Mike's Graduation

It's graduation season here on University Avenue, and the Morrell's are representing this year around. Both Mike and Tom graduated this spring and we all gathered in the Marriott Center to watch the ceremonies commence. I especially loved being there as this was where I walked back in '06 when I graduated from this institution of higher learning. Go Cougars. Sadly, Graduation Ceremonies are only fun for about 10 minutes, until you remember how excruciatingly slow they can be. But alas, we eventually found Mike in the sea of blue, and beamed with pride as we watched him cross the stage.

 We skipped out of the last little bit of the ceremony, blaming it on the baby's attention span. Luckily Julie had brought the toddlers which gave us a more legit excuse. I guess we didn't miss out on much. No graduation song, no tassel swap or cap toss. So - we settled for a simple photo op outside the building. Love that nobody told me I was right in front of Cameron and am slouching terribly. Smooth move mama. I especially loved the self portrait the boys were taking too. Just seemed like a fun moment.

We made our way over to the cougar eat for lunch, and the Bookstore for old times sake. Although it took 30 minutes for Taco Bell to complete my order (really people?) I always take advantage of an chance to hang out at my alma mater. Ra Ra Ra. Congrats to Mike and Tom. That makes the Morrell's 7 for 7 College Graduates. Nicely done Granny and Gramps.

A Tid Bit or Two

1) I am on a kick of Peanut Butter and Jelly. Not sure where it came from, but it has hit me full force. Especially now that we live in Utah where they sell Grandma Sycamore's white bread. It is the best and I consume it every. single. day. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and go to the pantry for Breakfast options and think, "Can't wait for lunch today". Delicious & Cheap. Done and done.

2) When I first got here, I was having really warm and happy feelings about the pantry life. Then we went grocery shopping a few times, and got the reunion leftovers, and now I hate my pantry. It is disorganized, and cluttered, and obnoxious. I have a few box-thingy's that they've recommended on Pinterest, but I guess I haven't invested in enough. And am having trouble getting the right sizes. And what to do with the onesie, twosie things that you buy. It's a project I need to just buckle down and do.

3) I've read a few really good books lately. I surprise myself really because I was so not a reader, and now I sort of like it. The book I most recently finished was City of Ember. Awesome. Good speed, good characters, not terribly long so I didn't have to renew it 3 times at the library. I recommend it. I also have read Divergent this year, and just now starting Insurgent. Also good books, but they are a little on the long side so it takes me forever to get through them. But they're good so I like that.

4) I am lacking in my routine life. I really thrive on routines. Probably why school was such a good career choice for me. I've tried to set one a few times but then get jostled with one thing or another. Sunday is always a great day to rejuvenate my spirits and get me to write down the next week. Then Monday hits with full force and it wipes me right out. By Friday I'm a mess and just can't wait until Monday again to start over. Wild.

5) I have a few guilty pleasures. One of which is the Duggars. (TLC's show 19 Kids and Counting) I can not get enough of it. If I don't hear every word, I rewind the 30 seconds to watch it again. I save every episode, and when I feel like my day is too hectic or I haven't got enough structure, I flip on an episode and relish in the goodness that it is to me. An impossible wish of mine would be to sit in their house for a week (a few times a year) and just watch them live. It would be utterly fascinating to me!

6) I still am in love with Cafe Rio. I am a little worried that I'll get to the point in life where it just isn't that interesting to me anymore. That happens sometimes ya know? It would not be an unusual thing for us to go every week and not even realize it. Their pork burrito - enchilada style - is divine. Amazing.

7) Daily, as a past time activity just to get out of the house, I walk around stores. It is nice to have the mall here because an occasional mall walk is nice. We go to Target often, and sometimes Costco will do the trick. Usually I have a thing or two to buy, but sometimes, it is just a chance to do something other than sit at home. I know that i get a little stir crazy, and Cameron does so much better when his day includes a little time out of the house too.

