooooooooo blessed by such amazing family and friends!




























After some photos, we all went inside and the spa people took my "fan club" into the back of the spa and had me sit on a couch in the waiting room waiting for Jackie the district manager to give me some information. They had me under the impression that the other bloggers and their friends were already in the back as well. I was getting seriously NERVOUS about this point. Jackie came in and talked to me and when she didn't really say anything about who the winner was or what exactly was going on, but had me follow her down the long hall towards a closed door....my suspicions were increasing of what was going to happen when I opened that door, BUT I still wasn't sure!




























I slowly opened the door and.....


and....



and....



and....





SURPRISE!!!!






















Camera's were flashing, party horns were tooting, people were cheering and clapping, streamers were flying. Pretty much everything but fireworks were going off!


























Was I surprised? That's like asking if women and chocolate are friends. Of course I was!!!!

The crowning moment!!!


























I seriously felt like Miss America! I did the hand wave in front of my nose trying to suppress the tears like Miss America would do, but I don't think they bought it. Trust me, crying was the farthest thing from my mind at that moment! I had too many thoughts of warm butter being drenched over me as firm but gentle hands massage the oils deeply into my weary skin. I was in some kind of la-la land to be sure!!! An entire year's worth of SPA treatments ahead of me!!!! With THAT thought, I SHOULD be in la-la land!!!!! Even Miss America doesn't have it THIS good!!!

I was given the most GORGEOUS bouquet of flowers!!! Sego Lily does everything with such class and style and this was no exception to be sure!




















I was able to meet many of the Sego Lily staff. They were ALL so incredibly nice and genuinely happy for me. I am MORE than excited to get to know them all better. Or at least their hands!!!


















These Sego Lily folks for sure know how to throw a party and celebration!!!

Passing my crown down ↓ (but NOT my spa treatments!!!) to my darling niece Mackenzie!

Look at this spread? ↓ It was soooooo delish and yummy!!! Like I said, Sego Lily does EVERYTHING with such style and class. Just like their beautiful facility!

Tasting each other's cheesecake. ↓ Mmmm.........♥

Oh! Oh! OH!!! Now this is ALMOST as good as a massage!!!


Everyone hoping for a little pedicure before leaving!!!


























Julie (bottom right) ↑ getting a little tooooo into this! She thinks SHE won not me!


Sego Lily also had a drawing for some awesome door prizes including two $50 gift certificates!!! I drew out my niece Kimberly's name and my sister in law Carolyn's! Congrats girls!!! They loaded the rest of us down with great samples!
























Is it REALLY true???? Well, instead of pinching myself to make sure, I think I will try another body butter massage!!! Just to make SURE!

THANK YOU Sego Lily from the bottom of my desperately in need of pampering soul sole(s)!!!

THANK YOU to all of you who voted for me and got others to do the same, and for everyone who supported me in ANY way!

And a big thank you to the other four finalists for being such amazing bloggers and such gracious women!



I apologize for not posting this sooner, but life sometimes gets in the way!!! I've barely had time to live it, let alone blog about it!

Just a little SIDENOTE:

This is MY crown of choice!!! ↑ Whadda ya think?

Do any of you remember the Imperial Margarine commercial where after they eat the Imperial Margarine, a crown magically appears on their head? Da, da, da, daaaaaaaaa.......

Yes I do believe the same thing happened to ME! I had a body butter drench and after (just as magically) a crown appeared on MY head too!!! Da, da, da, daaaaaaaaa.......

That body butter must have been Imperial!

For a good laugh, you can watch it HERE

Or click on this video ↓

Bye-bye...I am off to la-la land again!!! Only this time it isn't ONLY in my dreams!!! Ahhh....

Camp Queen! Who me?

No, not girl's camp! That is in August. I am going to boy's camp! Yep, you heard right...BOYS! I was asked by our Bishop to go to AP (Aaronic Priesthood) Camp this year as the camp mom. It will be a very unique experience for me. Apparently the Camp Mom is up there to provide the "motherly role" for the boys and to give them the opportunity to learn the concept of treating women with respect. I was told I am going to be treated like a Queen while there. Hmm...a Camp Queen? Now, that has possibilities! I was also told I won't be doing dishes or cooking! What? NO dishes or cooking? Sounds like a vacation to me! I guess we will see, since I am not one to just sit around and eat bon-bons...(or S'mores in this case). Although if I was forced to, I bet I could handle it! ☺

So, that brings us to the question of just exactly WHAT will I be doing while there? Even eating S'mores will get a little nauseating after a while. Maybe I should take my Twilight Series since I am probably the only one left on the planet that hasn't read them all yet! I asked one of the mom's who went up before what she did and she said that she basically just followed the boys around and did what they did. Hiking, rappelling, cliff jumping, bear hunting, river rafting, etc. Oh, wait....that's scout camp, the one with NO camp mom! This camp is mostly to help prepare the boys to be future missionaries. It is more of a spiritual camp, although there are also a lot of physical events planned.

It will be a unique experience for me because I a will not be allowed to cook or do dishes, but it will be a very non-unique experience because I will be the ONLY FEMALE in the clan. Nothing new there. And because I will be treated like a Queen. Nothing new there either. My boys and hubby already do a great job of that!

The best part is that it is held up at Sundance. Our Bishop has an old cabin up there and he said that if I go out jogging, that I will probably run into Bob. Yes, Bob. Bob as in Robert. Robert as in Redford! He lives up there and apparently jogs all over. They have seen him many times. Oh, lets hope I do! I have waved to him before while at Lake Powell on a house boat. We passed him on his boat and so I waved and yelled, "Bobby! Over here Bobby!", and he waved back! I also saw him on the same trip in a little grocery store driving away in his truck. I know he is getting to be an old man, but who cares?!! He's still Robert Redford! I have been up to Sundance before (twice) and never saw him, but maybe the thirds time the charm!

I am taking a LOT of treats and goodies I have made for the boys. Nothing says "Motherly Love" like yummy and delicious junk food treats! I have also made a handout for each day to pass out to them. Things that will encourage them and uplift them. Our Young Men President mentioned something about me speaking to them...Aaaa!...but it will be more of an on the spot kind of thing, about what girls look for in guys. So, just in case I had my Young Women do a little survey on Sunday, with those kinds of questions.

The boys will be doing a lot of reading and memorizing scriptures, praying, singing hymns, and other things that will help build strong testimonies and get them excited and more prepared to be great missionaries. I have never heard one boy ever regret going. My son Bryce will be up there with me and he will be my third son to have attended so far. It is a great thing. My husband will also be there as a member of the Bishopric and mainly as a cook and a support. I plan on taking lots of great photos.

I do have to say it has come at a pretty crazy time. Why is that always the way it is? I think I am starting to learn (though it has taken me a while) that service never comes at a convenient time. If it did, then I guess it wouldn't really be service. Although, I'm still not sure I can consider this service. More like an opportunity to BE served...you know, as the QUEEN! But still, it does take some air (or ground) traffic controlling to get things worked out. I have my two youngest both in basketball camps during it and one of them also has football practice every day. My oldest has to work and so trying to work out all the logistics while I am gone is rather interesting. My parent's 50th wedding anniversary is coming up and I am trying to get the invites and a printed book of their life done before I leave and we leave tomorrow! Among at least another million other things...most of which will just go un-done. Oh well, who cares right? Queendom...here I come!