The weekend before his birthday, I arranged to have a friend take our kids overnight so Jason and I could enjoy a night alone in Des Moines. We ate a delicious dinner at District 36 then stayed at Des Lux- one of the coolest boutique hotels we've ever stayed in. It was a delightful surprise in little ol' Iowa, and we had such a great time doing absolutely nothing- our favorite thing to do when we get the chance to be alone together. I thought for sure that Jason had ruined all of my planning by getting on my phone the day before and looking at my calendar, but he promised he was genuinely surprised, and I forgave him just as soon as we dropped the kids off. We had a great time alone together!
And Daddy's birthday celebration wouldn't be the same without an assortment of delicious Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, lots of hugs and kisses from the kids, and a few more surprises as gifts. Each of my brothers, brothers-in-law, and my dad took time to write a note, letter, or poem to Jason as a birthday gift, and he had a great time reading each one. They came at such a good time, when Jason really needs to be surrounded with love, support, and encouragement from his family. It was fun watching him read each one, and between that and the weekend-getaway he's said that 36 is a birthday he'll never forget.
I think it might also have something to do with the fact that Jason was called to be the bishop of our ward that weekend. In our church, all positions and responsibilities are unpaid, rather we fill them voluntarily when asked, and the bishop serves like a pastor or rabbi (but with a lot less formal training or preaching). Because the Ames and Des Moines stakes were recently split and reorganized to form a third stake in the area, and because our bishop was called to serve in the stake presidency, a new bishop was needed for our ward. Jason got a call from our new stake president on our way to Utah (which greatly changed our conversations for the trip there and back), and then was extended the call the Saturday night, the night after our birthday getaway. He was sustained in church the following Sunday, and nothing has been the same since. He will be busier with serving than ever before, but I know he'll do a wonderful job. The day I first saw Jason he was serving, the day I first met him he served me, and he has kept that servants heart about him ever since. I will be released as the Relief Society president this Sunday (would have been last Sunday, but his first week in charge Jason cancelled church due to -30 temps!) and although I was sad about that at first, now I'm ready to shift my focus back to my family even more. Our family will be blessed by this opportunity for service, and it will definitely be an adventure unlike any we've had before!
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