This has been a great weekend.

First, I had a wonderful birthday. (Thank you for all the calls, texts, emails, comments, and in-person happy wishes.) Remember when you were a kid and you tried to make yourself sound older by using fractions. "I'm not nine years old; I'm 9 and three-quarters." Yeah, I just hit the grand-daddy of age fractions.

1/4 of a century

wow

Andrew spoiled me. He surprised me with lunch out (complete with babysitter--thanks Andrew & Amanda!) to a little Italian place. We didn't eat spaghetti and meatballs, but it was just as sweet as any Disney movie. He gave me a thoughtful, sweet, make-me-smile gift (just like he always does).

Then he got his school to throw a huge bash for me and invited all the students, faculty, alumni, and their families. Yep, he loves me that much. Sure, everyone else thinks it was in honor of the founding of the first school of osteopathy. They're wrong. It was for me.

They had dinner, games, and a rockin' dance party where Sam showed us both up with his cool moves. I got to dance with both my boys to "YMCA" (Sam held my hands and ran around me in circles). Thanks to Sam inheriting our boogie-genes, Andrew and I got to dance, spin, and dip to plenty of songs on our own, in addition to the ones Sam joined us for.

Saturday, more wonderful friends watched Sam (Thanks Kristine & Chuck!) so we could go up to Nauvoo for stake meetings (Andrew) and the temple (me). It was a beautiful drive through the fields and hills, and along the Mississippi River. Andrew studied/slept while I drove and got to enjoy not only the scenery, but the little miracle of technology which Sam likes to call my "pi-Pod". I love that I can download hours & hours of General Conference talks to uplift me and prepare me to enter the House of God.

The drive home was the perfect topper for this great day. We were driving into the fiery fall sunset, Andrew was pumping some music on his computer while he studied. Somehow or other, he mentioned the name of the group that sings it. I obviously had no idea who they were. I got the "what rock have you been hiding under?" response.

I thought, "Since turning 25, I ...

... stood out in the cold this morning to watch Andrew's flag football game, where he intercepted a touchdown pass, and his teammate made the most amazing, NFL-esque catch in the endzone with his toes miraculously glued to the field while the rest of his body leaned out at a 30 degree angle so he could catch the pass ...

... got Sam all ready for the babysitters and remembered to grab snacks for our drive and drove 4 hours after getting pulled over for the first time EVER on my way home from the aforementioned football game

... have not magically learned the random group that sang this random song before I was even born--25 years ago

... guess I just got older this year, not wiser ..."

The "Friendsters" all-star team (minus a few)

The best shot we could get & stay on the road...