Jeff's 45th Birthday

Today was Jeff's 45th birthday! And (much to his dismay) we started the celebrations early! For Jeff, his birthday is simply another day, but for me, it's a chance to celebrate the man that I love, the man that has sacrificed so much for his family, and the man I consider my best friend. It is one day out of the year completely dedicated to just him...and since I don't like to just celebrate him one day, we kept the celebrations running all weekend. On Saturday (October 13th), Jeff and I went on a hot air balloon ride. Now I don't really know if we can count this as a part of his birthday celebrations because he technically bought the ride for me for Mother's Day (as a part of my quest to have 40 new experiences by the time I'm 40), but I scheduled it near his birthday...so I say it works. It was so awesome!! We actually arrived early enough to help set up the balloon. It was interesting to watch how it's done...and a little scary to see that it really is just a basket, some ropes, and a big, tent-like "balloon". Still, I hopped in the very small basket and off we went!

Our pilot took us straight up to try to catch a wind current. As we reached an altitude of over 2,000 feet, we were able to see the sun rise crest the mountains before us. It was breathtaking! It was so serene to view the world from so high up. I watched as cars rushed to and fro and people busied themselves with their Saturday routines. I wondered how often our Father in Heaven looks down on us and shakes his head as we rush about without stopping to notice the blessings He has given us.

We were able to catch some current, but our pilot decided to drop us a little to see if we could find another, faster current. He did! Only the current we found hovered us right at the tree tops! I was a little nervous as we literally ran into the tops of trees, but it was honestly our favorite part of our ride. We were just high enough to skim over rooftops but low enough to holler down to the people below. I loved it! We were able to fly for an hour before landing in the middle of a residential street (you just have to go where the currents take you!). It was fun to see all the neighbors come out to take pictures. The pilot's wife took us back to our car while the pilot continued on his journey with another couple. It was such a cool experience!

On Sunday (October 14th), we celebrated his birthday with a family dinner and birthday dessert. The boys got Jeff some thoughtful, fun gifts before Gma Penny, Grumpy, Greg, and Katie came over for dinner. We enjoyed Jeff's favorite Zuppa Toscana soup before putting 9 candles (4+5=9) in some pies. Of course, there had to be some interference during the candle extinguishing part of the celebrations, but Jeff (and Jonas) eventually blew out all the candles.

The following two days leading up to Jeff's birthday were fairly normal. Monday (October 15) evening, Jeff wanted to show his parents, Greg, Katie, and Gma Thompson the huge cabin he worked on in Heber so we drove up there to tour it. Afterward, we stopped in Heber to have another impromptu birthday dinner at Chicks Cafe (a local greasy spoon that was well worth the stop). On Tuesday (16th - Jeff's actual birthday) everyone just went about their normal routine: school, work, chores, mutual, etc. Still, we all made sure Jeff knew how much we love and appreciated him. I don't know if he'll ever know the joy he has brought into my life...but I will make it my life's mission to show him (even if he hates celebrating birthdays!).