Favorite Holiday: Labor Day

When I was younger and more smart alec-y, I remember that when people would ask what my favorite holiday was, I would tell them Labor Day. I loved the looks on their faces! It was all for shock value, but then I would explain that my birthday often falls on or around Labor Day, and that therefore, there is a national holiday celebrating the labor my mother endured to bring me into this world! Once again, it was time for Labor Day, and therefore time for my 26th birthday (gasp-I'm on my way officially to 30 now)!

Well, ironically enough, I have no pictures to prove that on my birthday, I partied like it was 1999. After all the company hung out at our house for breakfast, etc., the boys all got ready to leave for the first BYU football game of the season down in Tucson. On the other hand, my mom, my friend Melanie, and I went to see Wicked the musical at the ASU Gammage theater. Our seats were interesting, second to the last row at the top of the nosebleeds. However, I still got chills about every ten seconds and was really excited about it, just like when I saw it for the first time last year in LA. Special thanks to the Arizona H's for tending our sweet little boy for the event! If you have the chance, you definitely should see this family friendly musical. In the meantime, enjoy the fabulous soundtrack!

After we picked up Carter, we headed over to Cheesecake Factory and narrowly avoided the beginnings of a nasty monsoon storm. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and the fact that we had no schedule to follow for the evening. My favorite part of the night was experiencing my mother enjoying it completely. I'm not sure I have ever witnessed anything quite like that before. I'm so glad she was there! We certainly didn't escape the storm completely, though. When I went to get the car, it was pouring rain and there was major lightning and thunder. My shoes were soaked through before I got to the car, and then when we went back to the hotel to hang out with Mom, the walkways were underwater, but I found that out by experience! I'm not sure they will be wearable ever again! They are really crusty now and smell gross. Ew!

Well, anyway, it was a good birthday. I forgot to mention that Shane started it off with a bang by making me waffles for breakfast. The best part of my day, though, was definitely my gift from Carter... HIS FIRST INTENTIONAL SMILE, RIGHT AT ME! Wow, that moment was the best I can remember for a birthday surprise. I'd highly recommend motherhood. The rewards are priceless. Now, if we could just capture the smile on the camera...