8) Laundry is my nemesis. I feel ridiculous admitting this, but on the rare occasion that I can get ONE load of laundry washed, dried, AND folded in one day, I am really proud of myself. Usually, a load will sit in the washer long enough that I feel like I need to wash it again. And I live out of the dryer more than I care to mention. And let's not even talk about the pile of clean laundry that makes it onto the bed...until bedtime...and then is scooped onto the floor for at least a week. What am I, a teenager? Whatever will I do when my children are grown? How did my mother do all our laundry in one day, and then have it all folded on her bed for us to pick up Monday evening? I can only hope.

The Wright Genes

 After the wedding festivities, the Wright's and a few of the Cheney's made our way up to Eden, Utah where Worldmark has their Wolfcreek Resort. Right after the wedding ended and Mom and Joe left, we jumped right into the clean up. Thankfully, lots of people stayed behind to help us fold the linens and clean up the gym. The dishes, vacuuming, and sweeping would have gone faster, but we had to wait for the garden to be disassembled first which was no small feat. It felt like days before we were cleared to leave. We swung by and picked up Grandma Portlock, and then made our way to the grocery store to get the week worth of food. And let me tell you, that was an experience. We loaded my already packed to the max car with another 10 bags of groceries. We had them at our feet and on our laps and hanging out the windows. It was a long 20 minutes to the condos. But we did make it, unloaded the food, and had some dinner to rejuvenate our energy.

That night we played games with the Cheney families and Grandma. Because there were too many bodies to play any of the board games that I had brought down, we got creative and ventured to our teenage days with the Name Game and Signs. I was impressed how quickly I remembered how to play, and how quickly Grandma Portlock caught on. After several rounds, we remembered that staying up all night was more fun without kids, and all went to bed.

We spent the rest of the week just playing games and hiking in the nearby area. Mark made a game for all the boys - finding golf balls - which really was just a way for him to hire help to save him money later down the road. It worked and he got a good 20 balls or so for his golfing hobby. Nice work. 

And just for all the old friends out there who follow the blog, here is a photo of the Wright kids' kids all lined up on the couch. Trenton's 1, Tessa's 3, My 1, and David's 2.

I just love spending time with my family. I am reminded how funny Tessa is when she gets going. I think my brother Dave can tell a story about dirt and I'd be riveted. Jennifer inspired me to get going on my blog book again with her darling book she brought me to gander at. It's always so sad when we all have to separate again. Sad.

An Affair to Remember

 Well, it happened. My mom got remarried. And what a marvelous occasion it was. I really didn't know what to expect in meeting the Cheney's and blending our families for the weekend. But seriously, it couldn't have been more perfect. Their personalities are very similar to the Wright's so we all just got along famously. It was heaven.

The night before the wedding, we all met up at a church house in Farmington. Granted, the flight situation for most of the travellers was a nightmare. Especially poor David and Liz who had to stay the night in the Denver Airport. Boo. But, by sheer miracle, we all arrived on time with our luggage. Phew. Mom and Joe had prepared a delightful "get to know you" dinner where we all just ate and enjoyed each other's company. Some family pictures were taken which I am OVERJOYED with and can not wait until the photographer gets them all back to us.

We then had the most delightful party at the home of my family's dear friends. It was a riot of a time! Janna put on quite a show that had us all rolling on the floor laughing. We did our nails and ate chocolate while Kathy Kay worked her magic in the massage chair. More heaven. We were up until the wee hours of the morning; repeating to ourselves that adrenaline would keep us going the next day.

The wedding morning found us running late, as usual. The hotel we were all staying at was also hosting a dance competition. It made the breakfast effort quite a fiasco. But, we all managed through and got to the church to finish up the decorations. Mom arrived, clueless to our delay which was exactly as we needed it to be. Tessa did up her hair, we put on our dresses and off we went.

 Mom was beautiful. She was so happy, which was awesome to see. Tessa, Janna, and I all got the same shoe which was a minor mistake when it came to standing in the line for the ceremony. Ouch with the 4 inch heels. But they did look hot! I cried through the whole thing. But I have no shame, here I am and my ugly cry!

 I probably could have held it together better if I wasn't so emotional about love and weddings as it is. Then when Joe threw into his vow the part about seeing my dad in heaven, giving him a hug and telling him that he loved her and took care of her the best he could. Tender.

