updated post with pictures- my b-day and st. patrick's day

Here is one of the pictures we took of us at night:Here's another picture we took of us at night, laughing so hard we were about to pee our pants:

Still at night, Allison said this looks like a Reader's Digest pose:
My birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant:
My beautiful birthday tea party:
The flowers hand picked by nana and allison's boys:
My great grandmother's tea cups:
the beautiful table in the AZ sunshine:











Me, Allison and Kerry at Sagauro National "Forest" by Allison's house:


I am on vacation at my sister's house in Tucson, AZ. I think everyone should have a break like this! I'm loving it! I am so relaxed! It's nice to get away from it all for a while. Todd drove the boys down but now Todd is back in Utah:(. I wish he could be here, too, but it's fun to have the boys back.

St. Patricks Day:
Last night leprechauns came to my sister's (Allison) house!(She has 3 boys ages 6, 4 and 2.) They opened the kitchen cupboards, turned over the kitchen chairs, turned the milk green, left glittery leprechaun dust everywhere, painted green on paper and the paper towels, left green footprints on all the kids' hands and faces and left a note next to the kids' leprechaun traps (that were knocked over) that said in tiny handwriting: "nice try! Better luck next year!" They also left fake gold all over the batckyard to trick us into thinking it was real gold. Oh yea, and a tiny gold pot with a clover on it, and left cookies but 2 were eaten:). The kids thought it was so cool. We had cereal with green milk for breakfast, and for lunch we had baby kiwis, clover shaped PB&J's, mini cans of sprite, green fruit roll ups and mini mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches. For dinner we had salad and spaghetti with green alfredo sauce. We all wore green except for Auntie allison, so the kids pinched her all day.

My birthday:
I wanted to wait to post about my birthday until I got the pictures from my other sister, Kerry, but I'll add them later. It was the best birthday ever! Todd had to work from home and watch the boys for me so I could go to AZ, and Kerry, my mom and Allison had to take time out of their busy lives to be with me for a few days while I turn from young to old-- overnight mind you. I hear 30th birthdays can do that to you. It was a surprise that my mom and other sister Kerry were there, too. On my birthday I took a long morning nap with the Baby (she came with me)-what a blessed thing naps are! When I woke up, they had prepared a beautiful tea party for me! My sisters and mom are really great cooks and cooked up some REALLY delicious food! I'll post it at the end for me to remember. Since it is gorgeous weather here in southern Arizona, they had the table set up outside with a pretty tablecloth and napkins, and flowers hand picked from the wild by Nana and allison's boys. While we ate, we smelled allison's orange blossoms which is heavenly. Back home in Utah Todd said it was snowing-- about 5 inches. Then Allison got a sitter for her kids and my sisters and mom and I went shopping the rest of the night. We went to an antique store, a nursery with tons of all sorts of plants and flowers, then we spent 3 hours at Joann's fabric and craft store. Then we went to eat at a Mexican restaurant. Driving home to Allison's house, you go through the lone and barren desert. We decided to stop and take pictures of the stars and bright moon. Then we decided to take pictures of ourselves, which made us laugh so hard we all about peed our pants! It was the best, most special birthday ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday Tea Party Menu:
*tea: raspberry kiwi tea with sugar cubes, both Allison brought back from Germany
*drink: equal parts fresca, strawberry lemonade and margarita mix with cut limes and oranges floating in it
*toasted sliced baguette bread with fresh mozerella, sliced heirloom tomoatoes big and cherry- all mixed in olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh basil from alllison's garden
*not toasted sliced baguette with chive and onion cream cheese, topped with sliced cucumbers and sliced cherry tomatoes
*fruit kabobs- grapes, bananas, straberries and apples marinated in pina colada mix
*banana bread sliced, topped with cream cheese and sliced strawberries
*petite quiches- 8 eggs, 1/3 cup heavy cream, colby jack cheese, fresh basil, diced bacon and tomatoes, pie crust, topped with cheese, 350 degrees
*lemon blueberry scone mix from Trader Joes
*chocolate toffee covered in pistachios also from Trader Joes