Elisa turned 25 this week! She’s no longer my little girl. 🙂

After being sick for the whole week I finally got better in time to enjoy my birthday on Sunday. Leaving the house early in the freezing temperatures for the first time in 4 days wasn’t the best way to start the day but I was so happy to be feeling better that it didn’t phase me for long. A lot of people at church had read it was my birthday in the ward newsletter and wished me well. I also received some very nice cards that I had do my best to translate from German.

I was pretty sure Chad had not left me any surprises for my birthday which sort of bummed me out but I was wrong. He snuck around the apartment that afternoon and set up a scavenger hunt right under my nose. He got me some new gloves and made it so fun to find them. He made it challenging–tricky clues and fun strings I had to follow. I like being a kid. Elisa is hard to surprise, so I was living in constant fear that she would catch me. And the house is small, so there aren’t very many places where something can be hidden where she wouldn’t just accidentally find it too early.

Throughout the day I got to talk to family and open cards and gifts from them. We also had a few friends over for Hawaiian Haystacks and ginger snaps. Mmmm, ginger snaps. And the Baumanns brought over Sprüngli Luxembourgs, which we’ve been savoring all week. I have a lot of really supportive people in my life that make me so comfortable to be me. Even with the dumb things I can do sometimes it is great to be surrounded by people who look past those things and love me for me. Thanks to the Baumanns, Schwendeners and Mascaros for celebrating with us. And thanks Milo and Nik and Rahel for singing that version of Happy Birthday.

Chad was so sad that we didn’t have a proper cake with candles. My family knows I am not a big cake fan. I humored Chad by making a wish and blowing out our decorative candle. He seemed pleased enough. I just hope I can make him as happy as he makes me.