The party started after their ceremony. I was surprised to see how many of my father's friends and family turned up for the event. Cameron slept through the majority of the lunchon/reception which was great for us. We decorated their car, blew them bubbles, and sent the newlywed's on their way.

It really was such a beautiful event. And even more fun to get to see all our dear loved ones who came out to support mom. As soon as the clean up was over, the Wright's headed out of town to the Ogden canyon for some good old fashion family fun! More on that to come.

Happy Wedding to my mom and Joe. I really couldn't be happier for them both. Thrilled that Cameron will now have Grandpa Joe to love him and teach him all things grandpa's are good at. He really is the best fit for my mom. She'll help him speed up a bit, and he'll help her slow down. A perfect match. My brother-in-law quoted in his wedding vows an old African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." I love this mantra that Joe and mom have adopted. I am just so happy for them both!

Photo Dump

Just some stuff that we've been up to this last month. a little driving. i made some darling VT handouts with Pinterest and that made the getting out there and meeting new sisters less daunting. we've been to the park lots, and Cameron is really starting to love the swings. Mickey Mouse is a staple starter to our mornings. we read books. we clean up the farm. we play the piano. we wave. we visit friends. more swings. we are gearing up for football season. we go to BYU campus a lot. my friend made that darling hat. she has a shop at with etsy called simply penny jane. she's talented, visit her and buy her stuff. and we eat ice cream.

more posts on our VERY eventful weekend to follow this week. :)

Ninth Month

knows how to roll around, yet still stays in one place if left on his bum. still super smiley. wearing 18 month clothes mostly. likes the cold weather; will laugh and smile when we are out in the cold and rain. doesn't like the car wash. will put item in boxes or my hand. waves hello, but it looks more like "come here". likes to chew on strings and cords. loves to stand while holding my fingers. chows down on the gerber graduates sticks, but will not eat cherrios or the gerber puffs. loves to swing at the park. love to socialize with other children. on a good nap/sleep schedule - finally. not very talkative. loves library visits and reading books on my lap. getting pretty good at turning the pages. eats everything, but especially likes feeding himself. likes running errands; sometimes when he is just cranky pants, I stick him in the car for a trip and he perks right up for the entire errand.

Love that little man of mine.

An Easter Wedding

 We had a marvelous Easter. One of the best I've ever had. Partially because it was coupled with my Sister-In-Law's beautiful wedding, partially because it was gorgeous weather, and partially because it was held on the farm.

The Wedding: Romantic

A handful of miles north of Salt Lake City, there is a small plot of land that was once owned by Mark's Grandfather, Ralph Vavricka. Mark and his siblings spent the better part of their summers on the farm with Gramps and Granny. One of their big summer projects was the rebuilding of "The Honeymoon Cabin". As a gift to his wife, Ralph returned to Idaho to purchase the cabin they spent their Honeymoon in. Then, as a summer project, the exact logs that had been carefully disassembled from it's location in Idaho were then reassembled, log by log, by Mark and his siblings, on the Vavricka farm. Time passed, Granny and Gramps passed away, and the farm was left to mother nature. A few months ago, the farm was purchased by the Morrell family again! Many winter weekends were spent cleaning the overgrown weeds, the copious cobwebs, the everything. In the meantime, Malissa and Brian decided to get married and wanted the Honeymoon Cabin to be their wedding location. Jumping into hyper speed, the family worked overtime to get the farm ready for us all to arrive in celebration. It was such an emotional day for everyone; being able to see the farm return to it's glory and be a special place for the next generation of the Morrell Bunch to enjoy.

The ceremony was beyond beautiful. Their vows made me weep. I love to celebrate love. I love families coming together, promising to be there for each other, to support each other, to witness each other's lives. I just couldn't help but fall in love all over again with my perfect man. Well, at least until the snack box explosion mid-vows, and the realization that I had lost my wedding ring right when they were exchanging theirs.

