Monday, June 21, 2010

Dan Had a Birthday, Shout Hooray!

Dan's 48th birthday was June 2, 2010. Since we were away from family, and since I'm a girl, I did what I could to make Dan's birthday fun and special. Here's the breakdown of what took place for his birthday extravaganza!

Friday, May 28th:
Ice cream cake with 4 & 8 candles on it for Dan to blow out. (A turtle ice cream cake with pralines and cream ice cream, nuts, caramel, and a chocolate crust...mmmmmmm...)

Monday, May 31st:
After playing some volleyball for a couple hours Dan decided to soak in the tub for awhile. I took the opportunity to sneak out and decorate his car windows. Early? Yes, but I thought it would be fun to advertise his big day as long as possible. (Sadly it rained the night before his birthday so the windows were cleaned off on the big day.)



Additionally, gifts (purchased weeks earlier) were wrapped in preparation for his big day:



Wednesday, June 2nd:

THE BIG DAY ARRIVED!!! When Dan got up to go to the bathroom that morning I jumped out of bed and quickly gathered his gifts from their hiding spot, put them on the couch, and then hurried and climbed back into bed.

When he saw them he said, "The Birthday Monster's been here!" (We debated whether it would be a fairy, pixie, or monster; monster won.)

Since Dan was scheduled to work at 11:00 am we thought it would be nice to sleep in (his sister called at 7:00 am to wish him happy birthday, oops) and go out for breakfast (work called him in at 8:00-the FDA showed up for a surprise inspection that would last for the next couple days-so he raced to get ready and head into work a few hours early). Thank goodness we know how to be flexible with our schedules and plans.

While Dan was at work I got busy with the other birthday surprises for him.

Our entry was decorated in honor of the day.


Disco balls for the disco king!

Balloons and banners were hung inside for the Birthday Boy!
The gifts remained in place until Dan arrived home at the end of his day. At about 10:00 pm he was FINALLY able to open his gifts:



Dan tried, unsuccessfully, to throw each piece of wrapping paper into the closed garbage can. He thought he had done well and that some were pretty close, they weren't.


Saturday, June 5th:

Yes, there's still more! We spent most of the week enjoying the ice cream cake and left over cake from our Memorial Day picnic. Our last official celebration was dinner at PF Changs on Saturday evening. We enjoyed their lettuce wraps and lunch bowls, YUMMY!

Hope it was a FABULOUS birthday and you felt how important you are to me! I love you, Dan!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

The Big Question...

Amanda, you've just graduated from USU with your master's degree,what are you going to do now?

Look out Vancouver and Portland, the Horrocks are coming....

We are SUPER excited for our trip. Only a couple weeks more till we meet you there!!!!!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Pictures Worth More Than 1,000 Words!

Going to let the pictures say it all (well most of it) in this post:
Queue the music: Dum dum da dee dum dum, dum dum da de dum...
Please rise...


A few more people than we had seats saved for. (Neal, you're a trouper!)
(Saving seats wasn't too challenging until the very end. Some guy says "I'll just sit here," and directs his family elsewhere. I tell him the seats are saved and he looks at me like I'm nuts and that he's about to argue. I'd been there for at least an hour holding seats and he walks in a few minutes before and expects seats up close? Thankfully everyone was coming down right behind him so I didn't have to look like I was just being difficult.)
Somewhere in this sea of caps, gowns and hoods is Amanda!
There she is!!!
On her way to be hooded.
(Sorry it's a little shaky.) She's one happy girl and totally deserves to be so! (Hugs were from Whitney, her former roommate and best friend, & Linda, her amazing major professor.)
Yes, she's on the phone after just graduating, making lunch reservations actually.
He says he doesn't sleep through things like this; hmmmmm.....caught ya!
Look at that smile...writing her 160+ page thesis in approximately 3 months, she deserves to smile as often and big as she wants!
Lots of hugs for our girl!
All official now!

Photos outside after:
The roommates; two of whom graduate the next day
(Courtney, Amy, Amanda, & Whitney)
Close up with Dad, that didn't really work...
The Loveland Family with Amanda (glasses on & off)
(Liz, Emily (a HS grad two weeks later), Amanda, Ann, Kevin, & Neal. Missed you Matt & Rebecca!)
With JaNae & Dad 
So happy to be finished!
Now that she's got her master's degree she thinks she's in charge (we were there to celebrate her so, yes come to think if it, she was in charge.)
Well done Amanda!!!!! We are so very PROUD of YOU!