I guess it was just too much for me to write last week. But my birthday was so fabulous that I couldn’t omit talking about it even though we’re almost two weeks out.

The best thing about having your birthday on Pioneer Day in Utah is everything! It is a holiday that very few people have really solid traditions for, and so there’s really nothing better to do than to celebrate a birthday! Imagine if your birthday magically fell on Labor Day every year, that is what having a Pioneer Day birthday is like, and has always been like for me. Plus, Josh is always so good to me! Take a look!

I only asked for one gift for my birthday this year, a rather substantial one, and it became available before my birthday, so I wasn’t expecting anything when I woke up that morning. But Josh couldn’t bear the thought of me not having a gift on the very day, so I came upstairs to this ultra charming tablescape! It made me happy all day long!

I wanted to make a fancy cake for myself this year and decided I wanted death by chocolate! So I used facebook to find a killer chocolate cake recipe, gave it a chocolate pudding filling, and a dark chocolate ganache! I wanted it to be a naked cake; but everything was so chocolatey that you almost can’t tell the difference between the layers of cake and pudding. 

For the day’s activities, we first attended our ward’s Pioneer Day breakfast, then the Muhlestein family Pioneer Day lunch, and in the evening I got my birthday date with Josh!! We went on a gorgeous hike! I was pretty tired before we left–long night with Helen, plus going all day–and wasn’t sure how much I wanted to do, but we ultimately hiked about 3 miles and I came back feeling energized and rejuvenated! I love the mountains!!

Anyway, it was a glorious birthday! And I’m very much looking forward to my 29th year! And if you’re wondering what my substantial birthday gift was, here is a picture.

That weekend, we went on a super fun retreat with Josh’s family to a cabin in Price Canyon. We relaxed, played on ATVs, ate yummy things, did some hot-tubbing, and just had a lovely time!

This past week has been a little less eventful. Probably the most notable thing in my mind is the fact that we have been sleep training Helen and, thereby, revolutionizing mine and Josh’s lives! It isn’t fun to listen to a baby cry; but after the Friday night at the cabin I was beyond desperate. So we “Ferberized” Helen the next night! She did cry a significant amount the first night; but she also gave me the longest stretch of continuous sleep I had had in a month or more. So even after night one we were sold! On Thursday night, she slept from 7:30 PM to 6:00 AM!!!!!

Some other fun things we have done include an “adventure” of a water party in the backyard, making cinnamon rolls, the kids workshop at Home Depot, swimming, and other ordinary, but delightful, family time.