The Big Four-Oh

I'm a little weirded out by the whole thing. Because though I don't necessarily feel 40 or think I look 40 (what does 40 feel or look like anyhow?) it's a really weird mental thing. 40 always seemed so very grown-up and well…old. I thought I was ready for it, but for the past few weeks I kept trying to come up with some big event to celebrate my birthday. Something to show that I was very obviously "forty and fabulous" or "forty and fierce." I researched sky diving, hot air ballooning, horse-back riding. I looked into renting a convertible for the day. Ultimately I decided that my birthday was just one day leading into the next phase of life and maybe it was more about heading into it with confidence and grace. So the actual celebration was more low key but still incredibly fun.

This summer has been a tremendously busy and stressful one for Bryan. Twelve + hour days were the norm as he and his business partner Dax created, wrote and taught two entirely new computer courses. The end dates for these courses kept getting pushed back to the point that Bryan finally finished teaching the second class the day before my birthday. So my 40th was actually also a celebration of the relief of things being finished at last. We decided that maybe the best way to truly mark these two big events was to go to the temple. Neither one of us had been in awhile and there had been some changes there that we had heard about but not yet seen. And though I can't find words to describe the things I learned, the feelings I felt....and nor should I because they are sacred things....let me just say that I came away with the distinct impression that I could not have started off my entrance into this new phase of my life any better. The experience at the temple stayed with me in my thoughts for days afterward, bringing me to tears every time I tried to even speak of it. I'm so glad we decided to make the temple the main event in our celebration.

Later that evening Rebekah offered to miss the big football game over at the high school so she could babysit Lilian for us. (How could she not after I reminded her that not only was it my birthday, but a very big one at that....) Bryan and I went to a restaurant called the Five Alls. An old english medieval theme, it was a 5-course meal. Bryan laughed at me...I was so enjoying the whole historic atmosphere of the place I couldn't stop smiling.

Afterwards, though we were uncomfortably full and very likely Bryan wanted to head for home, I convinced him that we should stop at The Leonardo museum, a place I've never visited but have always wanted to. And because it was my birthday, but even more so because he loves me...he held back the sigh and pulled into a parking space just outside the building. And it was cool! Enough so that I think even with his initial reservations, Bryan enjoyed himself. Or maybe he enjoyed watching me enjoy myself...which he always says is enough.

We came home to find lots of messages from friends, a clean kitchen and a birthday banner hanging on the wall. Full as we were we didn't get around to making my birthday "cake"...or fruit tart, really. We baked it up a few days later. And yes, it was as yummy as it looks. I'm also still waiting for my official birthday present. A 40th birthday diamond sparkly in the form of another band to go with my wedding ring. The jeweler is custom making a matching band to my original...twin bands to flank my princess cut solitaire. It should be here this week....a constant reminder that surprisingly enough, it turns out that the big four-oh is a pretty awesome age to be. (Not to mention, I have a whole year to show 40 what's what!)