My Birthday Gift :)

Okay, so my birthday is Tuesday, June 1st :) John got me an early birthday present and the evening of Mark's party he took me out to see WICKED in NYC. Wicked is a Broadway show and if you haven't seen it or know about it, it is the story of The Wizard of Oz, from the Wicked Witch of the West's perspective...why she did what she did and how she came to be who she did, and you also get to see Glinda the Good Witch in a new light.

I am a huge Broadway fan. I love musicals. I actually make up my own musicals on a daily basis, just ask my bosom friend Christy (I love you Christy, and I miss aftercare when we made up our musicals for the kids!) I love acting, singing, performing, and that is why I was an education and theater major at Rowan University. Julia and I sing our way through many days :)

Anyway, a lot of my friends have recently seen this show and raved about it, and so for the past couple of months I was dropping hints to John about how I'd love to go, and sure enough he got us tickets!...on the night of Marky's party...ummmm can I say tired, and super stressful? hahahaha...he didn't mean for it to be, actually he wanted to just whisk me away for the evening so I'd have a break...but cleaning up after 95 people and being a hostess all day, and setting up the room, and packing all our cars and unpacking all our cars was very tiring!

We got home after Mark's party around 5:45 p.m. and John said we needed to leave by 6:30 to get to our 8pm show on time. So, since I never ate at the party, come on, who had time to eat? :) We came home unpacked the car, I changed the kids diapers and put pjs on them while my SIL and Sara, and Sara's boyfriend helped me organize the gifts. I nursed Marky, ate a sandwich, while John opened up my SIL Laurie's gift for Marky, which he loved (Thomas the Train car)...which Julia took from him and started driving around the house. Then I had to give Sara and my Mom the run down of our bedtime rituals and times and schedules...before fixing my hair and throwing on a coat, and we were off at 6:32, good job, right??? LOL

We got into the city just in time for major traffic because it was Memorial Day weekend...but we made it into the show with a minute (literally) to spare. The show was awesome, the acting amazing, and the songs and singing I loved the song with the two friends Elphaba and Glinda when they sing "For Good" here are the lyrics

ELPHABA

I'm limited:
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you -
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
(spoken) For both of us
(sung) Now it's up to you:

GLINDA
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you:

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

ELPHABA
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend:
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you:

GLINDA
Because I knew you:

BOTHI have been changed for good

ELPHABA
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for

GLINDA
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

BOTH
And none of it seems to matter anymore

GLINDA ELPHABA
Like a comet pulled Like a ship blown
From orbit as it Off it's mooring
Passes a sun, like By a wind off the
A stream that meets Sea, like a seed
A boulder, half-way Dropped by a
Through the wood Bird in the wood

BOTH
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better?

GLINDA
And because I knew you:
ELPHABA
Because I knew you:

BOTH
Because I knew you:
I have been changed for good.
**************************************

I love that line, "Who can say if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you I have been changed for good." I have so many wonderful people in my life. My husband, my family, my friends, have all changed me for the good. I believe that God puts people in our lives to help mold us and change us. And I was thinking of about a dozen great people who God has blessed me with who have certainly helped change me for the good. Thank you my friends. I love you.

Thank you, John...my best friend for taking me to see a great show and allowing us to have a date night...my favorite part was holding hands and just enjoying the evening alone with you!

P.S. I'm 32 now!!! Wooohooo :)