Birthday Celebrating

I've had a wonderful weekend celebrating my birthday.  Months ago, I planned with Lisa and Paula to have an overnighter together.  Looking at when we were all free, this weekend seemed the best time.  Fortuitously, it was also my birthday weekend, meaning I got play with my dear friends and celebrate at the same time.  On Friday, I picked Lisa and Paula up and we drove to Salt Lake for dinner.  We ate at Market Street Grill which is normally a bit pricey, but they have an early bird special, and so we got dinner for $20.  Such a deal!  We stayed at the Kimball, a hotel just across the street from the Conference Center.  We sat around the rest of the evening talking and talking.  We did watch a very funny LDS comic on Netflix, but then we talked and talked into the wee hours of the morning.

We woke late and resumed talking.  In fact, we talked so long, we were nearly late checking out of the hotel, and we missed all the breakfast menus at the places we tried to eat.  We walked over to City Creek and had food at Kneader's before driving home, still talking all the way.  When Kent inquired what we did, I reported, "We ate and talked. A bit of sleep, then more talking and eating."  I love these good ladies and am always so glad to be with them.

Last night, Saturday, Kent and I went to dinner with Nick and Stacie Mason.  I enjoy the Masons so much.  They are bright and interesting, politically almost the polar opposite of Kent, so we always have lively, stimulating conversation when we are together.  I didn't love dinner, but we had chosen a new restaurant on Center Street that was closed for a private event, so we had to make a second, then a third choice.  I didn't choose well, but I didn't let my unexciting dinner detract from the overall wonderful evening with our friends.

Because today is Sunday, I wasn't going to be doing any wild celebrating.  I made muffins for breakfast, we had church at noon, and this afternoon, I attended Kathryn Allen's funeral/memorial service.  Her body wasn't there, so does that make it a memorial?  Anyway, it was a very nice service.  I haven't ever thought that going to a funeral was a very fun birthday activity, but this is the second year in a row I've been to a funeral on my actual birthday.  I must be getting old.

To celebrate my special day, Mikayla made pie.  Three kinds!  She made key lime (perhaps my favorite), strawberry pretzel, and German chocolate pecan.  All of them were delicious, and having her and her people over, along with my mom, to eat pie and be together was delightful.  I'm so grateful for Mikayla's service.

Here I am at 49 years old, galloping towards 50.  That sounds old!  But not yet.  I'm still not yet half a century old, so I shouldn't complain.  Life is good.  My blessing abound.  Indeed, my cup overfloweth.  Here's to another nearly five decades!