Happy 56th Birthday, Papa!

I know y’all have been holding your breath in anticipation about what the special surprise for someone special is that I was referring to in my post yesterday.  Autumn and I woke up at 6:20, which is early for us, so we could go to the best doughnut shop in town and get a dozen regular, a dozen chocolate, and an apple fritter.  We rushed over to the church and waited outside Dad’s classroom until class was over.  As soon as it was, I threw open the door and told everyone they couldn’t leave yet b/c it was Bro. J’s birthday and we needed to sing to him.  We sang Happy Birthday and then let everyone have a doughnut. 

I’m glad I bought 2 dozen, b/c I didn’t know how many kids were in his class and there were a LOT of kids and those doughnuts were gone in less than a minute.  The apple fritter was for Dad b/c those are his favorite.  Autumn brought this headband for Dad to wear, and they both decided to do some funny/silly smiles.

The doughnuts were gone so fast that Autumn & I didn’t even get one.  So, we stopped at a different doughnut shop on the way home that I heard had dinosaur shaped doughnuts.  But, Autumn wanted this pink one w/ sprinkles instead of the dinosaur one.  I got a big sausage kolache, too.  I don’t know what’s w/ Autumn and this new crazy smile.

Autumn & I went over to Mom & Dad’s house and I helped Mom fry homemade eggrolls.  Mom had already made the fried rice and sweet & sour sauce.  That’s what Dad requested for his special birthday dinner.  It’s so much work and Mom had been cooking all afternoon and we were done eating in 15 minutes.  But, it’s a labor of love and worth it.

For dessert, Dad requested made-from-scratch banana cream pie.  He even got to use the special Happy Birthday plastic placemat.  I love that I caught this candid and genuine smile on camera.

Maggie came by to bring Dad a gift from her & Robert.  This made us all laugh, b/c it’s a balloon she “repurposed” from our house.  It was from a flower bouquet we gave to Mom for Mother’s Day and she crossed of the “Mother’s” in Happy Mother’s Day and wrote in Birthday instead.

They got him this awesome car care kit w/ cleaning pads.  It was such a nice and thoughtful gift.  Autumn & I didn’t get Dad anything other than the doughnuts this morning b/c we couldn’t think of anything he would want/need.  But Monzingo’s thought of the perfect gift.  Dad spent his birthday evening outside tinkering around w/ the new grill and then we watched America’s Got Talent.

Autumn & I came home and I let her play in the tub for a while and then I bathed her and put her to bed.  Can I just say I am SO GLAD that Parenthood is back on?  I love that show and enjoyed watching the season premiere last night.  I started feeling really tired and feverish, so as soon as it was over I went right to bed.

I am so happy that we got to celebrate Dad’s birthday with him.  He is the hardest worker I know, the best Papa ever, so spiritual, so loving, so giving, etc.  He wakes up at 5:15 every weekday morning to teach seminary.  He puts away all of the neighbors’ garbage cans every week.  He brings Autumn doughnuts every Friday morning.  He goes to the temple every Thursday with Nick.  He lets so many people come over to the house for medical help.  He does free physicals for the Boy Scouts and also youth getting ready to go on missions.  The list of things I love and appreciate about my incredible father could go on and on and on.  Celebrating the day he was brought into this world is always so special b/c he is a special person.  Love you, Dad!