Hallziepoo: Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!

30 years old was never an age that I looked forward too. It wasn't until 3 years ago that I accepted that 30 isn't "middle aged." But the movie 13 going on 30 did make it appear more fun and glamorous. Naturally, I thought for my birthday I would do some soul searching about the person I had become, and then go find my best friend growing up and fall madly in love. His name was Jeff, and he had the most righteous mullet with a side spike all at the same time! Dreamy! Well, after hours of internet stalking...no Jeff. And the whole soul searching thing, that just takes way too much energy! So instead, I did the usual: party all week, something that included water, dancing, karaoke and music....my staples in life.

Danielle and Nate were able to come up from New Mexico with my niece and nephews. We went to the Utah Hogle Zoo on Wednesday (Day 1 of birthday bash!)

Austin DID NOT like the Dinosaurs!

Who is holding Dakota up...doesn't look safe to me??

Dakota was our navigator!

Thursday night, JD and Mom took us to Tepanyaki for my birthday dinner (Day 2 of birthday bash!) I had never been but was very pleasantly suprised! The kids loved it! Owen tried to look disinterested, but we would catch him staring our server lighting things on fire and throwing food around.

Of course the kids had to try to eat with chopsticks like the grown ups.

Friday night was the 2nd annual joint bday party for Katie and myself! (Day 3 of birthday bash)

We decided to make the night a little more special by cutting the cake and then feeding each other. Guys, if you're lucky, this could be you! Please rescue me before I turn 31 and get kicked out of the single's wards!!

Saturday commenced the usual boating adventures! I got to play captain. (Day 4 of birthday bash!)

Shantell was one of my grunt workers!

Landon and Hailee came up with me! We got in a little puppy time, while they're still young and cute!

This is pretty much the only skill I have...I can back dive! Afterward, Shantell made sure to inform me that I "shouldn't bend my legs as much." So nice of her.

Landon and I decided we were going to brave and cliff jump. Everyone else stayed in the boat, spineless, but made sure to yell at us from the boat that I should "just jump. It's not that big of a deal."

Notice how we start out with just Landon and I up there? Let's watch the progression of events.

I chicken out. Landon jumps to show me how it's done.

You can't tell very well in this picture, but about 10 people had accumulated behind me waiting for me to jump. And this is after I had already let most of them go past me once, they jumped, and then came back up. "Hi guys. I'm still here." At one point, some snot-nosed little boy said, "just jump. It's not even that high." To which I responded, "You! Jump! Now!" Caught a little off guard, he jumped ahead of me. After about 45 minutes of me walking to the edge determined to jump, then backing up, and then being yelled at by everyone, and me yelling back at everyone, I finally jumped. Landon then proceeded to dive off the cliff...no biggie. I was back in the boat at this point, but I heard some little girl say, "oh wow" in a little girl crush kinda way. I also heard Hailee respond, "You better watch out little girl cuz you know I don't know how to swim but I be jumping in after you." Luckily, the little girl didn't hear the psycho jealous wife.