I love birthdays. I believe a birthday should be celebrated large-scale, with as many balloons, fireworks and amazing people spread over as many days as is possible.
I started mine out this year in a hotel room in Morrisville, North Carolina. And I thought, "You know, if my friend were having a birthday in a hotel room, I would for sure decorate the room for her so she would wake up knowing she was loved." And then I thought I might as well do the same for me, because, why not?
So ran to Target and bought birthday supplies and taped them all over. And in the morning, I was totally surprised (I had to wake up suuuuper early, so I was a little uncognitive (just go with that word for right now) until I saw the streamers and totally felt special).
I did a quick show, spent some time at the mall,and then flew in an airplane alllll daayyyyyy loooonnnggg.
I had been awake for a solid 22 hours when I landed in Salt Lake, at 11:59 pm.
My birthday was over, I had a headache, I still had to take a shuttle to my car and then drive to Woodland.
Cue: Amazing people doing amazing things.
3. I had a voicemail when I landed, from my brother James, wishing me the best, sweetest birthday wishes ever. It lifted my spirits and put a smile on my face.
2. I was walking outside toward the shuttle stop and ran into Kristen's mom, Debbie. SOMEHOW, she found me at the airport without knowing which flight I took, if I had luggage, where I was going. All she knew was that I landed at midnight. She was searching the airport in the middle of the night to find me and give me a basket full of her famous, homemade banana bread (mmm, so delicious!) and the most beautiful birthday note. And of course, a bunch of hugs. I felt so touched that she did that for me--it was crazy and perfect and I loved it!
(Kristen and I always figure out where the other one is on the eve of her birthday, so we can surprise her and help her ring in the day with some sort of escapade. But this year, Kris was in Scotland, so I didn't expect anything. Leave it to Kris to find a way to make something miraculous happen (this was totally miraculous, trust me.))
Shuttle guy: Don't you remember where you parked?
Me: Well, it was three weeks ago, and I always park here, so I don't really have any idea...
Shuttle guy: This is the last row, so hopefully it will be here.
Me: Hopefully....hey! That blue one, oh! With all the streamers! They decorated my car!
Shuttle guy: Good thing they decorated it, or you might have been here all night trying to find it.
Me: Can you open the door and let me out now, please?
I didn't take a picture of it (I was half-asleep and it was dark outside), but I LOVED it. It took 26 years, but the first time someone decorated my car turned out to be just what I wanted. My dad wrote our special code words on the windows and he and Kam taped streamers and ribbons all over. Sweet. I drove home in style.
The following three days were filled with family, cards, cake, flowers. And balloons. Lots of balloons. (after fireworks, they're my fave. Well, a tie with flowers. I'll take both, please)
Twenty-six balloons with twenty-six wishes tied to the strings.
Some of the wishes are mine.
My family also wrote their birthday wishes for me.
This was one of the coolest things ever,
I loved hearing the wonderful things they want for me in my life.
Rachel can almost snap! We both have March birthdays :)
Twenty-six glow sticks!
Later, we were all covered in glow-stick juice,
dancing around in the dark.
We were having too much fun to snap pictures at that point in the evening.
CAKE AND ICECREAM!
AND SPARKLY CANDLES!!!!!
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