Ice Cream and Cakey Cake!

Do you ever just have one of those moments where it feels like your seeing everything in a totally different light? I know I have multiple times, but especially this weekend. It was my 23rd birthday today, and my first one since being married. My life is so different now then it ever has been-growing up, I never realized how lucky we were to have so many people who loved us and who liked to party big time. We always had our 'friend' birthday parties and our 'family' ones and they were always crazy, loud and fun and you always walked away feeling so special. When I first came to college, everything was different. I had just made new friends, and had no family there. But since then my college birthdays have been just as crazy and fun-I've enjoyed every bit of it. I guess I just wasn't sure what to expect after all those years, now that it is just the two of us. To be honest, I was kind of not expecting much at all. But my sweet husband completely amazed me yet again. On Saturday, we doubled for a sort of 'birthday dinner date' thing with our very good friends the Anderson's. After seeing The Adjustment Buero we went to dinner at the delicious Texas Roadhouse. The movie was good, and it was so fun to just enjoy eat the delicious food and enjoy each other. We had a blast, and it was chill!

[us at the movies!]

[Me and Catherine!]

[our friend's the Anderson's!]

[Texas Roadhouse dinner and dessert! Delicious!]

Then on Monday, Lester had told me that I was supposed to pick our whatever cake I wanted, any kind and he would make it. I laughed, and thought 'ya right!' and picked out the hardest [and most delicious] cake I could find and thought it would be an epic failure. WRONG. He NAILED it-I even took pictures of it to prove it. He made two of them, because we had invited a bunch of our old and new friends over for cake and ice cream-and just in case your wondering it was a layer of devil's food cake, layer of chocolate mousse, layer of devils food cake, chocolate ganache, and then toffee on the top. And he just. He just made it! By himself! I just think he is amazing. Anywho, that night a TON of my freaking awesome friends came to share my day with me and we laughed, talked and just hung out till about 10. It was funny b/c towards the end, we were laughing about how the ones that stayed the longest were all three filipino guys and there white [at least in part..] wives.....in Rexburg! But anyways, it was so fun! My sweet family who I miss so much sent me an awesome package to, w/ my beloved Emma DVD to call my own..that, coupled with the fact that Lester said he will even watch it with me is 2 presents in one! Lester got me an awesome purse to now that my other one has finally bit the dust after 5 or so years. My sweet friend Stephanie Campbell made me the cutest headbands, and I got some cute cards and delicious chocolates from my awesome friend Erica, and my close friend Ms. Catherine got me a cocoa bean card!

[ya. lester made this cake. BY HIMSELF. amazing!]

[us ladies!]

[our handsome husbands! we told them to do GQ, but only a few of them got the message lol]

I guess my whole point is to just say that sometimes I feel bad for myself, or think how homesick I am-and even though I do still miss it, the wonderful people we have met here have made this a home for us. I thank God that he has sent me such wonderful friends to make this time a good one that we will always look back on fondly. I just feel like this day, this night-Rexburg is not a just something to endure-it is something to be enjoyed, loved and experienced. Life is good. My husband is good. My family is good. My friends are good. The gospel is good. Food is good. My birthday was good. Life is just so, so, so incredibly GOOD.