The Never Ending Birthday

Haley's official birthday was Thursday but she is getting to celebrate it for much longer. In fact, my husband always jokes that I have a birthday month but I think Haley might have me beat.

Thursday evening, we had one of Haley's favorite dinners - hamburger steaks, homemade mashed potatoes, corn and buttermilk biscuits. Can you tell she is a GRITS (Girl raised in the South)? Afterwards, we had an ice cream cake from Carvel (with those yummy crunchy bits in the middle). She also got to open her presents from mom and dad and her brothers. Holden gave her this really cute schnauzer Webkins. Then I made her open the remaining presents in a particular order because at the end was her big surprise. The first present, a quilted backpack purse, was from Harrison. The next present she opened was a matching duffel bag from mom and dad. Next she got a nice luggage tag with her initials (see where this is going?). Her last present was a handmade travel journal (by me of course). She opened the journal and on the front is an airplane. The first page was pack your bags, the second page was off we go, the third page was high and flying (with another airplane), then a taxi cab on the next page and then a page for our hotel. As she is flipping through the journal she keeps looking up kind of puzzled. The next page was Bright Lights, Big City and had NY at the bottom of the page. At this point, since she still didn't "get it" I had to prompt her by saying, "Have you ever been on an airplane (no), ridden in a taxi (no), gone to NY (no). Well then, what do you think your present is?" At this point she screamed "Get Out!" She had finally realized that she was going to NY. So Haley and I are heading out for a 4 day trip to NYC during Spring Break. It should be loads of fun.

Friday night, she had two of her best friends over and we went out to dinner and a movie (College Road trip, which was better than I thought it would be). We came home and I left them up playing the Wii at midnight. I think they finally fell asleep at 3:45 a.m.

Sunday my parents, brother and grandmother all came up to have lunch with us. Haley had her second favorite meal (chicken and rice, peas, biscuits and strawberries). Haley got some money from all of them to take with her to NY.

So Haley's officially birthday is gone but until we get back from NY at the end of the month, it isn't officially over. It's kind of like that Energizer bunny, it keeps going and going and going.........