Best Birthday EVER!!!

Part II of my Fabulous Birthday Extravaganza happened the weekend after my birthday.  These wonderful girls surprised me with an overnight in Vail.  SOOO much fun!!!

It all started when my BFF, Vern took me out to Smashburger on my actual birthday.  After lunch I opened her gift - a series of clues that told me we would be going zip lining together.  The two of us would be leaving the very next day!

Once Vern and I were up in our gorgeous hotel in the mountains, (while I was sitting on the balcony enjoying the view) up drives my sister and my lovely friend Laura.  Yea!  What was going to be just me and Vern was actually an overnight with some of my all time favorite women.

The four of us walked around Vail, and they all treated me to dinner.

By total coincidence, we ended up in Vail the same weekend as the Teva games.  There were BMX, slack lining and rafting competitions.  So totally cool!  Plus there were other entertainments in conjunction with the games.  Here we are enjoying the after game party with DJ Juggy!  We got on the BMX jump track and danced and felt so YOUNG!

We spent a fair amount of time just hanging out in the hotel, talking and laughing and catching up with each other.

The next day Vern and I went zip lining!  Something I have wanted to do for years!

The course Vern picked out was over this beautiful little ravine in the mountains.  There were six different lines that criss crossed over the mountain stream.

Here is Vern coming in.  Pop quiz:  Where do Vern's white shoes end and her skin begin?  Yea, I can't tell either. 

Here I am coming in.  I love this picture! So fun!!!

There were a couple lines that we were able to ride tandem. 

Now that I'm forty, I suppose I'm officially old.  But spending the weekend dancing with my girls and jumping off of platforms - I certainly feel young!

Truly, the BEST birthday I have ever had my entire life!

End of School

This little boy is mighty proud of himself for graduating from kindergarten.  Look at that grin!  He was simply delicious in his kindie graduation program.

Here is the future Mrs. Caboose.  At least that's what he is thinking.  She is not so convinced.  Apparently she is saving herself for Justin Beiber, but the Caboose took hope when her mom told her that Beiber is too old for her.  (A couple weeks ago he was trying to decide whether to ask her to marry him now, or to wait a few more years.  I encouraged the waiting, but we'll see what he decides...)

Me and my little boy.  Love that kid!

After the program his class had a little party.  It doesn't seem like that long ago when Big Boy #1 was wearing his little cap for kindie graduation, and here he is getting so tall!

Here is the Caboose's kindergarten teacher Mrs. Brown.  She was the perfect balance of firm and friendly - exactly what this rambunctious little guy needed.
 

We have  an end of the school year tradition, in which we let the boys bring home their friends and have a little backyard celebration. Here is Big Boy #1 with some of his friends roasting hot dogs around the fire pit.

Big Boy #2 was enjoying the end of year traditions himself.  Here he is enjoying his last field day of elementary school with his best buddies.

The school did a little elementary school graduation for the fifth graders, complete with picnic in the park and a slide show for the parents.

This teacher is one of the best my kids have ever had.  Mrs. Barta is an exceptional teacher.  She's very deliberate in her teaching, making the most of every minute, stretching and tugging on the minds of her students.  Both Big Boy #1 and #2 have both had her, and I feel so very blessed she has been a force in the lives of my children. 

Enjoying the s'mores. 

The last day of elementary school landed on my 40th birthday, and also corresponded to a baseball game for BB#1.  Therefore the End of Year celebration for BB#2 wasn't until the next week.  But the boys didn't seem to mind.

Now... SUMMER!!!

Exactly How Holy is the Sabbath???

Even before we were married, Diamond and I made a decision that we would live our life together according to the tenants of the Mormon faith.  We would not drink alcohol, we would pay tithing, we would keep the Sabbath as we understood it, etc.  According to Mormon belief, Sundays are a day to be spent at church, with family and giving service.  Similarly, Sundays are not intended to be spent at the mall, in a movie theater or at the ball park.  I'm good with all of this.
Fast forward to this past weekend.  Big Boy #2's little league baseball team was playing in a Memorial Day tournament.  From the get go I told the coach that we would not be playing any Sunday games.  (A major reason we picked this particular league was for its absence of Sunday games.)  And it's not like the team was likely to make it to the championship game anyway - they were tied for last place.  It was a pretty easy call.

Friday night BB#2 pitched six innings in the first game, gave up only three runs, and lead his team to a victory!  Their second win of the season.  The boys were thrilled.  The next day we played again, and won again!  A virtual miracle!  All of a sudden the team was playing in the championship game - on Sunday.

