One of our most favorite days of the whole year!! Danny's birthday! The kids hurried with their chores that morning so they could carry on the birthday tradition of decorating the window. This is one of my most favorite things. I can't even remember how it started or for whom, but it's become quite a big deal in our family!
I worked during the day making Danny's requested dessert...mint brownies! We also ended up taking Claire to the doctor, and as it would turn out she had strep throat! It was a busy day. I was feeling frantic to get everything done. As it got closer to the end of the school day, I still had two errands I needed to run. I had told Sophie, since Claire wasn't there, that I would come and pick her up after school. I felt like I had time to get my errands run as long as I really hurried and still be there for Sophie. So off the kids and I went. I was in such a rush I wasn't paying attention to the weather. Not until I walked out of Deseret Book and looked toward the west. I was momentarily disoriented as it looked like there was a mountain to the west. But I knew the mountains were to the east! I looked the entire length of the horizon, and all I saw was black. It slowly dawned on me that what I was looking at was a massive thunderstorm.
I raced to Sophie. I got a call from Danny saying that they were just alerted on base about the storm, and urged to leave work early or stay late to avoid it. There were going to be 50+ mph winds and 3/4-inch hail...and Danny wanted to make sure I was going to get Sophie. I started to panic as I raced through town...I was terrified I wasn't going to make it to her in time! She did have her walking group, but she didn't have Claire. I didn't even think she wore a jacket that day! I have never driven more erratically, and I really started to panic as I drove into Syracuse and everything was so dark! I watched the clouds, knowing that storm would hit Sophie before it got to me. As I looked at the clouds swirling, I noticed the color change from black to green. I glanced at the thermometer in the car and it read 83 degrees. This was tornado weather. And I wasn't going to make it to Sophie!!
I turned onto Doral Road, which is where I told Sophie I would pick her up, right as the storm wall hit. The hail was so intense and so loud. I couldn't see the sidewalk!! As I frantically tried to spot Sophie, Johnny started screaming and Claire started praying. I was already crying. Never in my life have I been more frightened than I was right then. We continue to make our way home as I watched kids running wild across the street with their backpacks covering their heads...but none looked like Sophie. As I pulled into our driveway, still without my little girl, I pulled out my phone to call Danny. I don't know why...it's not like he could do anything! But I was frantic, and I didn't know what else to do. As I looked at my phone to dial, I saw a text from my neighbor saying "I have Sophie". I burst into tears!! With my hands shaking, I called her and she told me that she had picked up the girls just a moment before the hail hit. They were scared and crying, but they were alright. I got ahold of Danny to make sure he was alright, and to tell him we were all safe. When Sophie got home, I held her tight and we just cried together. I apologized over and over again for not being there for her, and just like her sweet self she was quick to forgive me.
By the time Danny got home, our tears had dried and I was feeling okay again. We found out that there had indeed been a tornado or two from that storm, and quite a bit of damage. In fact, the power pole in front of Great Grandma's house snapped like a twig and landed on her roof! Definitely the worst storm I have ever been in.
Well, after all of that excitement we could have called it a day. But we still had an epic birthday dinner AND presents to do! This year, Danny chose chicken parmesan, which we haven't made in 5 years. Only we were going to kick it up a notch and Danny was going to make fresh fettuccine. So I worked on the chicken and the sauce while Danny did his pasta-thang. The last time I made this dinner, I remember feeling like it was a lot of things to do and it was a little overwhelming. I think we must have come a long way, because this was really a very simple dinner! And oh my goodness...it was divine! Like, beyond divine. As we sat down to eat, Danny remarked that we would probably have to pay upwards of $100 for this meal in an Italian restaurant. And we made it for around $25. We are so cool!!
After dinner, it was time for presents. This year, Danny got two knives for his meats! One big knife to slice his brisket with, and a boning knife for trimming fat. And, of course, a new BYU t-shirt! And his parents got him an awesome present...a smoking class! That'll be the gift that keeps on giving. :) We finished the night with Danny blowing out the candles on his brownies and ice cream. He was a happy Birthday Boy!
We love our Daddy so much, and we are so grateful for the day he was born and changed the whole world by coming into it. Happy Birthday, Danny! We love you!
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