Happy Birthday, Mama

My beautiful mama is celebrating her birthday today. She is sincerely generous and giving, the way only mothers can be. Being newly-wed makes me think of her often; I imagine her as I prepare meals she taught me how to cook, as I do the laundry and use the detergent she always bought, as I scrub the kitchen sink and then wring the rag out really, really well, just as she always insisted we do growing up, so it doesn't mildew--my hands look like hers when I do that. 

I'm so grateful for her example of loving kindness. She is my unfailing cheerleader and sacrifices time, money, and her heart in order to help anyone in need. She seeks joy in small moments, soaks up sunshine like a kitty cat, and loves green, growing, lush landscapes. She is full of life and leaves people feeling revived; she sends people off with a hug, always, that shakes a little energy and happiness off on the person she's embracing. Mothers determine so much of what the world becomes, their influence is far reaching. I'm very blessed to have been taught and raised by this amazing woman, and she blesses me to this day. 

I love you, Mama Llama. Thank you for all that you are! Have a fabulous day today!!

Muddy Waters Cafe

On the way home from Boston, Nick and I stopped for brunch in the historic waterfront district of New London, Connecticut. We found the most adorable place, The Muddy Waters Cafe, and stepped inside to escape the blustery New England wind. Instant love: this cafe was my dream.

The interior was decorated with vintage couches and comfy armchairs, plenty of old movie posters framed on the walls, stacks of board games on the tables, and beautiful books for our perusal. 

We chose to cozy up in front of the fireplace. 

While we waited for our food, I played a little diddy on the baby grand in the corner. Classy. 

Amazing yogurt muffin selection, in addition to a great menu featuring homemade soups, fresh sandwiches, and all-day breakfast items.

Per.fec.tion. This toasted blueberry muffin almost made me cry, it was so delicious. Would've been tears of joy.

I had the salmon and lox. Nick ordered a fantastic roast beef and egg croissant sandwich.

Best birthday brunch! 

Birthday Road Trip

I had an audition in Boston on my birthday this year. At first, I was a little bummed that I wouldn't be able to celebrate at home. Then I thought, Hey, I get to sing and act on my birthday, two things I love! This will be great! 

How to take full advantage of traveling on your birthday? Make it a cool East Coast road trip with your lovely someone! 11 hours each way, and we only fell more in love. 

We spent the hours googling the history of the great cities we were driving through, reading Ender's Game, and conversing in goofy voices. We actually got lost in Yonkers on the way through New York and we stopped in Connecticut to have sandwiches near a snow drift. When we reached Boston, I used a Wendy's bathroom to change my clothes and put some makeup on. Don't worry, it's cool. 

After a great audition, Nick took me downtown for birthday dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis Red Sea.

My phone died while we were waiting for our table (er...basket? You sit around a cool basket/table that doubles as a big plate for the whole group) so I don't have pictures of the great decor inside. This place was hopping, so there was a fairly long wait. It was worth every minute!

Ethiopian cuisine has plenty of vegan choices, as well as spicy chicken and pork entrees. Our meal had a lot of tumeric and cumin spices, every dish was delectable. The food is served on a platter of thin, slightly spongy pancake-like flatbread called injera. You also use this flatbread to scoop up each bite, as traditionally Ethiopian food isn't served with utensils. This made this meal incredibly fun. Need a date idea? Check!

Before we were seated, we studied the eclectic groups seated near the front door. The food smelled fantastic, but people weren't eating everything they were served. They only took dainty little bites and never even tore into the injera that lay beneath the food. We were starving by the time we were seated (in the more private and less-bustly basement) and served our order. We demolished that meal! We ate the entire platter, including all the injera; we used the last bit to wipe up every last drop of the yummy sauces left behind. We were stuffed, and super happy.

Best thing: turns out there is an Ethiopian restaurant here in Chapel Hill! Can't wait to try it!

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.))

1. I happily chewed on a bit of banana bread in the back seat of the shuttle, struggling to keep eyes open and my head up. The shuttle guy and I drove around the parking lot for a while, looking for my car.
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!!!!!

Princess Fort

I made a fort for Kristen's birthday.

It was really fun. Last Saturday morning, I woke up and got to work, stringing twine from the ceiling to my bed frame, clothespinning sheets up to make a big canopy.

I made paper stars and hung them with sparkly lights inside.

It was magical. And fun.

I blindfolded her and took her on an obstacle course. So silly*

*Silly is important in life. Trust me.

We're growing up!

But not too much.

A Birthday Weekend

Mom's birthday brought about a delicious lunch date at this fabulous little taco place on the west side of downtown...they have tacos al pastor. YUM.

It was also TS's birthday...which we celebrated, right at midnight, with a scrumptious cheesecake from the cheesecake factory.

We also went to the BYU v. Utah game that night...it was so fun to dress up in blue and go to a game with all the students again! Even though the game was, hmmm....how to put this in words?....even though we were slaughtered, the company was great.

The next day, I took him to a huge family dinner for Papa's 75th birthday party. He added a new strain of harmony to our version of the happy birthday song, chatted with all my uncles and cousins, and charmed my grandma right out of her socks.

And he called me Beautiful, which I'm a total sucker for.
Loving this.