Birthday Boys

 Andy and Ben's birthdays are two days apart...

 Andy's birthday was the last day of school.  He has been teaching seminary at MCHS for 9 years and is being moved to SVHS...to the other end of the valley.  So, he spent his birthday packing up his office.  I went in and helped a little bit.  

 I found this picture tucked away in a storage room.  This was taken 16 years ago when I was on the seminary council.  It was 1997...the sesquicentennial year of the mormon pioneers entering the Salt Lake valley...thus the costumes.  It was a fun trip down memory lane :)

Mom and Dad came and babysat so Andy and I could go out that night.  We went to our favorite, quaint, and authentic Italian restaurant.  Every time we go I get one of two dishes; both of which are gnocchi.  This is a polenta based gnocchi with a yummy, cheesy cream sauce.  I always think it doesn't look like enough food when it is placed before me but I always end up full :)

Andy got one of his favorites too!

 The morning of Ben's birthday a sweet woman in the ward came by and brought Ben a little gift (bubbles and a book)... just because.  The note was to Ben - her little buddy :)  Ben has kind of taken a liking to her and will sometimes go and sit with her during Sacrament meeting.  She's really cute with him.

 Of course we couldn't get through his special day without a seizure. 

I think I've said it before but I love snuggling with him after his seizures.  Those are special moments.

Andy's parents came that afternoon and we picked up food and went to the park...

 Singing "Happy Birthday" to himself :)

 

We had a very low key celebration at the house that evening...

There's a "cheesecake" ketogenic recipe that I hoped to make for his cake.  I didn't plan ahead well enough though and was minus an ingredient so I searched on the web for another "treat" he could have.  I found a "muffin in a mug" recipe and gave it a try (I still had to borrow an ingredient from a neighbor :)

I stuck some candles in it and Ben was thrilled.

 He loved it!  I was so worried that he wouldn't like it but he immediately asked for more after his first bite.

 

Sunday night we had a joint celebration at Mom and Dad's...

 Ben kept handing Andy every little strip of wrapping paper he pulled off.

Happy birthday my guys!