B+C+B+C+B+C: Scenes from the shindig

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Scenes from the shindig

When I was working at United Way (seems like a bazillion years ago), my boss, Bill, said something that really stuck with me: "The best way to get people to acknowledge your birthday is to tell them it's your birthday."
So instead of complaining that my quarter-century birthday was a little on the uneventful side... I decided to make it more eventful!

Is it weird to throw a party for yourself?

At least I didn't have to make my own cake... dear friend Kristin wouldn't allow that. Isn't she talented? I can't imagine being able to create something like this on my own.

We had a little over 20 people there - 14 adults and a bunch of kids. Perfect number for our little backyard. Brian was on grill duty (his favorite job) doing "quarter-pounders" and cornonthecob.

"So, tell me about my grilling skills - was it overdone, underdone, or just perfect?" (His actual words to each burger eater, not kidding).

That's Carly - his assistant at work. She puts up with a lot from Brian. Her hub Jeff in the background does our auto work! It's great having connections. He's actually coming over tomorrow to do something (not sure what) with our timing belts so our car can survive the drive to Phoenix next month.

Brianna just about hyperventilated when she heard that her friend emily was coming over. They laugh and scream and chase each other around. It's cute. Til they take each other's toys - then it can get uncute.

The badminton tournament

I set up 5 different games around the yard (giant darts, horseshoes, wiffle ball, badminton, and another sticky-ball thing). The kids got 5 points for each game they played. If they made it to 25 points, they got to reach into the prize bag for one of 25 fabulous mystery prizes.

Brian did his best to wrestle Brianna away from the cake, but she still managed to sneak into it. She hadn't ever actually had any before, so I thought she'd go nuts. Surprisingly, she spit the frosting back out!

I wish I had taken more pictures (or maybe just better pictures) but I was busy wearing my birthday crown (literally - I wore a birthday crown).

Had lotsa fun! People even brought me presents - I didn't expect that (but secretly hoped :) A few stayed past dark til Brianna was so wired we had to kick them out.

The end.

9 comments:

DeAnne said...: Looks like you had quite the party. I don't think there is anything wrong with giving yourself a party. Why not? I had one for myself when I turned 30. Happy Birthday :); August 19, 2009 at 10:10 PM
gilliay said...: That is awesome. I may just have to throw myself a party when the big 30 comes around.; August 19, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Amy Hunter said...: Oh. You are THE QUEEN. And, can I say, that your back yard is heavenly??? Very nice. I love that Brian is a griller. I can totally see him saying those exact words. Also, hurrah for a healthy eater, spitting out the frosting??? That's the only part of the cake that my kids will eat! Awesome.; August 20, 2009 at 7:45 AM
Amy Hunter said...: p.s. I didn't notice them before, for give me, but I love the quotes you have on the sidebar. They are beautiful. Thanks.; August 20, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Marilyn said...: I love that cake--very clever.; August 20, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Malerie said...: Wow - you guys can throw a party! Hope you had a great birthday!; August 20, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Unknown said...: Happy to You! I love birthdays and I am always good at reminding people about mine, so I think it's great that you threw yourself a party.; August 21, 2009 at 9:45 AM
The Moon's said...: Funny thing.... last year was my quarter century birthday and I threw myself a party too. It was one of my favorite birthdays!; August 21, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Kristin, Scott, Emily and Eric said...: YAY...i'm not sure how i missed this post, but i just read it. I'm glad you liked your cake. It was my first "Quarter Century" cake I made... although i'm turning 25 this year too. Hmmmmm.; August 23, 2009 at 9:16 PM

Quotes I want to remember

"The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."
- Neal A. Maxwell

"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence."
-Ezra Taft Benson

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.
-Jeffrey R. Holland

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."
-Neil L. Andersen

"Certainly there are times when getting the family together to read the scriptures does not stack up as a spiritual experience worthy of a journal entry. But we must not be deterred. There are special times when the spirit of a son or daughter is just right and the power of these great scriptures goes down into their heart like fire. As we honor our Heavenly Father in our homes, He will honor our efforts."
-Neil L. Andersen

President Hinckley admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
-Susan W. Tanner

"Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it' (22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. president George Bush, spoke wisely: 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "
-Gordon B. Hinckley

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
-Henry B. Eyring

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”
-Margaret S. Lifferth

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
- M. Russell Ballard

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’?”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things.”
-Kent D. Watson

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Scenes from the shindig

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