May 9, 2011
This birthday really did creep up on me. Thankfully Matt had been on the ball in purchasing the gifts. The night before we still needed wrapping paper though. I said, "We don't have time to go down the canyon for BYU wrapping so we'll just have to see what's at Day's." I couldn't believe my stars when they had BYU wrapping paper. Grayson had requested a chocolate cake. Check. But he wanted a Jimmer Fredette chocolate cake. Hmmm. When I saw Jimmer on the cover of Sport's Illustrated on Matt's night stand an idea sprung into my head. Now, don't start forming opinions. Matt bought that issue because Jimmer and Magnusson were on the cover. The swimsuit issue won't be arriving EVER. I was downright tickled with the cake! I'll teach YOU how to Jimmer.
For weeks GRAHAM had been putting in orders for Grayson's birthday as to what "Grayson" wanted. The most frequent request was "TWO Light Sabers." Matt got the next best thing. Check. Graham woke Grayson up at 6:30 the morning of, "Grayson, it's your birthday!" Graham had reason to be so excited. He was with Matt when Matt picked up the new bike at King's. I was suprised he was able to keep the surprise pretty well. He did say, "Grayson, you have a BIG surprise...with wheels."
Not soon after Grayson got home from school we heard bag pipes coming up the front walk. Bro. Acklin, his primary teacher, was playing Happy Birthday. It sounded so Cool but was so loud that he stayed outside. He didn't have a kilt on but still, that was going above and beyond!
Mallerie brought the kids she was babysitting over to check. it. out.
We've started a tradition on birthdays where we eat the cake BEFORE dinner. It seems that otherwise we run out of time. Matt was worried Jimmer would start on fire. But he IS on fire. He opened gifts through out the afternoon: a new baseball glove, a wii game, scriptures. I loved him reading Grandma Donna's card out loud. Then he picked up the money and kept reading, "In God we trust..."
Another reason for the cake before dinner was that Grayson had requested an evening at Nickle City in Orem. Katrina stayed behind to study for her AP Geography test, but the rest of us were game and went along. I handed over cash when we got there. Matt said, "Thanks!" But the truth is, I've gotten out of throwing a friend party now for eight years in a row so having it be my treat at Nickel City was the least I could do. When I had asked Grayson if he wanted a friend party he said, "No. I don't like parties. When my friends at school ask if I'm going to have a birthday party I tell them 'NOPE'." This is a kid that knows what he likes and does not like. Instead the class had to settle for some chocolate chip cookies I brought from home.
I don't have pictures to prove it but Lindsey brought the kids to join us. This was beyond Gray's wildest dreams that Adren come to Nickel City. Check. Check. Check!
After Nickel City we were hungry. The Geert's had eaten so we parted ways and headed to Doc's pizza. They were closed due to a refridgeration malfunction. Luckily, I had just spoken to Lindsey and knew where another Pizza Buffet was. We headed across the street to Pizza Pie Cafe. While Matt was ordering I saw a lady from our Orem ward leaving. She didn't seem like she remembered me but I ran up, "Karen Deam!" She has remarried and she introduced me to her husband. I was glad she did so because I would have asked, "Is this your father?" She said, "The pizza here is terrible. There is hardly any cheese. The pasta sauce is too spicy. The salad bar is bland. Over all I'd rate it a D. But the dessert pizza isn't too bad. You should leave and go to Cafe Rio." Matt walked up right then, he had just paid. I summerized, "The birthday boy wants pizza."
Well, running into Karen will forever be a standing joke in our family because the pizza was great. It was plenty cheesy and the pasta had at least 6 different choices for sauce. I would recommend the place to friend or foe. Yeah, we enjoyed the place, "Check!" please.
