Jabber from Joy: Birthday Happiness

Today was my birthday. I'd actually started celebrating my birthday before even coming back to school with a red velvet cake at home.

photo by Moria

I had made it because I wanted to try a new recipe in my new cookbook. After it was done I decided that it would be my birthday cake so I made mommy decorate it with cherries and chocolate and then they put candles on. They were pretty candles.
Then, just to be ornery, they showed me my wrapped birthday gifts and told me they were turning them over to my cousin to be held hostage until my birthday. (Olga goes to seminary with me and she was my ride back to school) So I got to look at the two brightly wrapped boxes and wonder, but not open them.
So tonight, after a ridiculously long day of classes (8-4:30) I had a couple friends (Olga and Stacey) join me and my roommates for birthday dinner. We had stomppot (potatoes and kale with sausage), a tradition for my birthday. Also, in keeping with tradition, I made it myself (I have made my own birthday dinner for a few years now).
And just to make me feel like I was at home, LDK, who we sometimes tease about being the "mom" of our apartment, put a cherry on top.

Photo by Olga

The "cherry on top" tradition started when I was in high school and mom misunderstood my request for a black forest cherry cake with a cherry on top and stomppot. She thought I wanted the cherry on my stomppot (this was before I started making my own birthday dinner), so in an effort to keep me happy she put a cherry on my stomppot. For some reason we have continued this ever since.

After dinner I opened the presents my cousin had been holding hostage. (photos all by Olga)

I started with the little box first.

It was a motion sensing yard light, bulb not included (that's what the box said at least)

It was actually a baby crockpot filled with melting chocolate. Watch out friends!

The big box was a Kitchen Aid mixer (!) and lots of other treasures -erasers shaped like crayons, pencil crayons, twist up crayons, a notebook, alpaca knee socks (which I did not know had been perfected yet), chocolate molds...but the most precious of all was from my little brother, Reuben (okay, he's not so little anymore, he's 15, and just as tall if not taller than me, but he'll always be my little brother).

Here is a video that Olga shot of me opening the gift from him (per my family's request):

For those of you who have trouble hearing/seeing/understanding it (I can hardly understand the spoken parts and I was right there!) I opened the little box and saw a note on top saying: "Hark" the angel says, "Hurry Home, the Host awaits!" At that point I hardly knew how to respond. I moved the note aside and found a carved wooden angel. After I found my words back (and cried a little) I told my friends the story (after some coaxing from Olga). Many years ago my grandfather had carved a wooden nativity scene for us. (See "Activity" Scenes for pictures of it). It was/is my favorite nativity scene and I'd play with it all of Christmas. Originally there had been only one angel and I told my grandfather that one angel was not a host, so he made me more. He also made me more wisemen, because I was bothered by the tradition of only 3. He never got a chance to make more sheep, so our "flock" only has three. Grandpa died just before Christmas when I was in 8th grade.

I'd been hinting (rather boldly) for a couple years now that one of my brothers should make me one. Well, Reuben decided to make me one this year. From the note (and talking to my sister) I know that rest the nativity scene is at home. *update*: I've talked to my brother now and know that there is a whole host of angels, a whole flock of sheep, and more than 3 wise men waiting for me at home! *end of update* I almost want it to be Christmas now so I can play with it...but Easter is coming first. And I like Easter. A lot.

After presents we ate cheesecake. It was yummy.

In addition to it being my birthday, today was also day 36 with no seizure activity. I'm onto day 37 now.