Happy 33rd Birthday, Nate!!

Kelly was our camera girl... these were during our "Happy Birthday" song:

Something happened on Nate's birthday this year that I usually don't let happen and that is, I relaxed.  And now I'm regretting it a little.  Why is that?  I was mad at myself for waiting for the last minute to get his gift.  We had been planning it for weeks, Bradley and I, but for some reason, I just let it slip through the cracks, and then when we went shopping for it (the day before, how embarrassing), we couldn't find what we wanted!!  BUMMER!!!  We settled on a snow cone maker even though we had been wanting a Slushie maker!  We did find a cool little fishing pole lighter, which happens to be a really good little find :).  But I was slightly disappointed with the rest of Nate's gift.  I'm still searching online to find the perfect slushie maker, but in the meantime, I just have to feel like he got jipped. Okay, enough negative.  We did manage to have a little bit of fun on his big day!  We let him sleep in.  Much to Bradley's dismay.  This kid was HILARIOUS.  He was SO gungho, and SO excited for Nate's birthday this year.  It was adorable how into it all he really was.  He came in my room bright and early asking if he could wrap Dad's presents, then kept coming down needing further instructions and such.  He was SO cute!  I made him wait a little longer to let Nate sleep in and it drove him crazy.  He was really annoyed.  When Nate "finally" got out of bed, Bradley was right there, ready to shower him with gifts :).  He had wrapped the snowcone maker separate from the flavors and then in another package the chocolates and lighter.  Nate was SO surprised! 

(this is the first year in a while I have sacrificed getting him something I wanted to get him for something the kids wanted to get him.  I have it all set that Father's Day is the day for the kids to EACH pick out a gift, and his birthday is the day that we get him one big gift from all of us.  And usually that gift is my idea.  I gave in this year, and now I know why I had it the other way.  I am left wanting.  I am going to have to just buy Nate all the random stuff I had thought of (not nearly as exciting as the stuff the kids pick out, I'm sure) in the weeks following.  Ya live and learn!)

Here's the goods.

Our kids LOVE birthdays!!  They're soooooo good at celebratin'!  Kambree too ;)

After presents, Nate made us all snow cones :)  Isn't that how you would want to spend your birthday? :)  It was fun for everyone actually.  I think Nate had fun even. 

I just took this of Erika because I think she looks hilarious when she sits in her car seat like this.  She knows how to make herself comfortable :)

Hey, Heidi, is this lady-like? or no?

Singing with the radio while Nate ran into a store.

Then we loaded up the car and went up to Murray Park for some picnicking fun with our friends the Clemens' and the Stricklands.  What fun!!  I seriously LOVE hanging out with my old Taylorsville friends!!  I wish I could explain how pleasant it is.  How relaxing, how therapeutic it is.  I just LOVE them all!!  It blows my mind that we went 3 years in that house and hardly said two words to the Stricklands, but now I feel like we're such good friends :).  And the Clemens', it's just so fun to get together.  I miss having friends with kids my kids' ages, and having them get along so well.  Our kids really do.  It's nice.  I just wish we could get them to move back!!  Anyway, it was a fun picnic, we even walked around the park a little, Julie rolled down the hill with everybody, thank goodness we had a fun Mom in our midst!  And we saw where we used to go to feed the ducks.  Good times.  I loved that park.

 After the park, we came home for a few minutes, just long enough to take a little breather, and then headed out for Red Lobster!!  This was the part of the day that I considered just for Nate!  He has been wanting to go to Red Lobster for quite some time now, and with the added company of many of our family members and friends, we were able to have such a FUN, memorable time!  I loved it!  The food was great, I got to sit by my sweetheart, and birthday boy, everyone else helped with my kids (mostly my Dad and my Mom, which was funny, but worked out I guess), and chatted it up with all the rest of the group.  It really was a lot of fun.  I hope Nate enjoyed it.  I know he loves to have his family there, so that meant a lot that so many came, I think we had 20 show up!  I wish I'd taken a picture, but I was afraid everyone would boycott.  We had Nate's parents, my parents, Lynn, Ali, Austin, Jen, Nancy, Meg, Chris, Stephanie and Chris were there for part of it, and then our six adorable kids (who did VERY well, for the whole restaurant setting), and us.  I thought it was great!  I wish they'd been able to figure out our checks a little quicker, but now we're just getting nitpicky :).  They were nice enough to provide a candle for Nate's cheesecake and I was so happy I remembered to bring a cake :)

We couldn't get enough of the lobsters in the lobby :).  Erika and Noah were fascinated.

The kids couldn't believe we didn't have any ice cream with the cheesecake, so we stopped off at Cold Stone on the way home.  Nate was feeling like spoiling the kids all day, this was more proof of that ;).  We had so much fun sitting outside talking and eating our ice cream.  It was a really nice time.  Our kids are so fun to hang out with!

Nate and I had planned on going to see Batman that night, but we were just so exhausted, it didn't happen. Overall I think it was a good day!  I hope Nate enjoyed it!