March 15, 2017

March 15th!  My special day.  And, boy, it's been a great day!

Last night the kids and I were outside in the backyard after dark.  We were jumping on the tramp and watching the stars appear in the sky.  Suddenly Greg's dad came walking around the house.  It startled me!  I had forgotten that they were stopping by for the night.  It was pretty funny.

We all went in the house and visited for a while before bed.  We have all been enjoying spring break so much.  The weather has been perfect; the kids have been outside a lot; and our mornings have been very relaxed.

Today I decided I was going to do all the things I wanted to do for my birthday.   We said goodbye to Garr and Lill, and then I told the kids we were going on a hike.  My first wish for the day!  I invited Mom and Dad to go with us.  We hiked the temple quarry trail around the black hill high above St. George.  We had a great time.  The views were great.  I loved seeing the kids using the walking sticks, climbing the boulders, and exploring the terrain.  It was perfect.

Hiking with the crew

Then we went to lunch at Kneader's.  And, in true Rindi fashion, we ate out on the patio.  I'm always driving Greg crazy looking for restaurants with patios! :)  It was as pleasant as I thought it would be.  Mom and Dad bought me a mini raspberry cake and gave me a card.  It was a great time.

At home, I put Lance to nap and did a little cleaning and laundry.  (I had to convince the kids that I wanted to do that too!)  Then I headed out for a pedicure.  It was lovely and relaxing.  Now my feet are happy and ready for Hawaii.  The Asian proprietors of the nail shop have a little girl who stays in the back room of the salon.  I've seen her before.  She's a cute little thing.  Today she came out and talked to me a little, showing me her play dough and saying hi.  Soon, she was placed back into the back room.  She has some toys and snacks in there, but when she yelled out for her parents, they mostly ignored her, until her dad sharply scolded her in whatever language they speak.  I'm sure I'll read her memoir some day: The Little Girl in the Nail Salon.

Happy toes!

With my fresh feet, I headed to Costco to pick up the supplies for the dinner I wanted.  When I got home, the kids had decorated the kitchen and family room with streamers and balloons.  They were hiding (after setting a lookout for an hour waiting for me to get home!) and they all jumped out to surprise me.  The girls helped me make Panzanella (aka bread salad!) and Salmon.  Yum-O.  I ate too much.  Just like I planned.  :)  I opened a few presents, but I LOVED Greg's card full of coupons most of all.  It was super cute.  That, and the homemade hat the kids made me.  I'm a lucky lady.

A whole bowl of Panzanella all for me!

My birthday hat from the kids!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I had one more wish for the day, and Greg happily cooperated.  We took a lovely ride on my bicycle built for two.  We pulled Lance behind us in the trailer.  We left the other kids happily playing in out in the yard.  The sun was going down and the weather was absolutely perfect.  It was such an enjoyable ride along the streets and onto the trails around the park.  Kids were splashing at the water park, pickle ball players were dotting the courts, the sun was behind the western bluffs, and I was on a tandem bicycle with my best friend.  It was lovely.

As it got dark, I called the kids into the house. They were breathless from playing so hard.   I lined them up and cut everyone's hair before shuttling them each into the shower.  I even cut Greg's hair and also gave Julia a trim.  Then Emma and I waxed our eyebrows.  I got pajamas on all the kids, and we tucked them into bed.  Their freshly-cleaned faces were sun-kissed from an awesome day.

Now here I sit next to Greg in bed.  We are watching the BYU basketball game as I type.  I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.  I'm thankful for everyone who helped to make it one for the books.  It's been such a beautiful day.  I'm so thankful for 38 years of life!

Lance and Mommy! A great birthday!