My Birthday...

This was a memorable one.  (This is going to be a lot of typing, mostly because I want to remember this birthday forever and don't want to leave anything out.)  After a very rough Saturday (lack of sleep the night before tends to do that to me), I decided that Sunday - my birthday - was going to be good no matter what!  The kids and I woke up around 6:45 and made some delicious pumpkin pancakes with homemade cinnamon syrup.  We got to talk to Braden via Facetime and I put some chicken in the slow cooker for dinner that night.  A friend of mine had invited me over for a birthday dinner but since we hadn't talked about it since the previous Monday, I wasn't counting on it.  I was going to call her and just cancel since my little sister changed her plans for the week so she could spend it with the kids and me (hooray Ashley!), but I didn't, mostly because I couldn't quite figure out how to start that phone call..."hi, I know you invited me for dinner a week ago and we haven't talked since so I don't know if you were still planning to have me over to celebrate my birthday...I feel awkward now..."  Sheesh.  So I got myself and the kids ready and we headed off to church.  Ashley's flight came in during the third hour so I picked Kayla up from nursery early and we set off for the airport.  After circling the airport a couple of times I realized that waiting in the cell phone lot would be the best option.  We got Ashley and as we were headed home I got a call from Kristen (the friend who had invited me over for dinner) telling me how excited she was to have me over for dinner to celebrate my birthday and that yes, of course my sister can come too, how great!  Guess that cooked chicken is going in the fridge...  She said she would call when she was home from playing the piano for ward choir practice to let us know when to come over.  So Kristen calls around 5:30 and says, "my apartment is too small for dinner tonight, let's just go to the lounge.  I'll meet you outside your apartment."  Huh?  Pretty sure we've eaten dinner at her place several times and it's been big enough before...weird, but whatever.  We get our stuff gathered up and head downstairs to meet Kristen who is waiting for us just outside.  We're just chit-chatting on the way over to the high-rise and down the elevator to the basement lounge.  I open the door and "SURPRISE!!"  Ahhhh!  "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Tiffany, happy birthday to you!"  I definitely teared up (a lot).  I don't handle surprises very well.  Well, I have very good friends here.  It makes me very sad to think that we are moving from them in just a few months.  Who gets a surprise birthday party for their 24th (again and again) birthday?!  Seriously!  These girls are great.  They take such great care of me.  These are some random, and not so great of quality, pictures taken that night.  We hadn't brought a camera because we thought it was just going to be dinner so these pictures are from my phone.  (the pictures are doing funny things like not lining up right and I can't figure out how to fix it...sorry!)

Lots of delicious birthday cupcakes.  Aren't they pretty?  My friends are in a cake-decorating class.  The chocolate ones were filled with a peanut-butter cream!

Friends!

The nicest person in the world who brought it all together.

My family (those of us in Boston at the time at least).

I feel so blessed and so loved.  This was a great birthday!  Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday texts, phone calls, cards, and love.