Today I turned 33. We had been planning to go eat at El Guappo's mexican restaurant in downtown Tulsa for my birthday celebration. The roof (3rd story) of the building has been turned into an open-air eating area/bar. I saw a write-up in the Urban Tulsa weekly magazine, and we made reservations and prayed for nice weather. Of course I wanted to eat on the roof! We invited my Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Lynette and Rick, and the rest of the fam to join us in the celebration. James and Lydia were in town, and my cousin Brad came too.
The day was beautiful! Upper 80 degree weather. Two of my friends, Stephanie and Christy, surprised me with birthday gifts. When Christy and her girls stopped by, they stayed awhile and we hung out on the back patio. I talked on the phone with Theresa and Jodi, and had a great afternoon. My kids about drove me nuts asking when Daddy would be home from work so they could give me my gifts from them. The girls each picked me out a neclace. Bryson got me a bath oil relaxer. Selah also got me a candle. Alan said the kids all chose my gifts very carefully. He said Selah smelled every candle over and over, choosing the one she thought I would like best ~ lemongrass and eucalyptus.
When we left for Tulsa, we were very excited, but noted the sky was looking cloudy. On the drive from Owasso to Tulsa (20 minutes) we watched the temp drop about 15 degrees. Needless to say, by the time we got to the rooftop, it was cold and windy. But, the food was good, the company was great, and the ring was the best...
My Dad pulled me aside and sat me on one of the stools at the bar. He told me a story about the time him and mom came to this very spot. He said they were sitting together at the bar, waiting for a seat. He kept getting up and walking a few steps away to check the score of a game on the TV behind the bar tender. When he would come back over to mom, he would kiss her, hug her, rub her back, etc. There was a young couple sitting next to mom, and one of the times he got up to go look at the TV again, she asked my mom if her and my dad were dating, or maybe newlyweds?? My mom laughed and told her that they had been married for 33 years.
As my dad finished telling me the story, he handed me a ring box. Inside was my mom's wedding ring. He told me he wanted me to have it, and he thought this would be a special time and place to give it to me. We both cried. I will remember that moment forever. In a painful sort of way, it really was a happy birthday.
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