A Well-Celebrated Birthday

January 24th was my birthday. Another year older. How is that possible, I was just in high school making floral dresses for dances out of curtain fabric for crying out loud!

But despite that warp speed carrying me so fast from those days to these, I loved my birthday. Dave and I hiked Camelback mountain, just the two of us. We hiked the steep side, huffing and puffing up those boulders in 43 minutes, feeling so alive.

We had lunch at my favorite place in the big city (The Henry).

We got home to do a little service which was my biggest birthday wish (a tradition inspired by my sister-in-law) and it was my favorite.

Then had a simple dinner at home with Lu and Josh.

Claire got to call just as Dave and I were coming out of those rounded red boulders at the bottom of our hike, and our kids filled up Dave’s phone screen at dinner spilling out all the love, the best gift.

My question for them was what is the most beautiful thing they’ve seen lately and I loved their answers.

We had Lucy’s delicious cookies with candles stuck in them for dessert.

Followed by games, of course. (We ran out of Qwixx scorecards and had to improvise…which deserved a photo).

Lucy wrote me the sweetest note I’d like to frame and read every night. Maybe I need her to read it every night too (so she can remember how much she loves me even when she’s mad at me, ha!)

I got the best note from Claire a few days later, so filled up with things that made my heart want to explode.

Friends dropped off so many nice things. Every birthday I get a renewed awe of people who are just so nice, reaching out and spilling out love. And every year I have a new vow that I will try to do the same for others. People are so good.

It was such a good day.

Post-Birthday celebrations

And THEN, that birthday got to extend a tad bit. I had to get up to Utah to attend to some work things there and organized a little hike with my sisters. But as luck would have it, my flight was too delayed to get there in time. I love that these amazing women sent pictures of all that beauty below:

Can you see all that light beaming from their goodness?

They were experiencing all that beauty just as I was experiencing it from a different vantage point above:

There was something so beautiful about that to me.

I was welcomed into that cocoon of sisterhood still shivering from their hike, with Japanese curry simmering on the stove and talk, talk, talking.

Man I love those ladies.

I got to ski for one quick day with these two (Elle and Carson) who happened to be in town at the same time.

Well, let’s be honest, I kinda planned this quick trip with them in mind.

It was the most gorgeous day with the most gorgeous vistas…and the best catch-up love on those lifts.

A pretty fun little reunion in Provo with these favorites (Carson was with his fam).

Back at home, a couple different friend groups put together some birthday lunches.

I copied my sister Saydi’s birthday idea and asked them to bring something that has inspired them lately. So much goodness in women and what they shared.

Love.

So grateful for another year to learn and grow and push and find joy. Life is such a grand gift, the highs and lows all mixed churning right together to help us look at life from so many different vantage points.