We talked it over and decided that we didn't want BB#2 to think that we compromise our faith in the name of a baseball game - even a championship one.  BB#2 was pretty good about it.  It was what it was, and he accepted that.  I think I had the hardest time of anyone - which really, really surprised me.  I knew that although the coach was understanding of our stance, he really wanted his first baseman.  (He had used up his arm Friday and although unable to pitch, BB#2 was still an integral part of the team).  I struggled with the commitment to the team, with the strictness of our stance, with the look on my boy's face when he realized he wouldn't be there with his team battling for first place.

Between text updates from another player's mom, we talked to several friends whom we totally respect at church on Sunday and many (but certainly not all) said they would have let their kid play.  There was an award ceremony that evening and we figured that might be a good compromise - letting him receive his trophy with the team.  However, we didn't get enough notice and missed that as well. The whole thing left me feeling both disappointed and frustrated.  The team lost the championship, and came in second overall.

I guess the real question is what is the right thing to do?  I know a lot of people will say just let him go to the game.  But doesn't that teach him to compromise his principals?  Do we really want to send that message to an almost eleven year old?  I don't want him beginning adolescence with the notion that principles are situational.  And yes, sometimes it's hard.  Really, really hard to do what you believe is right. 

Some will say you just obey the commandments - there is a reason they aren't called the Ten Suggestions. Diamond dealt with this many times as a kid, and he missed more than one game in the name of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  (It's part of the reason why I married him - I admired his dedication).  But that feels so black and white - a way of thinking that I'm not particularly fond of.  When we travel our Sabbath observance certainly looks different.  If we accommodate that, why wouldn't we make an exception for this?
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Forty in Ft. Lauderdale!

I am turning forty years old at the end of this month. For Diamond's fortieth birthday I surprised him with a trip to New Orleans and I think he was feeling a bit of pressure to do something really great for my birthday.  I really wasn't intending to guilt him into a vacation, but at the same time, dinner at Olive Garden wasn't going to cut it either.  A couple of weeks ago, he handed me a card that said he had "two tickets to paradise" and we would be leaving in exactly one week.  WAHOO!

Diamond didn't tell me where we were going, only that there was a beach.  So I organized the family schedule for my parents (who watched the kids - seriously, such incredible parents/grandparents!) and got everyone ready.  Diamond had been pretty tight lipped over where we were headed.  I was guessing either Florida or California.  A few hours before we left for the airport, he commented that he hadn't finished getting the speakers organized for church, and would need to "make some calls from Florida."  "Florida huh???" 

After that had slipped out, he told met the rest.  We were going for four days to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Yeah baby!!!

The hotel Diamond booked for us was right on the ocean.  We took this little boardwalk down to the beach and I spent most of the getaway sitting on a beach chair enjoying the warmth of the sun and the breeze on my skin.  *sigh*

We laid around all day, then explored in the evenings.  One night we found this beach front Mexican restaurant.  It was so fabulous to  be munching away on dinner while overlooking the ocean and people watching.  Gorgeous!

Can I even tell you my happiness when I found Sonic Beach??? Who knew such a place existed?!? (I really should get some kind of advertising discount - dontcha think?)

Here's the view from Sonic Beach.  How amazing to be sipping my diet Coke (extra ice with lemon, of course!) while overlooking the beautiful Ft. Lauderdale beach!

I'm pretty sure this is my personal definition of heaven:  Sonic.  Beach.  This? Is a happy girl!

The third day of our getaway I was taking a nap in our room when Diamond came in and told me we were going on an adventure.  He didn't tell me what, only to wear my suit and bring a towel. (always good omens!)  He had booked us on a catamaran tour for the afternoon on the Spirit of Lauderdale.

The catamaran took us along the coastline and then anchored to let us swim, snorkel and slide.

 Enjoying the slide.

Diamond sliding off the catamaran into the ocean.

And how cute is he that he even brought a birthday cake and candles on the boat.  Everyone sang me happy birthday and we divided up the cake with the handful of other people on board.  Diamond looks so cute in this picture!  He KNOWS he's done good!

We had to check out of the hotel a few hours before our flight was ready to leave, so we wandered around the area, checking out Hollywood Beach, had dinner at a diner that had been featured on the Food Network (gross!) and walked Dania pier.

On the boat cruise, someone asked me how forty felt.  I replied that I still wasn't quuuitttte forty, so I couldn't really answer.  But turning forty?  Well, that part ROCKED!