Happy Birthday Nate

Nate's birthday fell on black friday this year.  We unknowingly started a tradition last year of not shopping the early bird sales.  Last year we took Emma, Jared and 2 of our nieces to the temple for baptisms.  This year Nate wanted to do a session at the temple - you don't have to ask this girl twice.  We started the day off with an 8am session with friends.  

After that we stopped and got some cupcakes to celebrate with....because you know....we didn't have enough pie or anything like that to eat!  Seriously, I'm so afraid of the scale or to try and put on one of my fitted skirts.  Why does this time of year turn into some kind of glutenous sugar and carb food fest?  Thank goodness for baggy sweaters and stretchy pants!

Then for Nate's birthday we decided to check out a furniture store to see if anything would speak to me so that our living room didn't have to sit empty any longer.  Surprisingly he has been more bugged about it than me.  I've been looking, but I hadn't really felt like spending any money and I couldn't find anything I liked enough to override the lack of desire to fork over cash.  What was funny is that Nate actually gave me his opinion on the type of furniture he wanted in there.  He usually doesn't have much to say which can be pretty frustrating.  This time he had definite opinions on the style of chairs and the color and style of the couch.  He actually got everything he asked for.  I went in wanting a red couch and came out with a citrus green one.  I also went with the chairs he liked instead of the ones I preferred because he had valid reasons for his choices that I agreed with.  I wouldn't have left with something that I hated just to let him have an opinion -that's not how compromise works.  I did make him drag a chair clear across the showroom floor to make sure that his choices would work together.  He ended up not having to drag the chair personally because the sales associate got some burly men to do it for him when she overheard me setting my terms.   

After we paid for the furniture I commented to Nate about how much of an opinion he had this time and how I liked it and wondered why.  He said "because this is the first time you actually wanted my opinion." Well, happy birthday honey! hahaha I guess after 20 years of marriage we are finally getting the hang of communicating with each other.  

 We finished out the day with opening presents and finally getting a train to go around the christmas tree.  Nate has wanted one for years but never felt like spending the money on one and the boys have always wanted one too.  I guess he was in the mood this year because....there is the train.... which they made bigger and put it around the tree.  What was funny is that when we brought the train in the house Jared flipped out.  Apparently he had just had a dream the night before (which he doesn't usually have dreams) that we got a train and he was so excited in this dream and was playing with it.  Pretty cool.  Dreams really do come true :0)

Happy birthday to my sunshine.