Mom is 50!

We've been looking forward to celebrating mom's 50th birthday for months now :) I wanted to make it more special than the others since it's a big milestone and it was so fun to do some special things for my mamma--because it's always the other away around with her serving us. She deserved a special day of her own. I wanted to collect 50 letters/messages from her friends and family to give her for her birthday. And even though I ended up only receiving about 40, I know she still loved it just the same! I got to learn so much more about my mom through getting these letters; memories from high school friends, little ways she's touched the lives of families in the ward, etc. I was so excited to surprise her with it on Sunday! It touched me to see her get so emotional from reading all the words of love for her. THANK YOU to everyone who participated in making it possible. She is so grateful for your kind words and birthday wishes!

On her birthday morning, my dad got up early to get things to make crepes (what a gem of a husband). 

We ate his yummy breakfast and went to Les Miserables. This was their second time, but mine and Zach's first. Every sound out of our mouthes have been Les Mis songs or Les Mis related the past month. We've been really looking forward to seeing what it would be like in a movie form--and we loved it. It didn't disappoint us.

The rest of the day, we got ready for the birthday party! How awesome is it to have a birthday on New Years Eve?? We invited lots of families from the ward and relatives to come and say happy birthday to mom and enjoy some food and fun. Emily and I made a collage of pictures from her life that turned out so fun! And we decorated with old games, year books, movies, children books, records, that are all her favorite. And all the food was were her favorite things as well. It was so fun to gather all these things and to hear memories from my mom when she looked through all of them. 

The pre party photo shoot

 3 Generations

I think mom enjoyed getting see so many friends and family throughout the night. It was so nice of people to come give her such fun night.

blowing out her birthday cake pop :)

While the adults had fun talking...Zach, Ems and I entertained ourselves in other ways. We played Jacks (grandma taught us tons of different rules that only professionals know), a board game called Hide and Seek (an old one from my mom's childhood), and Mario Kart (which I kept losing).

Oh and we were entertained by positioning these little plastic babies around the house. We saw them at the craft store and thought they were so funny/pointless we just had to buy them. Good thing we did cuz they didn't disappoint. 

Happy New Year! Can't wait for what is to come in 2013!