Bryan's Birthday and Vegas

So Bryan had his 25th birthday this past Thursday. YAY!! He really likes suprises, and I'm not very good at them, but I wanted it to be special. I really worried about him liking everything. I wanted it to be amazing, so he knew most of what was coming, But at least this little part was a suprise. I know that it's cheesy and kind of lame, but I had to do something! I would have made breakfast, but he goes to work at 7 and he actually makes a better breakfast than me, plus his apartment is locked, what else was I supposed to do? But as he put it himself, it was like a party in his car. I think he kinda liked it. So here it is:

I have to admit, as I put the streamers up all I could think of was Leilani thinking they are called Happy Birthday because that's what Dayne and Larissa kept saying as she walked through them.

This was probably my favorite part. Thanks to Heidi's tutelage and Larissa's wedding where I had to tie hundreds of ballons, I still remember how to tie them together in one easy motion. I added the noise makers because they are more fun than confetti and the kisses because--well I think you know why.

So I hope that it was a big enough suprise. I was up pretty late and I'm certainly not used to it anymore.

Oh, and the paint was causing streaks. Since it was new I would write something and it looked like it came from a scary movie, so I used my hands to wipe it off. Well I didn't want it on my hands since I had other stuff to do, so I was left with no choice but to wipe it on my pants. I will forever remember this day as long as I have those jeans since it didn't all come off and now I have red streaks. It was totally worth it though.

Later that night after Bryan's ultimate games we went to dinner where I paid for the first time. He's so good to me, I don't think I've paid for much in the last couple months. But it was his birthday and he completely deserved it! We went to Macaroni Grill where I swear there was only 4 other people in the restaurant with us. I know it was kind of late at 9:30 and it was a Thursday, but still, I've never seen that before. So we had great service, let me tell you. I got him the Mistborn series (if you haven't read them, you should). I'm pretty sure it was one of the first things we ever talked about. Plus he basically made me read them (just kidding!).

Bryan also has this thing for watches. Most accessories actually. And we had talked about the watches this the black faces and just the diamond at 12 to tell the time, so that's what I wanted to get him. Plus I guess he could have used a dressy silver watch. So I saw this and I wanted to get it for him. I pretty sure this was his favorite part of the day....at least from me.

When we got home I had asked Em to make him a cake seems I'd be gone all day. Bryan really likes the drizzly chocolate kind of frosting or cream cheese. I'm definitely a buttercream kinda gal, but I can enjoy any cake Em makes as much as the next person. So she had this amazing idea to make him a frisbee cake. It's stuck in the dirt and grass. It was so great!

She even made me find out what brand of frisbee he uses and found the logo and replicated it. Apparently Discraft is the best and you should never use anything else--especially Whamo.

After that it was time for my bedtime. I hadn't gotten much sleep and Bryan and I were headed down to Vegas (technically Henderson) the next morning, plus I still had to pack.

Bright and early the next morning, and by that I mean around 8:45, we were headed down I-15. We were going to listen to the 3rd book of Mistborn seems I was only 1 part away from the end. Funny thing was that Bryan had downloaded the entire book except that exact part. Luckily in Payson, Utah the Holiday Inn is nice enough not to make you pay to use their WiFi, we didn't even have to have a room. So we got the last part and happily started our journey once again. Thank you Holiday Inn.

After 5 hours we pulled into his parent's drive. I must have forgotten what heat was like, because man was it HOT! But even his parent's said that 108 was hotter than it had been. I really had forgotten what it was like. Obviously I've been away from Texas for too long. We spent the rest of the day with his family. I pretty sure I talked with his mom for an hour and a half about all different kinds of things. His whole family was so generous.

Since it was his birthday weekend, his family all got together, including his grandparents who I had met before, and shockingly enough they remembered me. Even my name. Crazy! Luckily I remember them just telling me to call them Grandma and Grandpa, so that just what I did. Yeah, we sat around the table talking most of the night. By the way, Bryan's mom makes this amazing stuff called Cherry Yum-Yum. I need to remember to ask for the recipe.

We did stop by and visit with his friends that night too. They call themselves the Trio. And they act like it. It was a lot of fun. We played MarioCart on the Wii. I haven't played that game in forever, but I'm happy to report that I have improved nonetheless. Perhaps real driving helped.

By the time we got home I was once again exhausted, but in that happy, contented type of way.

Still, we had an early start the next morning. We were going to Boulder to see Hoover Dam. I have been before, but the shear size still amazes me.

This is the new bridge that has been at least a year in the making. The last time I came through they had just barely started the edges. Now they are only a few months away from having people drive on it. It's going to be nice having it. Right now you have to wind down the canyon, across the dam, and then wind back up going 15 mph, with it finished, you can stick to 65. Woot!

I didn't realize my hair looked so bad.

Ahhh! Enough said.

Don't we look so happy, despite the heat.

The momument to the great people who risked their lives to build this.

We went on a tour. It's cool inside. It could have been so creepy, too bad hundreds of people go through it a day.

These are the generators. There are 17 that power Arizona, Neveda and California. It produces more than 4 billion kilowatts of power a year. Wow!

We tried to roll a penny down it, you can't see it after like 30 feet and you never hear it drop, but then again, it is 727 feet high.

Later we stopped for some smoothies and did we need it! We also stopped at the mall to get some sunglasses and to find Bryan a fedora style hat. Who would have known that the best one wouldn't be at the mall at all, but at Wal-Mart! I'm now sad I didn't take a picture. He looks pretty dang good in that hat. I made him try on a Kenneth Cole grey suit too. Hot. I'm determined he gets one someday.

We also wanted to stop by the Vegas Temple. It is beautiful. I love how everything seems more peaceful on Temple grounds.

Can you ever have too many pictures of the temple?

Lastly we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. That was some good food. The carrots were amazing! It was a lemon-herb chicken dinner and the carrots were sauteed in the same sauce. Yum! By that point it was once again the end of a wonderful day. We did make one last trip up a mountain though to look down on the city. It's so pretty, even with the strip that sticks out of the skyline. On Sunday we went to Church in the Single's Ward. I claim it's so he could show me off to all of his old friends. Then we got in the car and began our trip back. We had a little bit of the book to finish, but we just talked for most of the time. Overall, it was one of the best trips of my life yet. I had such a great time. Now don't you all wish you were me.