birthday memories

I'm turning 27 today. I've been thinking back about my different birthdays over the years and don't think I have any of them written down. Except my 16th birthday, which was epic. So I thought, for posterity's sake at the very least, I would document some of my birthday memories.

I remember one birthday, either in junior high or early high school, it was Spring Break and my birthday was on a Monday or Tuesday. I had a slight stomach bug if I remember right, but my parents had planned a snow day that day, so off we went. We had to stop to put chains on the tires to get up to where my parents had in mind for us to run around. I want to say I was miserable in the car, and I probably was, but as soon as we got out in the snow and cold I felt fine haha. We played in the snow and ran around and took turns using the video camera.

I think it was my 5th birthday party, and my mom can correct me if I'm wrong, but my mom threw me an Easter themed birthday. We played charades and took turns pretending to be different animals and I went first. Everyone else was pretending to be a bunny but for some reason I couldn't figure it out. I kept guessing frog or kangaroo, and finally got bunny. I'm still not good in pressure situations haha. Then we had an Easter egg hunt (in our kitchen, because I think it was raining) and I found an egg and dropped it in my basket right after it started. It broke (because plastic eggs are crappy) but I was so convinced it had to be put back together, and tried, that everyone else found all the eggs and I ran out crying. Not my best moment, and the party was shortly over after that. Everyone shared an egg or two when they left though.

I think it was also my 5th birthday when we had family over a few days later, and I got my first bike! The picture of me first riding in the backyard is classic! They had been hiding the bike in the guest room behind the sliding doors, and we weren't allowed to go in there normally. It was great!

I don't remember much about my actual 8th birthday, if we had a party or anything. But a few days later I got baptized. It was General Conference weekend, if I remember right, and a bunch of cousins were over. There was a HUGE Easter egg hunt in the backyard, but I had to get ready for my baptism so I didn't get to find any eggs. I was bummed, but remember not caring anymore after being baptized/confirmed.

My first birthday away from home, freshman year at BYU. My roommates decided to play an April Fool's joke on me (I hate April Fool's BTW) and none of them said anything to me that day about my birthday. Not until we were getting into bed and they finally said, "April Fools! Happy birthday Hayley!" It wasn't the best feeling in the world. Luckily, my good friend Jess earlier that day convinced me to ditch my Spanish class that day and we went shopping at Old Navy. Thanks Jess!

For my 21st birthday, my parents actually came all the way up from California to hang out with me! It was a Sunday, and (as my birthday always is when it falls on a weekend) was General Conference. My awesome friend Mandy got my family sweet tickets to the Sunday Morning conference session. We had to leave super early to get up there, but it was so amazing to be in the conference center for Conference, and being that close to the general authorities! (Side note: the seats Mandy got us were down in the front, like 15 rows back. Her grandparents are friends/neighbors with Mack Wilberg. It was awesome!) Then we went back to the Glenwood and my mom started preparing a huge meal for all the family in the area and my roommates. We reserved the Lodge at the Glenwood and my mom got everything set up while my ward had choir practice. We were practicing the Hallelujah chorus (we had the BEST ward choir that year) and my dad and Aunt Sylvia came over and sang with us while we did the final run through. It was pretty amazing! (PS when we sang it in church, we nailed it. It sounded as good as my high school choir when we sang it.) Then we ate and had cake and it was an all around amazing day!

The year before, my roommates reserved the same Lodge, and threw me a party! Sammy made me the most epic cakes too! It was so fun hanging out with friends that night.

Quick rundown of my 16th birthday. Uncle Carl and Aunt Sandi brought their family up (Conference weekend... as usual) and my parents threw a huge party. I invited a bunch of friends from school and church, and throw in the Jones' and it was one AWESOME party. There was a lot of laughing, picture taking, balloons, food, candy, presents, so much fun. After I opened my presents, my cousins Bryson and Sean, and my best friend Tyler, decided I needed to take a swim! So they pinned me down, grabbed my wrists and ankles, and threw me into the pool! Granted, April in Bakersfield is a lot warmer than April in Utah, but still, the water was really cold even if the weather was nice. There was also some shoe hiding going on, Aubre thought her shoes were in the orchard across the street when really they were under the coffee table in the living room. It was such a fun night!

A couple years ago, my mom posted early in the morning a sweet birthday message about how 20-something years ago was the best day because she became a mother, very sweet! My amazing friend Riah,  posted right after that saying, "Good one! You even got your mom to go in on the joke!" I played along like, "yeah, it's not really my birthday!" but had no idea she was serious! She called me a few days later and said, "Hayley! I feel soooo bad! I completely forgot that your birthday really was the other day!" I laughed for a good 5 minutes all while trying to tell her that it was totally okay that she forgot, I thought she was just being funny and had no idea she thought it was a huge facebook prank. She made up for it a year or two later; she and her husband and my sister and I went to Iggy's for my birthday dinner and the Hurst's paid for me :) I still giggle about that moment!

How sad is it that I am trying to think of more birthday memories but now all I can think about is my sibling's birthday parties? Like the pinata my mom bought for Jenny's 5th or 6th birthday that wouldn't break, even after my mom pounded the crap out of it. Or Carly's 5th birthday where we had a magic show, painted the girls fingernails, and celebrated New Year's with streamers and poppers... at noon. Or Tim's 6th (?) birthday party where we had a Halloween theme, and I put together a table of "creepies" (grapes peeled to feel like eyeballs, spaghetti to feel like worms, jello to feel like brains, etc.) and then the haunted trail in the backyard, where I dressed up as a zombie and hid in the horse trailer, and my friend Mandy wore her gorilla mask and hands and we jumped out at the kids and scared them.

OH! My mom's favorite/least favorite, when I turned three they took me to Disneyland. I was obsessed with Mickey Mouse apparently, and was wanting to see him ALL day long. We were finally leaving as the park was closing, and as we were walking out my Dad was carrying me and I was asleep. (Obviously. Disneyland all day for a three year old is exhausting!) Now I have no recollection of any of this, just what my parents have said. Apparently as we were walking out, Mickey finally showed up! He came over to my mom and dad, saw that I was sleeping and started patting my back. Apparently I woke up enough and my eyes lit up seeing that Mickey was finally there! My mom was snapping pictures like crazy. My parents said it was one of the sweetest moments they've had with their kids. Fast forward a few days, my mom had me sitting on the counter while she was getting lunch ready for me, and the camera was right there. She turned her back for a second, and I grabbed the camera, opened it, and ruined the film. She was so mad. All I can say is thank goodness for digital cameras! I can't wait to get to heaven and watch that moment in my life, and I pray that when my kids go to Disneyland for the first time, and they have a character they are DYING to meet, that we take plenty of pictures, and on two different cameras (phones totally count).


So far for this birthday, it's been pretty great! Stay tuned for an update in a few days :)