The Wedding Party: Caloric

Following the ceremony and pictures, we drove up north a few minutes to another Morrell tradition, Maddox! A little-bit-big restaurant with delicious rolls and raspberry/honey butter. Oh my calories! Amazing. Father's said a little blurb which was so sweet, Bride and Groom said a little blurb which was touching, and we all ate like kings. Except for Cameron, who played happily in the corner with his socks.

The Hunt: Epic

After we had all stuffed ourselves to the brim, we headed back to the farm for the Epic Easter Egg Hunt planned and prepared by Uncle Tom. "there were spreadsheets involved!" And epic it was. Sadly, Cameron wasn't old enough to enjoy in the fun like I wanted him to, but I did manage to stage a cute picture of him with his basket. A Wright family tradition was a basket was also hidden among the eggs with a few little goodies to enjoy. With the copious examples from my past, I was quite pleased with the outcome of this years baskets; my first of many years to come. The Easter Bunny went the nostalgic route and hid Mark's basket in "Mike and Tom's delicious food stand" which is now filled with all kinds of junk. But the cute memory was cute enough for me. That and a classic fist pump made the photo op ideal.

Games and Tractor Rides: Non-Traditional

Doesn't every wedding end with tractor rides? And croquet, and horseshoes, and frisbee golf? It was a marvelous day. We couldn't have ordered in better weather. The kids were just darling playing together and building that fun cousin friendship that I've been hoping for for Cameron. A simply LOVELY day in every possible way.

Conclusion:
I found my wedding ring the next day; in the cup holder of the car. About a minute before Mark went out to buy me a replacement. 'whew'

A place we call Home

 I finally got my house photographed so that I could document a little about where we have moved into. We are renting a townhouse that was built just 6 months ago, so it is really new and really lovely. I made the most darling "hello", compliments of Pinterest, and we purchased a hallway table so I could display my holiday themed stuff still.  And it makes me happy just looking at it now.

Because we're renting, we can't put any holes in the walls, so we used as many Command strips that we felt was safe to at least have a few things up on our walls. It isn't much but it helps a little. I am glad the walls were painted green rather than the traditional white, it really helps amp up our space. Although the kitchen space is different than my old house, I am starting to see the great value of a pantry and wonder why California didn't ever allow me one. That part is lovely.

Our unit isn't situated in the most desirable location here in the community. We are backed right up next to another building, so we don't ever get any direct sunlight in our living areas. I constantly have to have my lights on, basically all day, to feel like it is daytime outside. It is just naturally dark and sullen. But it is really nice and that suits me just fine. Upstairs didn't get photographed because I can't keep it clean long enough to merit a photo. But there are 3 bedrooms there, one that is our office. We sold our delightfully comfy spare bed and switched it out for a blow up mattress for guests. At least its more than the floor. I am certainly making a list of things that I want our next house to have, a basement for one. Upstairs requires to many jaunts and I prefer to not have to do that each time I need to run to the bedroom or office.

I do love the area that we ended up in. Winco is just 6 minutes away, and University Avenue/Pkwy hold all the memories and eateries of my college memories. Family is super close. The Library is a mecca of amazingness. A park is a very pleasant walk from my door. The running trails are amazingly beautiful, which has helped increase my weekly milage. Its a good place for us for now. A really good place. You're all invited to check it out for yourselves. We'd be delighted to have you.

This day in History

On this date in 2009, history was made when something that had never happened before, suddenly happened. Two cultures, the Wright culture and the Morrell culture, came together for the first time ever, to make one entirely new family. These two cultures had their differences, yes. For example, His culture was a Santa-puts-your-stalkings-on-the-couch culture where hers was a Santa-keeps-them-on-the-mantle. His culture kept their butter in the cupboard while hers kept their butter in the fridge. His culture knew how to drive well in the snow, her culture knew how to drive fast...always. Her culture spent their summer's camping and at the beach, His culture spent their summers on the farm. Despite these differences, these two cultures promised that they would work together and create an eternity of joy, love, and happiness, sprinkled with a good dose of Disney Magic. And so they've been doing from that day forward.

Four Years. We've just barely scratched the surface of our happily ever after.

