Happy Birthday, Boo! Another sign of getting older…my baby is now eight! Thanks to my sister and her out-of-state wedding the day before Rebekah’s birthday, we got to celebrate on the road. I took these pictures of Bekah at the wedding luncheon, which was held at a darling little Italian bistro in downtown Omaha called Vivace. I can’t believe how old she’s getting, and how much she’s growing into a young lady. This is age 8 minus a day.
Here’s a little recap of her birthday weekend. Yep, it lasted all weekend. Why not?
The wedding was at our church’s temple in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday, November 15, so we took off on Friday to get ourselves situated a little early. When we got to the hotel, Grandma and Grandpa Voss, Uncle Derrick, and Terra and James were there already, waiting in the breakfast room with gifts and cake. Yeah! What a nice ending to a seven-hour road trip! Gotta love that the bride and groom gave her Bride Barbie and Groom Ken and a spiffy car for them to drive. So this was Birthday Celebration #1. With a late-night swim in the pool and a night in a hotel bed (somehow, this is a treat for her!), the day was complete. It was great to see Uncle Derrick, though it would have been most exciting to have Aunt Monica and our cousins Maya and Linda come, too!
Fast forward to Saturday morning…I hope that getting ready in pretty clothes, the wedding, pictures, and an amazing luncheon at a sophisticated restaurant made Rebekah feel like it was not just Terra’s special day! After the happy couple drove off, it was time to really party Rebekah-style! We headed off to the movie theater to see Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa (she’s a huge fan!). Then we picked up pizza from Dominoes, wings from Quaker Steak and Lube, and soda and chips from a nearby Wal-Mart, then took them back to the hotel’s guest area and opened the presents we had hauled up there. Birthday Celebration #2 and it wasn’t even the official day yet!
At this point, I think the Marriott people thought we were there to take over the hotel. We treated our new pseudo-family member at the front desk with leftover wedding cheesecake, and I think we made a friend for life.
Sunday morning we woke up and finally got to sing Happy Birthday on the actual day! After checking out, we went to the Winter Quarters Visitor’s Center to learn more about our church history in that area. The temple that Terra and James got married in is located there on the grounds, next to the original pioneer cemetery that gives the area its name. We got a private tour, and then Rebekah got an extra treat….five darling sister missionaries came out to the foyer to sing a beautiful version of Happy Birthday just for her. 
And then it was time to head home. We felt bad that she had to spend much of the day in the car, but the rest of the weekend was so fun, she didn’t seem to mind at all. We were checking every exir for a place to stop for dinner that she would enjoy when the Birthday Fairies smiled upon us…there, on the highway Places to Eat sign…was a placard for Ryan’s. Could. Not. Believe. The. Luck. It’s not the greatest restaurant, but it’s a decent buffet and it was one of her favorites. The Ryan's restaurant near us in Arkansas closed a few months ago, and she had been sad to realize she couldn’t spend her birthday there. (This also has to do with her best friend being named Ryan, by the way.)
And then it was time to head home. We felt bad that she had to spend much of the day in the car, but the rest of the weekend was so fun, she didn’t seem to mind at all. We were checking every exir for a place to stop for dinner that she would enjoy when the Birthday Fairies smiled upon us…there, on the highway Places to Eat sign…was a placard for Ryan’s. Could. Not. Believe. The. Luck. It’s not the greatest restaurant, but it’s a decent buffet and it was one of her favorites. The Ryan's restaurant near us in Arkansas closed a few months ago, and she had been sad to realize she couldn’t spend her birthday there. (This also has to do with her best friend being named Ryan, by the way.)
And so we dined on a little of everything in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. That’s all she needed to make her day complete. A little singing from the servers, and ice cream with sprinkles on it, and we had Birthday Celebration #3.
Celebration #4 came a week later when our families got together to celebrate the four birthdays that the Arkansas Black family members share. And Celebration #5 will come at her upcoming party. Enough, perhaps. We’ve milked this one for all its worth!
I truly hope she realizes how much we love her!
Bekah, as you look forward to your baptism and the responsibility that comes with this age of accountability, I hope you always keep smiling and remember who you are at all times.
Bekah, as you look forward to your baptism and the responsibility that comes with this age of accountability, I hope you always keep smiling and remember who you are at all times.
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