We watched General Conference (and our city's mayor, James B. Gibson, was one of the area authority Seventies announced) and I really enjoyed hearing all the great talks. Between sessions we did housework and things like that. Or I should say Bryce did housework because he was a cleaning machine!
After the last Saturday session we had the party that the kids were so very excited about, because everybody knows that party = pinata! Besides, they had decorated the living room really nicely and were wound up about it.
I got some lovely gifts, including a juicer, a hand blender (again! My other one broke), a bracelet, some CDs, and a gift card. Also some nice telephone calls and messages. Tyce bought me a present in San Diego, which I thought was so awesome and nice. When he finds it I'm sure I will love it. LOL So his make-up gift was putting the twins to bed, which is nothing to sneeze at. The card from Mary was especially sweet; she drew a picture of my favorite animal, which she labeled "cawala bear" and wrote me a poem:
You like cawalas, you like the color red.
What else about you is to be said.
Well you are 34 now.
I just want you to know I love you.
I wish you a happy birthday.
Love,
Mary
She also drew 34 hearts on the back. I tried to keep myself from tearing up when I read the other card she made, which listed 34 things she liked about me:
You play with me
You take care of me
You read to me
You cook with me
You give me a home
You buy me things
You help me
You help me learn
You hug me
You kiss me
You talk to me
You try to understand me
You be calm with me
You prepare meals for me
You make my days happy
You give presents to me on my birthday
You help me when I'm sick
You make up songs about me
You dance with me
You sing with me
You help me do projects
You let me do things I want to do
You sing to me
You draw me pictures
You help me when I'm hurt
You comfort me when I need comforting
You smile at me
You pay for my food
You make me feel safe
You love me
You keep our family going
You make me feel strong
You do all you can for me
And you have always been there for me
(You can imagine that I was really touched by her thoughtfulness and sincerity. My eyes are welling up just typing this! What a lovely little daughter I have!)
Then Bryce made dinner for us(!). He made grilled chicken, pad thai noodles, green beans, and we ate it on our balcony. It was delicious. What a beautiful night. With Tyce on babysitting duty (the twins were asleep by then) we went to the gelato shop Bryce mentioned earlier but guess what. They were closed. We had a great time walking around Whole Foods and they had some gelato there! But I just couldn't pass up the raspberry and lemon sorbets. Bryce had dulce de leche gelato. Man, I am going back to Whole Foods again!
So you can see that I had a great day. I must say a big thank you to my wonderful husband who made sure that everything was how *I* would have wanted it--and it was. Thank you Bryce, you party animal!
Here are some pictures:
This is the cake that the twins helped pick out.
Flowers from Bryce (left) and from my friend Jen (right).
Harrison blew out one of the candles before I could get to them!
I couldn't believe that Bryce bought me a Barry White CD!
Harrison can't wait to find out what the next gift is (a juicer).
Mary takes a whack at the pinata.
We had to move it to the playgound, where I take my turn.
Tyce is a maniac with that bat!
Finally it falls (with some help from Bryce).
5 comments:
Hi, Rebecca! Looks like you had an awesome birthday!
On an unrelated note - here's an interesting essay for you to read:
http://mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?id=906
Hi, Rebecca -
Just wondering what you thought of that link. It hit me really hard - reminding me of the pressures that our young women feel. I think we "older" young women also feel the pressure to look a certain way, but it must be magnified for the younger women. For example, when I look at movies from the 80's the actors didn't even have straight teeth! Let alone waxed eyebrows, worked-out-to-the-max bodies, perfectly styled and dyed hair, etc., etc. - all the things we see in the media now that put pressure on us to look great.
(Sorry about putting this on your birthday post.)
Happy Birthday! I'm so glad it was great!
I love mary's list and Bryce's tribute and second that you are a truly wonderful and beautiful person inside and out.
We're so thankful for you (and I'm so glad I lucked out to have such an awesome friend in my sis-in-law.
Thank you, Brooke!
Angie, I thought the article was insightful. Have you ever seen a picture of bound feet? It is truly a deformity and the pictures I saw made me feel sick. But, "all in the name of beauty." I know, how many things do we tell ourselves or our children are beautiful, and we'll do anything to get there? Even sacrificing money for designer clothes. But I know what you mean about movies, there were plenty of "hot" guys with crooked teeth or beautiful women with unwaxed eyebrows or other, um, enhancements.
You always hear, "oh, those magazine covers are airbrushed, they're not real women" but ... I think there's severe pressure on young girls to look like that, precisely *because* of all that is out there to make us look better, even "perfect."
I also meant to say, Brooklyn, that I feel blessed to have your for a sister-in-law. I thought you would like Mary's list!
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