Hello, Thirty!

The end of February brought my much anticipated 30th birthday. When Bruce turned 30, he wanted to keep things low key so we celebrated with a quiet family weekend. I wanted a little more fanfare and it ended up being an absolutely perfect weekend to kick off my new decade of life. I wouldn't change a thing!

I told Bruce many moons ago that for my 30th birthday gift, I wanted my best friend KJ here to celebrate my 30th birthday with me, and I wanted to go to her to celebrate her 30th birthday. No other gifts necessary. That's all I wanted and he delivered! KJ arrived the Thursday evening before my birthday and Bruce stayed at home with the kiddos while I went to pick her up from the airport. We took our time getting home, stopping for dinner and then swinging by Cheesecake Factory to pick up some dessert. We totally enjoyed the child free chance to catch up.

We spent Friday at the Phoenix Temple doing a session together. Such a great way to spend my last day as a 29 year old... at the temple with my very best {non-husband} friend. We've been to several temples together, but this was the first time we've been able to do a full session and it was so nice. Except we'd stayed up so late the night before that we were both pretty exhausted! Friday night we took KJ to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. Classy, huh? But she had never eaten at a Chick-Fil-A before! The verdict- KJ is a fan. And my girls loved it because she spoiled them with ice cream cones and a box of Girl Scout cookies for dessert.

Saturday was my actual birthday and it was such a perfect day. I woke up to a decorated dining room, which is a big deal since Bruce Wayne despises birthday decor. We started the day with a hike and the weather was overcast and drizzly. My favourite kind of weather! The hike was beautiful and we could see the Phoenix Temple through most of the hike. After we hiked, Man Cub insisted that we go see the temple, so we stopped by the grounds and walked around for a few minutes before heading to our favourite donut shop for breakfast. For the second time that weekend! (We ate out a TON while KJ was here. I think she worked it out to be 7 of our 9 meals together were eaten out. Needless to say, we both gained a good amount of weight. The difference is, KJ has lost it, and I just keep adding!)

We lounged around during the early afternoon and then it was time for Bruce's big basketball game. He coaches the young men in our ward as they prepare for their "March Madness" stake tournament each year, and while the March Madness games are fun, the much anticipated game of the year is the young men verses their dads. This year, the only day they could get the building was my birthday, but that was just fine. It was so much fun to watch. The boys played hard and the dads played really hard. They managed to win but I'm thinking next year, the boys have a darn good chance of taking the title.

After the game, KJ and I headed home to get ready for my big birthday dinner and Bruce and his dad took the kiddos and headed out to get dinner themselves. To celebrate turning 30, KJ and I, along with 4 of my favourite people went to Melting Pot for dinner. The meal was incredible and the company was amazing. I had such a great night. It was everything I wanted for my 30th birthday.

Sunday was our lazy day. We went for a walk with the kiddos, lounged around on the couch talking and laughing, and went to church. After church, KJ and I documented my 23rd week of pregnancy with a few photos while Bruce cooked me a birthday dinner- his amazing Stuffed Chicken. For dessert, we skipped birthday cake and had Brownie Blaster sundaes instead... warm gooey brownie, cookies and cream ice cream, caramel sauce, and whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon toast cereal. It's a favourite at our house and KJ was not disappointed!

Bruce's dad joined us for my birthday dinner and gave me the sweetest gift. It's a statue of Christ blessing the little children that my mother in law made and signed. Definitely a gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I love having that little piece of her on display in my home.

Monday it was time to send KJ back home. On the way to the airport we stopped to eat out one last time, at our favourite New York style deli. After we dropped KJ off, Beebs cried because she was so sad to see KJ go. Luckily, KJ is coming back out for when the baby is born, so at this point, we are only 38 days away from her arrival. She'll be back before we know it!

It was so much fun to spend my 30th birthday weekend with my best friend and my family. It was the perfect way to welcome in what has already been a pretty darn good decade!