Leah's Birthday Week

First off if at any point in this post I offend you, stop being so sensitive!!  So it may or may not surprise you that I am that person who usually mocks the person who takes a random birthday off work to sit at home and surf the web in their underwear or refuses to do anything Christmas related on their December birthday.  I am not saying that there are not plenty of birthday that should receive extra attention.  Anything ending in a five or a zero earns you a round of applause in addition to your annual birthday card.  No seriously, unless you are under 21 or over 65 you really don’t need to put in a paid time off request or call in sick to work.  Go about your day and enjoy your special meal & sprinkled cake in the evening like a sensible adult.  Please go about your business, enjoy your 117 social media birthday shout outs, enjoy your gifts and wake up smiling the next day.  But with that being said…In addition to an amazing Mother’s Day, 2014 also delivered a pretty awesome birthday…Week!!

I started my festivities on a Sunday afternoon in Ballard with my two best friends; Shobi & Di.  We enjoyed lunch and walked around the Farmer’s Market before enjoying a paint n sip class put on by PaintNight Seattle.  The place was set up neatly before we arrived and the class was well structured.  Two complaints- people, especially armature painting students, deserve more than one paint brush & the bartender could have been better at offering drink refills.  Otherwise we had a fun time & I think we are for sure going to be doing it again!  When I got home from my afternoon with the ladies my Mom, Tyler and the kids were waiting with my favorite; chocolate on chocolate topped with chocolate cake and steaks and shrimp for the barbeque. 

 

My actually birthday was on Monday.  Although Tyler had to stay home and work; the kids & I were fortunate enough to be able to take a road trip with my Mom for a few days.  We left n morning and arrived in Astoria Oregon just after 11am and enjoyed lunch.  We spent the afternoon walking the boardwalk and playing with our walki-talki set.  The we rode the old town Trolley and enjoyed a prime rib dinner before watching the sunset over the Columbia River from our hotel room. 

Tuesday after breakfast we went to explore the Astoria Column.  Holy Smokes that was some stairs!  You would assume that we would get to the top and take a break.  But honestly, the height scared me so we threw our lil airplanes over, snapped a few quick pics and headed back down to safety.  Then we located our airplanes and spent a good hour flying them on a grassy hillside.

Next we visited Fort Stevens.  What an awesome place! No joke, I told Tyler I would love to go camping there sometime for a long weekend or even an entire week.  Sandy beaches for miles and miles. Hiking and biking trails and a super cool ship wreck!  We enjoyed the cool breeze and the foggy glum like true northwesters and had ourselves a good ole time. 

Then we traveled to Vancouver for dinner at my Grandpa Phil’s house.  I wish I could say that we had a nice, uneventful visit but I have a three year old.  The car ride didn’t sit right with Josie and not long after we arrived she vomited chocolate milk & French fries EVERYWHERE & all over ME.  Hi grandpa, how are you? The fun didn’t stop there. I gave Josie a bath & changed her clothes so that my Grandpa could give her carrots and she barfed a second time.  New clothes, round three of vomit.  New Shirt and round four was outback in my grandpa’s garden…I wish this was a joke but this is a true story.  I am so grateful for my Uncle’s wife Melissa who gladly strapped on some blue gloves & cleaned up each pile of barf with a cheerful smile.  We darted out of my Grandpa’s with our heads hanging a lil low from embarrassment to get to our hotel room in Kelso and have her vomit water a fifth and sixth time. Finally around ten I got Josie to hold down some fluids and medicine and she woke up the next day fine.  

 Above- My Grandpa Reading Curious George to the kids.
Bellow- Issac & Josie with my Uncle Greg, his wife Melissa & my cousins Jacob & Emma

We spent Wednesday and Thursday in the front yard of Ron & Ruth’s log cabin.  The kids spent the entire day outside getting dirty, climbing in trees, digging holes & baking mud pies.  It is always good for my soul to go visit my angel Ruth.  She has a unique way of uplifting me and reminding me of my own personal journey and triumphs.  It was also nice to catch up with my childhood best friend, Becky.  Time & distance has never prevented us from enjoying each other and it was awesome to see our children playing together. 

Thursday night we were happy to be back home.  The kids were beat as I tackled the laundry and packed my bags for another adventure.  I was excited to be invited on the preschool’s aunnal Board of Directors retreat to stay at Teacher Carol’s “cabin” on Guemes Island in Skagit County. 

I spent Friday & Saturday night enjoying the presence of a group of amazing women.  Wine, puzzles, hot tub and so much laughter that my gut hurt the next day & I think someone may have tinkled in their pants! The weekend was filled with breathe taking views and good conversations.  I feel extremely blessed to be on the Preschool’s board of directors with these women.  The life and classroom experiences that they bring to the table are extraordinary.  I love to hear their stories and words of wisdom.  

 

 There you have it.  My BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!  I have never one who likes to go big for my birthday but this year this is just how it played out and minus a night out with my hunk of a husband the week was perfect!