Michael's Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY BEAR!!!!

On Tuesday my hunk man turned 26! I've tried not to remind him that 26 rounds to 30 but it's hard to keep it to myself sometimes. We started his celebration with a fun weekend with some of Michael's former college roomies and their wives up in Park City at our Uncle Bruce and Aunt Lisa's condo where we had a fun pizza dinner, did some great shopping at the outlet mall, and played some INTENSE Rook... Well... the intensity was relative... the boys beat us by like 330 points the first time and we only played to 300. Don't do the math - it's embarrassing. We came home on Sunday morning for a great day at church where we both got to teach our youth lessons. Michael's was on the priesthood and mine was on friendship. Sometimes the girls look at me while I'm teaching like they forgot where they were and how they got there. I love them to death - I hope my lessons at least polish their darling little ears as my words float in one side and out the other!

Monday we took a birthday break. The weekend had been wonderful and we needed that day to gear up for the real deal! Tuesday morning I made Michael his favorite breakfast from the Dominican Republic called platanos fritos. Basically you get a platano (a cross between a banana and a potato) and cut it in about 1 inch little segments. You then stick it in some super hot oil to fry it until the platano chunks are just barely brown around the edges. Take them out of the pan and smoosh them between two paper towels so they are flat then (the most nutritious part) stick them BACK in the pan to be fried once more! Good thing calories don't count on your birthday!! I'm also pretty sure that you're supposed to add salt to them but I missed that part... to preoccupied with all the oil and trying not to burn myself while smooshing. Serve these little guys over a couple of fried eggs and you've got yourself a winning meal! Don't accuse me of anything if my sweet husband has to get stints to his heart on his 27th birthday... there was broccoli in the fridge!


After breakfast we both hurried off to work (I have been carpooling with the lovely Laurenita Olsen to work lately and it is WONDERFUL). At the end of the work day Lauren took me to pick up Michael's birthday present and we hurried home so I could toss his ooey gooey cake in the oven in time for it to cool while we spent a couple of hours with the kids from the ward at mutual. Michael is so cute. He was the hardest worker out there. It could have been because he knew there were fruit snacks at the end, because we were playing rounders after service, or because he is super ripped but I think it's because he has such a sweet little heart. Anyway, Jon and Savanna were the perfect addition to the hoppin party and even brought Michael a new REMOTE CONTROL CAR!! You'd think he were in heaven. Boys and their toys!! The cake was ooey and oh so gooey (Jon even asked me how to make it which is a HUGE compliment if you know that chef of a man) and we were all rolling around on sugar overload until a couple of inappropriate birthday jokes were made and we called it a night!



The last part of Michael's birthday (k seriously... we would've done this all in one day but there wasn't really time with everything that was going on this week) we did on Wednesday when I made his specially requested birthday dinner, La Bandera. I think he must be missing his mission lately... or maybe the senility is kicking in with his old age and he thinks I'm his Dominican maid?? He said it was good and gave me some helpful pointers to make it taste a wee bit more authentic next time (EXPERT gringa here!) and we went to bed stuffed full! I am so grateful for my sweet Michael. He is such a love - always thinking of his wife before anything else. He even goes to bed and wakes up with me now which is a HUGE blessing in my life. Thank you sweetheart for being my one and only. I love you love you dearly... Lets sit down to pluck some gray hairs from that salt and pepper head of hair tonight ;-)