My Birthweek!

Friday the 31st was actually my birthday but we celebrated almost every night with someone! Tuesday we went to Maggiano's with Megan, Josiah, Sarah and Gerret. Wednesday Mike worked late and missed mutual so he stayed home with me and we planned my actual birthday for just the two of us. Thursday my boss took us three girls who work for him, and our spouse/boyfriend bowling at a nice bowling alley in Addison. Dr. Bass and his wife gave me some new tennis shoes for work because mine were falling apart. We had a lot of fun bowling with everyone. I'm so grateful for my job and that I get along great with everyone.

My birthday came, it was Friday! I worked a half day like every other Friday then my wonderful visiting teacher Dana brought me a bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries (which I'm not sure if she even knew they are my FAVORITE)

I went and saw Ice Age 3D with my brother.

I came home, played with Tucker and found a box of cookies on my front door step with a note from my other visiting teacher, Nikki! Mike finally got home, with a bouquet of stargazer lilies (my favorite) and our night began. We went down to Addison and checked into our 4 star hotel right behind the Galleria Mall. For those of you not from Texas, Addison is a nice part of Dallas where all the nice restaurants are and nightlife is. The Galleria Mall is a MASSIVE, 3 story mall with every shop a girl could want. From Sephora to Armani. We checked into the hotel and then went and walked around the Galleria for a while. Here are some pictures of our hotel room.
Lobby View from our Floor


*Mike made me do that. We have 2 t.v's bigger than that at home but he still wanted me to do it.*

We started to get hungry so we drove down Belt Line aka "Restaurant Row" but I was just really in the mood for a Potbelly's sandwich. Nothing fancy but still GOOD! Mike has never had Potbelly's but he loved it. We ate outside as it got darker and noticed the lightning lighting up the sky. We then realized we better hurry in order to make it to the big event we had been planning for the night. Now, Mike's work office is in Dallas but he hardly goes there because he drives all over the metroplex for jobs. So once a week he has to stop by and drop off/pick up paperwork. We went Sunday night to do that and I saw a carnival on the way and was just dying to go! So, that's what we had planned. We made it to the carnival as it got more and more windy. The carnival was in another mall parking lot down close to the Dallas temple and when we arrived at the ticket booth counter the woman said they only accept cash. Neither Mike or I had cash on us so we literally ran up to the mall and got some cash. We came back to the ticket booth and chose to buy only 24 tickets instead of 40. My logical husband said, we can always buy more if we run out. We went on a spaceship ride where it spins so fast you are sucked to the wall. We get in the "spaceship", they close the doors and we go for a ride.

As soon as the ride slows down and quiets, I hear it....A HURRICANE outside. Not literally, but it seemed like it! They open the doors to let us out and the carnival was empty. Everyone had cleared out and taken cover. Mike started to run back to the car but I thought the rain was fun. So I danced around for a little bit and finally got into the car without a dry millimeter on my body. We looked like we had jumped into a pool fully clothed.
In preparing to leave the house for the night, my logical husband said I should bring an extra pair of clothes because it might rain. I figured it's one night, I can wear the same clothes to drive home 20 minutes in the morning, no big deal. I looked at the blue sky outside and said fine, it might sprinkle so I will bring an extra shirt. No extra undergarments, or pants.

We got to the hotel, soaking, and freezing cold. We hung our clothes and then we took a nice warm bath/shower and got into the comfy hotel provided robes. THANK GOODNESS! I came out of the bathroom and saw that my romantic husband had put rose petals all over the bed.

We laid in bed and watched the lighting for a while and then we crashed. We woke up the next morning to find that my clothes weren't even remotely close to being dry. I attempted to blow dry them but that did not work. I put on my dry shirt with wet undergarments and my wet jeans. My darling husband took me to the mall again and bought me a nice comfy outfit that he had most of the say in. I just approved it. We then went to Denny's for breakfast and saw a man with the worst mullet that I have ever seen and then came home.

Even though we didn't get to do the carnival, the memories were great. I love my husband for the best birthday.

Saturday we celebrated every one's birthday for the next couple off months while my brother is still in town. We went over to my parents and had delicious steaks. My parents gave Mike and I a combined mine/his birthday gift. They gave us a dutch oven with everything that is needed to go with it. I love dutch oven cooking and am so exciting to go camping with it. I made dutch oven peach cobbler for dessert and then we also played a fun card game with only 2 of the many decks of cards my parents also gave us. We love games. My parents were given a free night at a nice hotel here in Frisco where Mike, Jordan and I went swimming and then we went back to the room and played more games.

*We all snuggled into Mom and Dad's hotel bed*

Sunday was my Mother-In-Law's Birthday and so we went over to Mike's Aunt's house and had a great dinner and played some fun games. We can't ever get sick of games.

We had SUCH a great weekend and I am so grateful for my family and most of all my husband. What great memories and fun experiences that I will cherish forever.