Jed's Birthday 2011

We celebrated Jed's 32nd birthday in April!  

I took him on a surprise date right after lunch to the 24-hole frisbee golf course at the nearby Metropark. I had never played frisbee golf before, but I've always wanted to.  I knew that he would enjoy doing something active and being outside, and it turned out to be a lot of fun! It was perfect mild Spring weather. The sun was shining, there weren't any bugs out yet, the grass was green... but the forest foliage hadn't come in yet so it was easy to find our frisbees in the underbrush, which was nice. :)

We had a BLAST!  It had been rainy weather the past few days (weeks), so the course was pretty waterlogged, and even flooded in areas, and we had to jump from grassy clump to grassy clump to keep our shoes half-dry, and we had to go to great lengths to retrieve our frisbees sometimes. :) 

 

I must confess that this is my frisbee that Jed is fishing out of the water hazard. Jed has much better aim than me. :)

We came across this huge-umongous tree (I love that word that Ben made up when he was little!) and Jed made me climb it, much to my trepidation! He hoisted me and I clambered up it until I reached this point. It was so high up! I felt a little headrush just looking down!

Getting down that thing was a testament to the amount of trust I have in my husband. When I was trying to lower myself down he said, "let go- I've got you!" and sure enough he caught me!

This is as far as he got in trying to climb it. He didn't have a strong, tall person to help him up, like I did. If wimpy me had lent him a boost, I think I would have got squashed. :)

When we got home, we proceeded with dinner, presents, and birthday cake!! When it came time for his present from me, he had to work for it! :)  I made a little scavenger hunt for him and the kids. I wrote a poem and hid the clues leading up to his gift. I'll include a few of the clues, just for fun:

"Books, oh books! Mom reads a story. 

But not a kids book... You'll find it - don't worry!"

 "This game is worth it! It's something you're lovin'!

Search for the present. It's in the oven!"

"Oops- not here. I guess it's not cookin'. 

Try the TV. Keep on lookin'."

Finally, they found the clue leading to the prize: 

"In the garage, behind the pots. 

Muscles and strength? You'll need lots!"

It was a {very heavy} 10-in-1 Multi Game table.  :)  

Jed, Ben and Eliza immediately commenced in the labor of setting it up.

We took a break for Jed's requested Coconut Cake with cream cheese frosting. It had 32 candles, carefully counted out by me and Ben.  Unfortunately, I missed the picture moment of the cake ablaze because my camera wasn't turned on (duh).  Jed kindly re-enacted the 'blowing-the-candles-out' moment for me, but having Eliza removing the candles at the same time as he's blowing them out kind of ruins the authenticity of the picture, don't you think? :)

That night Jed and I had a BLAST competing with the basketball game on his new toy. He would time me for 60 seconds and we would count how many baskets I could make. Then it would be his turn (from a little further away from the basket...he has longer arms, so we gotta even things out you know...).  :) We had so much fun with our little competition- congratulating each other when we got a new personal high, and laughing together when one of us was completely 'off our game'. It was really fun!

Happy Birthday, sweetie! You are the love of my life!