Zoey's Birthday Celebrations

We started Zoey's birthday celebrations early and her and I went on a little date to see Kung Fu Panda at the theater.  She liked it alright, it was ok for me.  Then we took her to Red Robin.  She ordered her favorite - a cheeseburger with extra pickles.  She even drank the pickle juice that was in the little cup. We told them it was her birthday and they brought her a little sundae.  She told all the staff there that it was her birthday and that she was going to have a pickle cake.  Wha-?  Even after her birthday she told people she got a pickle cake.  I don't know where that came from.

Sunday we had her party and that was a post in and of itself.

Monday was President's Day so we headed to Provo with my in-laws to visit my brother- and sister-in-law and go to the Provo City Center open house.  We figured it was a holiday, but a small one, so we'd sneak in since Dallin and my father-in-law had the day off.  My brother-in-law literally lives 1/2 a block from the temple, a one minute walk.  They were so nice to watch Connor for us and we walked over.  We had seen one random sign by the parking lot that said No Standby Available Today but we thought we'd try anyway.  Bad idea.  When we rounded the corner it was 1000 times worse than Disneyland.  The WHOLE parking lot was full of people weaving and weaving through a massive line.

We walked to the workers and they said without tickets the wait was over three hours long and encouraged us to come back another day.  I guess all of the kids were out of school that day and everyone and their dog decided it'd be a good day to go.  There was no way we were waiting in that line with Zoey.  Come to find out, the line without tickets ended up being over 4 hours long and with tickets - still over two hours long.  Well, we weren't going to wait in the line and we probably weren't going to come back so my dear, sweet, husband said to follow him.  Next thing I know we're at the front of the line scrambling to find booties and we're in the temple.  It was beautiful to walk through and I'm glad we got to show Zoey, especially since she's obsessed with temples.  I was surprised that they didn't show more on the tour but I think they're trying to get people in and out as quickly as possible.  The celestial room was also a lot smaller than most.  Zoey was so good to leave the marshmallows (booties) on her feet.

Afterward we went to lunch with my in-laws and my stomach gave me huge issues.  But we survived and made it home alright.  I think Zoey had a great birthday and is already asking when her next birthday party is.  I wish there was a way to teach a three-year-old the concept of time.