How I love that Man of Mine. And oh how he loves me.

Happy Anniversary to us.

Born with Friends

One thing we know for sure, Cameron will never be lonely when the cousins get together. It was really no surprise when we found out we were having a boy; it is mostly the trend on both of our sides. Mark's especially provides Cameron with 11 other male cousins (and now, with Malissa's new step-daughter, only 2 teenage girls among the lot of them). And boy is it fun to see them all get together. Collin and Christian and Alex will be the closet in age to him, but Kaden is only a older by 4 years.

There was a time when I thought I wanted a house full of girls, but now with the farm up and running, and living right next to Julie and her boys, I am thinking it would be so much more fun to have a house full of boys to add to this ever growing, and ever rowdy bunch of boys. Dirt, slime, bugs, races, digging randomly, and big toothless grins - sign me up. I can't hardly wait for Cam to get older so that I could plan and plan and play and play.

Who am I kidding. I already plan and do things, even though he is too young to take it all in. I just want to plan and to more things. It's just who I am. 

Zip-a-dee do-dah

Despite the fact that I did just announce that I was "getting back into a rhythm", I immediately neglected my blog for too many weeks. Sad. But do not fear, I still have been adding to my "blog this" list to ensure that I don't miss too many fun things in my life. And really, I've been meaning to take pictures of our new place to blog, and haven't, so that too has added to my neglected blog.

Which means, my friends, that you will get yet another Disney post. As was previously mentioned, we made a trip down there when we moved and had just the best of time, as always. We were joined this time by the Sullivan clan, both Ruston and Mark brought their families down after way too many years of absence. I knew immediately that Ruston and I would get along when I learned that he had decided to join us on the trip 12 hours before departure. His brother said, "yeah, we're leaving for Disneyland tomorrow," to which Ruston responded, "I think we'll go too". Family of my own heart. Sounds like something Mark and I would do. And so the bunch of us showed up for a splendid trip in the sun.

Cameron was a splendid delight as always. Even missing his naps didn't make him in sour spirits. He was just all smiles and clapping all day for the 3 days we were there.

What is a post without the mention of my favorite ride; Toy Story Mania didn't disappoint. Well, actually, it did. Our first trip through and Mark had the broken gun! Ruston and Miguel (the name we call Mark Sullivan to ensure we don't confuse the 2) did not stop giving Mark a hard time. "Oh sure, your gun was broken!" But really guys, 500 points is a bit of an embarrassment. Never the less, the term was jabbed at Mark several times during the day. What fun laughs we had about it.  We were lucky to get a re-ride card which we used later that day to improve our scores slightly.

 Another ride fiasco was that of Splash Mountain! Any veteran Disney goer would know that riding Splash Mountain after the sun sets is usually a recipe for a very soggy evening. I guess you would say we forgot this tried and true rule, threw caution to the wind, and boarded our log at 8:00 pm; with 4 other fully grown adults. It must be said that we were actually assigned to rows 3 & 4, but the couple before us had taken our rows and offered us the front. How could we say "no thanks?" It only took the first drop for Mark to realize that this was going to result in a very wet body. He handed me his phone and the camera and took the brunt of the water. On the big hill, the water literally went over the front of the log like a tidal wave! Mark was drenched. When we were exiting the ride, the couple who sat behind us, barely wet at all, had a huge smile with his thumb up in the air saying "Fantastic!". Mark had to enjoy a very soggy evening! Fantastic.

 Saying that we loved going with the Sullivan's would be an understatement. They were more than delightful. We walked our feet right off and enjoyed one wonderful birthday weekend for me. And I suspect that they had a great time too, because Mark somehow convinced both families to acquire Annual Passes. Guess we'll get to have those good times all over again. Zip-a-dee Do-Da.

3.14

I am really going to love living near my in-law family. I just love them. They get together all the time and I just love being with them. I can't wait for little Cameron to grow a little older so he can play with his cousins and really form great friendships there.

