A dramatic foreward to my birthday blog:
Smoke billowed, sparks flew, bells rang and children cried.
December 11 was my 30th birthday! This year I decided to let others take the wheel. I went in without personally making any plans, having zero expectations, and putting no pressure on myself. It was such a lovely weekend!
Saturday was my actual birthday. I slept in until 7:10 (that's over an hour later than my usual wake up), and then Jeff came to borrow our van and brought me a Starbucks breakfast sandwich and an Americano. I threw some almond milk in the americano and drank it as I would my usual morning coffee.
Dave gave me his gifts and cards from the kids. There is a specific perfume I had years ago that I absolutely loved, but it was a ways out of price range, so Dave got this sample pack of 10 perfumes for me to try. When I figure out which one I like best, it comes with a voucher so I just go into the store and they'll give me a 30-50mL bottle of whichever one I wanted. Super cool idea! And I love smelly things, so fun for me!
My parents came over around 930 with a gift of wine and new wine glasses. Great timing as we broke (another) one just that morning! They hung out with the kids for a few hours so Dave and I could go out. We did some shopping and then went to Cactus Club for lunch.
We came home so that Dave could go and be the sneaky photographer for one of his best friend's proposals to his girlfriend! Everything went perfectly and she was very surprised! Fun!
In the evening we were still full from lunch and didn't have any plans, so I went to the grocery store and picked up a salad for Dave and I, and made simple wraps for the big kids for dinner. We spent the evening playing Mario Kart and spending quality time together and then went to bed. I am so glad we didn't plan anything big on my birthday. Much more relaxing and "me" that way.
2021
The bigger celebrations came on Sunday! We were planning to have Dave's family over for brunch. Alas, Dom woke up with a sore throat and a bit of a cough (D'OH!!!). Rebecca is also getting over a cough, so they stayed home, but Gramma, Grandpa, Allana & Gabriel still came out. Dom was also a champion with wearing his mask and giving people distance. I am honestly so impressed! Must be a COVID child. It was like a no-brainer to him that he'd wear his mask at all times, wash his hands more than usual, and physically distance himself. So proud.
Brunch was delicious! I requested hashbrown casserole and it did not disappoint! After brunch Grandpa went out to run some errands, and Gramma stayed here with us. We all had some quiet/rest time, and Dave took Eva and Sherlock for a walk. After quiet time, Gramma was brave enough to make/decorate some sugar cookies with the kids! Emilia was SO into it. She was focused and reveled in the quality Gramma time I think.
Around 4:30, we packed up the Surrey Crew (Marta, Scott and my parents) in our van and headed to Vancouver for dinner at a mystery location. Reservations had been made about 3 months ago, and all I knew was that I should be excited for the dinner that was to come!
We made it to the location, got out, and we were at Savio Volpe, a popular Italian restaurant in Vancouver that I've heard Adam & Aly talk about many a time! One of their favourite spots for the food and also the dining experience. When we were seated, we noticed it smelled a little smoky. Like someone had burnt some food in the kitchen. We happened to be seated right next to the open kitchen.
We sat down and got comfortable as the smoky smell got a bit more distracting. There was some obvious activity going on behind us and the kitchen staff had a big industrial fan trying to blow the smoke away from the patrons and towards their vents. We could tell something unordinary was going on, but figured they had things under control.
Adam started to explain why this restaurant was special and what to expect when our waiter intrerruped us, "Good evening - would you like still or sparkling?" We placed our water orders and then all hell broke loose. The smoke behind us had amped up big time, and then the fire alarms started going off and the fire suppression system started spraying in the kitchen. The kitchen staff zipped out of there so fast and the whole restaurant was evacuated. We were out within 45 seconds.
By the time we made it out the door there were 3 firetrucks pulling up. It wasn't immediately clear what was going on, but they were definitely in a rush and taking it seriously! Within a few minutes there were 4 firetrucks, 2 fire supervisor vehicles, and a couple ambulances came by (nobody was injured so they went on their way). Firemen were all over trying to find ladders and getting their hoses up to the roof.
It became clear pretty quickly that we would not be able to have our Savio Volpe dining experience that had been planned for my 30th birthday for 3 months. We made our way back to the vehicles and the rest of our group was on their phones trying frantically to find a nice spot for us to eat that would fit all 8 of us right now.
While they rushed around, I just sat back and let it all happen. I watched the firetrucks, I listened to the firemen yelling and bustling around, and I peered around the back of the building to see sparks SHOOTING out of the chimney and smoke billowing out around it. Ruh Roh! We found out later that what happened was a fire in the wood pizza oven's vent. There was water damage and some fire damage in the kitchen, and the restaurant will be closed for a bit until they can get it all fixed. What the heck!
Finally we got a spot at another restaurant and I told them not to tell me where we were going. It can still be a surprise! At least I didn't know what I was missing at Savio Volpe! We drove further into Kits and I was led to Fable, a farm to table restaurant. They were empty when we got there and very happy to see us. Our evening was salvaged!
The food at Fable was delicious. I had things I would not normally order like duck breast, warm brussels sprout salad, and trout. We ordered a few appetizers and at least one of each of the entrees for the table and just shared it all family-style. We had the last 3 bottles of Meyers Pinot Noir in the restaurant (oh my. So yummy!). The service we received was excellent, and we got to debrief about what happened at the first stop!
We realized we could all taste the smoke, our throats hurt, our eyes hurt, and we REEKED like camp fire. Our eyes twitched a little at the open flame candles on all the tables and some shelves at the new restaurant too haha.
After filling our bellies at Fable, we went back to Adam & Aly's for dessert and some more wine. Between the two restaurants they ordered a chocolate mousse cake for me and picked it up on the way back to their place. Considering everything went to shit originally, they all sure did well making it a special evening! We had some Da Silva Reserve Merlot to pair with our rich chocolate mousse cake (chocolate mousse is my favorite). At around 915 the Surrey Crew packed back into our mini van and trekked back to our side of the river.
It was an adventure! I feel very appreciated and loved after my birthday weekend. I am so grateful I was able to turn off my neurotic brain and just sit back and enjoy every part of it.
Thank you to all of you who made me feel special this birthday weekend! <3
So how does it feel to be 30?
Incredibly appropriate. I did a lot in my 20's. Dave and I reminisced a bit...
- We got married
- We travelled (Mexico, Disneyland, Europe, Orlando)
- We started a successful business
- We got a dog
- We bought a house
- We had 3 kids
I feel 30. I feel ready. 30 Doesn't feel old. I am excited for what my 30's will bring!
What a great story it all ended up being. I have heard amazing things about that Fable restaurant from my now co-worker who was a server there for years. What a great way to start the next decade! Great pictures as always :) Cheers to the wine and desserts for great celebrations!
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