Best Birthday Ever

This year my friend Jaime gave me the best birthday present ever--she came to visit me all the way from Las Vegas!  We both pawned our older kids off on our respective mothers, and Jaime brought her new baby Scarlett to meet us.

The visit started when Chad and I picked them up at the Mesa Airport, which is a tiny airport we'd never been to before (usually we fly in and out of Phoenix).  It's a little closer to us, and Jaime got a slightly better rate by flying with Allegiant Air, but the delays were a little inconvenient.  We had to race back to Globe so we could make it to Book Club.  We didn't want to miss discussing The Host.  It turned out to be an interesting meeting; the group was divided into those who liked the book, those who didn't like it, and those who didn't finish.  And the discussion got fiesty at times, but that's how we roll.  Jaime reads more than most anybody I know, and it was fun to have her in on the discussion.  I wish she could come every month!

Here's what we did with the rest of our time together:

• Great massages (Kari at the Adobe Ranch Spa is amazing!)
• Pedicures (the nail polish I chose turned out looking hideous...good times)

• Delicious homemade desserts (my fudge and Jaime's pumpkin bars)
• Dr. Mario on the Wii (Jaime is way better than me now. What happened?)
• Decided to try a new place for my birthday lunch, walked into one downtown cafe (ew), then back out again, then hit the jackpot at the adorable Vida e Cafe with mouthwatering chicken pesto aoli paninis and Italian sodas.
• Played with our babies, and introduced them to each other (Lincoln got a little fresh with Scarlett, but he couldn't resist her cuteness)

• Talked about life, being wives, being mothers
• Spent our last night at my brother and his wife's house in Mesa so we'd be closer to the airport for Jaime's early flight (Lincoln and Scarlett shared a bed...scandalous!)

• Talked about plans to see each other again.
• Wished we weren't so far apart.

I wish that I had been feeling 100% healthy, because I was a tired, boring host half of the time.  And visits to Globe aren't usually filled with fun outings like visits to Vegas.  But we try to compete so our friends will come back again :)

So I'm 30 now.  And I don't feel some magical/dreadful difference.  I feel like I've reached a point in my life where it is fully appropriate to be 30.  Everything about me--my heart, my body, my graying hair--emphatically states, "Yes, we've been through enough to deserve to the '30-year' label." 

So, along with the many sweet birthday wishes I received from friends and family, Happy 30th Birthday me.