And so it was for the celebration of Pi day. My BIL is a math teacher and so to pass up an opportunity for Pizza Pie and dessert Pie is out of the question. He put together a little shin dig at the parental's house, and we just laughed and enjoyed each others company. The Bouche boys are always a riot. I really can't wait for Cameron to be older to enjoy their company. Have I said that already. I'm that excited.

We enjoyed delicious Papa Johns Pizza - which as a sidenote, Tom was angry that the garlic butter was total liquid. He said it was suppose to be thick and creamy. I have never known Papa John's Garlic Butter to be thick and creamy, in fact, I always wonder why people like it because it is like dipping your pizza/bread into a bowl of melted butter. Yuck. So anyway, we enjoyed Pizza and Pineapple Drink (provided by your's truly. I thought Mark was super clever to contribute to the Pi theme.) We then watched The Life of Pi while eating Pie for Dessert. A great evening with the family celebrating Pi. And as a short movie review, I was surprised with how interested in the movie I was. I wasn't at all interested in watching it before because I thought there would be too much CGI for my taste. But it turned out to be really good.

So there you go. We celebrated Pi day. I really can't wait until 3.14.15. In the normal world, I probably wouldn't have even noticed it pass by, but with Tom as my BIL - it'll be awesome. Maybe he'll surprise us all and get married on that day! That would be awesome.

Eight Months

A little late, but I'm trying to catch up. My darling boy is Eight Months old now. I am loving his little self, and his very happy personality. He catches the attention of everybody we are around. In line at the store, restaurants, Disneyland, church; everyone loves his little grin and darling face. And how could you not? With those two teeth beaming at you from his bottom gums! He is darling.

He still isn't showing any interest in moving. We know he is a Morrell because he excels in his eating yet isn't interested in exercise of any kind. He eat just about everything that I put in front of him. Usually I just pick off pieces of my meal and he'll enjoy it all. We recently introduced him to Ice Cream, and he took right to it. It was so cute watching him lick the cone with his pops. Just darling.

Likes to play with keys, socks, and stringy things. Loves people, especially other children. Loves the snack sticks more than cherrio's. Loves walks in the stroller, being outside, car rides. Says dada - but doesn't associate it with "dad" yet. Blows raspberries, claps, and starting to wave Hello.

The Week We Moved

 It has taken me more days than I wanted to settle into our new place here in Utah. But things are starting to feel a little more routine-like and I think I'm going to start getting back into the swing of things soon.

The move went swell. I was actually really surprised how quickly things seemed to fall into place for us. Our last week we were able to meet up with a few of our dear friends we'll miss terribly. My old high school chum Sara and her family, and the Manions (not pictured). Both met us for lunch at a delightful sandwich shop that I will also miss now that I know that it is there. I have always enjoyed the company of these fine friends, and can only hope that I find friendships as wonderful as theirs in our new home.

Packing was a bit of a surreal experience for me. The more I packed, the more I realized how much I was going to miss my cute little home. I thought I was really on top of it all, up until the last day when it all suddenly seemed really overwhelming. Mostly because we were planning on loading the boxes up on Monday, but then ended up doing it on Saturday. So when I thought I had a few days, it all ended up on one weekend. Luckily my mom used up her relaxing Saturday to help me in the final haul; and I have a rock star husband who just powered through the mess - we had the house packed and all our worldly possessions on the back of a truck by the day's end. What a weird feeling it is to know that everything you own fits into these containers.

Saying goodbye to Antioch wasn't as hard as I had anticipated. Saying goodbye to my mom - that was a doozy. But we made it on the road for our fish-hook trip to Utah. We were informed that our belongings would not arrive for 10 days, so we didn't feel a rush to get there; thought we'd fit in a little fun while we were on the road! And fun we had!

We first stopped in Disneyland, a small post to follow, made our way up to Las Vegas to see the Richardses, a stop in St. George to visit with the Porters, and then finally home to Mark's parents house. We moved out of our house on Tuesday the 26th of February, and got the keys to our new place on Tuesday the 5th of March. One week!

