What do you get

...when you mix a belgian, a quarterhorse, cacti, a beebee gun, a devasting loss, a romantic (dashing) husband, 3 Amigos, 6 shooter ice cream, and newfound unemployment?

The best birthday weekend of your life, that's what.

And oh man did it feel good.

I've never been one to make a big deal of birthdays, mostly because as we grew up they got less and less exciting. No more sleepovers, hummer limousines, horse birthday cakes, or scavenger hunts. I also had roommates in college that had birthday "months", in which we were expected to acknowledge and celebrate their birthday every day for 30-31 days of the year. You get it.

Well, to be COMPLETELY honest, I have to say I've never been a big fan of ANY holiday. Don't judge me. My only defense is this: WHY do we have to have one day in a YEAR to bring our mom breakfast in bed? One day in a year to take your spouse out to relive the honeymoon experience? To "be nice to your brother, its his birthday"? To celebrate the birth of the Savior or be nice and wave to people on the streets and let them cut you off in traffice because its "the holidays"? (now stepping off the soapbox, thank you for continuing to read)

A year or two prior to my 21st, my birthday fell on the same day as my grandfather's funeral, and so I got embarrassed when people would remember it was my birthday, thinking that there were more important things to acknowledge and remember.

My roommates knew that I had pretty much given up on birthday celebrations, and so they made sure that we had somewhat of a party (the angels that they were). Each of them gave me something, and on that same day I got a package from my parents with a little note from Kaden. I cried at the overwhelming kindness everyone showed me all in one day. I started to like birthdays, and began to realize that not everyone else felt about them the way I had.

So when Cole said he had a surprise, I was ecstatic. He had planned out the best weekend ever. Time with him, time with our family, and time with horses. What else could a (horse) girl ask for? It was a dream of a birthday.
I daresay it was one of the best. I wish I had better pictures, but unfortunately for both of us to be in a shot, our only options for a photographer were the tv, night stand, or trash can. Enjoy.

he feels the same way I do on horses

safety first!
the sunrise from our room

Mr. Marriott paid for dinner
Our favorite place....sitting next to a fire pit listening to live music for hours

How you feel after you make bad choices, ie eating breakfast at a place with less cars
in the parking lot than Waffle House

on the way to sacrament meeting that can didn't stand a chance