34

I turned 34.
My birthday was November 1st. That morning I woke up around 8am in a hotel in Garmisch, Germany. Sleeping next to me was my favorite 6 year old, Gabriel. Eli was in a bed across the room and Matt was in London. The boys and I dined at the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby. Eli noticed that I seemed a little too excited for breakfast and made some comment about how giddy I was. He doesn't understand that I LOVE breakfast and what I love more than breakfast, is breakfast that is hot, that I didn't have to cook! I ate hot waffles, bacon, a made to order omelet, other random breakfast items, and drank coffee and orange juice. I loved it. After the morning feast we hopped in the oversized spa outside to relax from the caloric overload then I watched the boys frolic in the indoor pool in the hotel basement. We checked out of the hotel at noon and sauntered through town before finding the perfect spot for lunch....Pizza Hut. What can I say? The boys were choosing and they can't resist good ol' American greasy pizza. After we finished our lunch, we strolled back through town, took a walk in the park and then loaded up for our drive back home. Seems like an uneventful, yet delightful way to spend a 34th birthday.
October 31st is my sister-in-law's birthday but I didn't call her. Instead, I woke up, loaded the boys in the car and headed to Zugspitze. Zugspitze is the highest peak in Germany and it is where I wanted go to celebrate my birthday. We took a cog-wheel train up to a cable car, and then the cable car on up to the top of the world (the German world). All day I was praying for beautiful weather. The problem with the peaks of the Alps is that they are only enjoyable if you can actually see something once you get there. Clouds were threatening to sock in my view, but they stayed parted long enough for me to see what I came to see, the glorious, beautiful Alps from the tippy top. Once the wind started threatening to blow us over the edge and the clouds began to disrupt our view, we headed down the mountain by way of a cable car. We stomped around the lake at the bottom a little, the boys made their best snowballs out of dirty old snow and then we headed to the hotel to check in, get dinner, and go swimming. All I have to say about this day is, I was on top of the world and it was beautiful.
October 28th is not really an important day. I brought snacks to Eli's class for a fall party, worked with my Awana group, and was very glad to be home at 6pm after a long, busy, day. I pulled into the carport and noticed right away that something was up, Madison and Grace were in the playground behind my house. That's odd. When I opened the door to my house, a few friends' heads poked around the corner and I heard a little voice say "Happy Birthday?" It took a few seconds and then it all made sense. Kids in playground belong to parents in house who are here for a surprise birthday celebration a little early because all the guys were leaving for London tomorrow. I got it.
Mika made a delicious meal for Matt and I, her and Tom, and our friends Alton and Katrina. As a bonus, Matt put a movie on upstairs so the kids would be occupied for our adult dinner. After dinner we had cupcakes, the kids sang a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday" complete with very excited "cha cha cha" accents, I opened thoughtful gifts, and we ended the night by rockin' out to the Beatles via karaoke/guitar hero. Good times.
So, I turned 34.
(Here is a link to some photos. Password ourphotos )

Comments

Rachael said…
sounds fabulous! Happy Birthday sweet friend!

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