Words really can't express how excited I am for this new adventure in our lives. I love that Mark will be doing a job that he really loves. That we will have the freedom to be our own boss' still, and have the kind of family life that we've dreamed of. I am so grateful that our home sold so quickly, that we found this comfortable place to call home for now, for friends who have welcomed us in with open arms, for the family that is so close. It's going to be a great life here. And I'm really excited about it all.

Birthweek 2013

This year was a stellar year in Birthday Celebrations! I realize that I am a little odd in my love of birthdays - and don't hide when I'm "one year older and wiser too". Its awesome. So - being that this year was the big 30 - I had to go out in style.

We started on Monday after we all finished packing up the house and getting the last odds and ends ready for the big move. Mom had us over at her house for the last time, had baked my all time favorite cake combination - chocolate with Rainbow Chip frosting. So delicious. We almost made cupcakes again, but upon recalling the cupcake consumption from last year, decided to eat a slice (or two) of cake and throw the rest away. Better for the waistline. Mom gifted me fabulously as always with a few new shirts and some lovely jewelry. I have been in the market for new jewelry ever since our 2010 theft so it was much appreciated. Sang me a song and blew out the candles. A great start to a great week.

Even though we were literally right in the middle of the move on my birthday, my stellar hubby outdid himself in great birthday surprises and celebrations. First stop - of course - would be to Disneyland; meeting up with some of our dear vacationing friends there. We drove down there on Wednesday and then hit up Disneyland on the day of my Birth. Happy Birthday to me. Being that my Birthday landed on a Thursday this year - I had to start out with Donut Thursday; a tradition that was born in 2007 Summer School session. Loved that year. Mark and Miguel ran out to get delicious donuts, I paused for a photo op; and we were off to celebrate the day.

 Southern California gifted me with some amazing weather. Really warm (albeit this made the park was really crowded) good hair day, and Disneyland provided all the delicious food one could ask. I wore my 30th birthday button with pride all day. Granted, Ruston thought it said I was 38 - so I went with that too. My 30th-38th Birthday was great.

Thursday evening we went to a nostalgic dinner at the Blue Bayou. Delicious food is always had there. In my Pre-Mark days I always considered the Blue Bayou an elite restaurant where only special people can get reservations. It was an unattainable bit of Disney that I'd only half experienced one time. Since marrying Mark, we are of that elite class and I sometimes feel like we live a life that most wouldn't even know existed. We got to the Blue Bayou so often, it feels a like it is a little part of our relationship with Disney. And I love it. We strayed from our usual orders and got something new, which was a great choice being that our new options were better than our usual! Funny how that sometimes happens.

Friday was Mark's big Birthday surprise; Reserved Seating for the Fantastmic performance on the Rivers of America. This is one of our favorite shows in the park, so to have reserved seating along with the fancy food was amazing. The Sullivans watched the boy for us so we could have a little date night, and it was just wonderful! A great show. The Dragon was working - which is sort of a hit or miss kind of thing, so I felt like it was a great birthday gift from Disneyland as well.

I missed the picture opportunity for the Saturday and Sunday gifts Mark had arranged for me. A visit to the some of our Best-ies in Las Vegas! A weekend where we could just relax with some of my favorite people was just the perfect thing in between Disneyland and the move in. Love them - hope to be seeing much more of them now that we're closer.

Monday we stopped quickly by another good friend from my college days. My next door neighbor roommate Lanelle who is the best conversationalist, has the most darling daughter 2 months older than Cameron, and just the best personality anyone could ask for. Loved seeing her even though our visits are brief.

When we got to Utah on Monday evening, my Birthweek celebrations came to a grand conclusion at one of my all time favorite Utah restaurants - Cafe Rio. I had already told Mark that on our first night as Utah-ans we would eat here, but it was also a little birth gift to myself; being alive has its advantages. No need to pay attention to the fact that I also requested this restaurant as my birthday gift from our Las Vegas friends 2 days prior. You can't have too many burritos - and I could go every week if my metabolism would keep up. Love me some Rio.

It was a stellar birthday. I feel like I've had a really great chunk of life. Thirty, Flirty and Thriving. That's my mantra for the next 365 days. Bring it!