Happy, happy birthday!

Happy birthday to my angel mother today! My mom is someone everyone should have the chance to know. At the age of 12, her grandmother came to visit and made sure she was baptized. Even at such a young age, Mom knew the gospel was true and did whatever it took her whole life to live it completely. She walked to church and seminary on her own, she decided to go to BYU, she married and is the perfect match for my wonderful dad, she raised 9 children of which 8 have served or have their calls to serve missions and 6 are married in the temple, and she serves the Lord with all she has to give to this day. Her unique laugh and unquenchable faith can lift you up and renew your own spirits even in your very depths of despair. F-A-I-TH! Faith! Faith! is the cheer we heard and still hear every day. How much I've leaned on that incredible faith of hers! What would I have done without it? Thank you, Mom, for the life you are living and the life you have given me!

I also have to thank Kevin, his sweet family, my family, and so many great friends for the amazing surprise party Elle (turns 1 next week!) and I received on my birthday this past Sunday. I'm sorry I haven't had time to get on here to thank you all yet! I'm stealing some of the entry from Michelle's sweet blog with her great pictures to let you all see the scope of this great party. Kev had told me a few days before that he wanted to go to the Rose Shop to take some pictures that day. Since we would already be dressed up for church, Elle could have her 1 year pictures then instead of having to get her dressed up another day and we could take May birthday pictures together. Well, when Sunday actually arrived, we were all pretty worn out. (I didn't know the full extent of why Kev was so tired). I'm in the nursery, Kev was teaching Elders' Quorum and speaking in another stake's general priesthood meeting that afternoon, and Ryn was just not happy. So I put on my pjs and the girls in theirs and went down to try to get them to take a nap. Kev came home from his meeting and said, "OK let's go take pictures!" I couldn't believe he was even suggesting it! Couldn't he see how tired the girls were and that all I wanted for my birthday was a nap!? (Yes, you will see that I am the most ungrateful, mean and selfish person alive :) ) Plus, the big dinner he'd made for my birthday was ready and his whole family was (I thought) waiting to eat! "We'll just be quick," Kev assured me. So, grudgingly, I got dressed and got the girls back in their dresses. Grumbling, I tried to get Elle to pose for some good shots--a next to impossible task since she started walking and never stops moving now. Kev suggested we try some more pictures in the other greenhouse and started walking that way with the girls. I'm thinking, "Why is he rushing through this? If we made the effort to come take pictures, I want to get some good ones!"

As we walked to the other greenhouse, we passed Justin (who was getting there a little late) from our ward, which is weird since the Rose Shop is closed on Sundays. Just as we passed him, I could see the balloons through the windows of the other green house. "What did you do?" I asked Kevin. I walked through the door to hear "Surprise!" from our great friends, the Lehnardts' and Wilsons, and Kevin's family and to see the most beautiful party ever. The tables were covered in pale yellow linens and each had a hydrangea centerpiece holding down balloons. The gazebo in the center of the greenhouse housed the incredible butterfly cupcakes, German chocolate (traditional Linkous bday cake), and 40-layered chocolate crepe cake on a table with roses and ribbons. Kev had stayed up til 4:30 am Sunday morning making all those (see what I mean about me being selfish and mean?) and Carma, Tom and Ryan had spent hours helping every step of the way to pull off the surprise. We all ate the fabulous Mexican dinner Kev and his parents had made that afternoon, reveled in the cakes, enjoyed chatting away for hours while the kids danced, ran and played, and I just kept saying over and over, "I can't believe this!" We came home late and Kevin gave me another part of the surprise--letters from friends from high school, college and my mission filled with wonderful memories and so much love. On the computer I received birthday wishes from good friends in France. Then I listened to 7 different perfect voice mail renditions of 'Happy Birthday' sung by all my family members so far away. I cried the whole day and I'm crying now remembering it all :).

I can't believe how blessed I am to have such wonderful, true friends, such sweet in-laws, such a loving family, 2 angel girls and the most amazing husband in the world. How can he know me so well (he knows exactly how to make my birthday, and every day, perfect) and still love me anyway (when I am so very far from deserving it)? Thank you for the limitless love you give me, even when I'm a bear and you try to surprise me, and for your examples. I learn so much from each and every one of you and I hope you know how you've touched my life and made it wonderful in every way. Here are Michelle's great pictures:

Mary hiding:

Surprise!

Ryn jumping for birthday party joy:

Elle telling Carma how 'Scrumptious' those cupcakes are:

Ryn and Xander dancing away:

Carma swinging all the kids in the beautiful garden she created:

Elle "I look scrumptious":

2 of my angels:

Elle really does love Ryan and Carma more than she loves Kev and I :)

Ryn can't believe what a great party this was:

Birthday squeeze: