Birthday Celebration

This year I was excited to get to spread all the birthday love out over a couple of weeks.  I also apparently make my love of food well known because I got to go out to dinner/lunch five different times to celebrate with various people! 

This was the only dinner that we took a picture at- I loved meeting these girls for pedicures and dinner at the Boiler Room.  The following weekend I got to meet my friend Marianne for lunch, my mom came on my birthday to take me to lunch, the next week I celebrated at dinner with several friends here and then finally my mother in law took me to brunch. No wonder I have gained weight this month!  I felt very loved and all of the adult conversation (something I don't get enough of) was the best gift of all!

This year for the first time James and Harrison made the entire cake themselves. 

They were a little intense when it came to cracking the eggs but they did it!

No birthday would be complete without a trip to the doctor- don't let this smile fool you, this kid was miserable. He woke up saying his ear hurt and thankfully our doctor's office worked us in and also my mom was in town so she could keep the other kids.  We left with double ear infections, some eye crud, and bad wheezing along with four prescriptions.  The best comment was from our doctor who listened to him breathing and said, "have you done his neublizer? Well you really should have." I didn't have the heart to confess that his breathing was actually much better this day and had been a lot worse that weekend. #momfail  #shouldhavegonetourgentcareonsaturday   In my defense Ryan had been in San Francisco for four days and I had been alone with all the kids and let's just be honest: you have to really be sick for me to take all four kids to the doctor's office!

While I was at the doctor with Andrew my mom had also brought a cake and let the kids decorate it. 

Based on these expressions they were taking the job very seriously 

My dad showed up, there was a huge thunderstorm, Andrew was hysterical, James gave us all a nervous breakdown when he had a bad fall and I realized after waiting almost an hour at the pharmacy they had forgotten a prescription! Total chaos lol. 

In the middle of all of that James reminded me that I had promised we could make homemade oreo ice cream...

Ryan gave me this ice cream maker almost 18 years ago!

So glad my dad was able to come! I realized after looking at these pictures that I didn't get a single one of my mom but she was amazing to me  on this day 

The final products!

Flowers that Harrison picked out at the grocery store for me 

My mom also made my favorite dinner- chicken pastry! We missed Ryan who was still out of town. 

Blowing out the candles was the best because of having four helpers!  It was a crazy day but I am so thankful I was able to celebrate with my parents and these kiddos!