Birthday Boy

Brian turned 37 last Tuesday and the Dean girls (Mom included) enjoyed treating him like a king on his special day.

I took the 6am wake up with Megan while he slept in. I baked Grands cinnamon rolls for breakfast, which is a special treat when you consider a can cost S$14.

Brian specifically requested nothing for a gift this year, preferring to shop when we are back in Dallas in a couple months. I like celebrating birthdays so the man was still going to have a present to open on his birthday! Besides, the girls wanted Daddy to have a gift.

Elizabeth and I bought him some of his favorite pork jerky at the mall and I found some workout clothes and a nice polo made with that cool "dri-fit" material. It just seemed like a good idea since stepping outside causes profuse sweating. Of course, Megan and Elizabeth also made cards for Daddy.

Delia cooked Sweet & Sour Pork for birthday dinner and I tried a new "Celebration Cake" recipe for dessert. I baked an Angel Food Cake, split it into 3 layers and iced it with a combination of Cool Whip and Coco Lopez before covering it with coconut. As with most of my adventures here, it took a village to make that relatively simple cake. My baker friend Rachel loaned me the tube pan (mine didn't make the cut when I packed up my Southlake kitchen) and you can't exactly just run out and buy a store-made Angel Food Cake in Singapore. Karen brought me several cans of Coco Lopez when she returned last month so I had that key ingredient on hand. The cake was worth the effort and I was thankful for the assistance.

For the second straight year, Brian didn't feel 100 percent on his birthday so perhaps his body does not agree with the late 30s. It probably didn't help that he spent the holiday weekend with a virus-ridden Elizabeth either. But I think he felt special on his birthday and he learned that even when you don't expect a gift, it's nice to be surprised with one anyway.

It's hard for me to believe that so many years have passed since I mailed a bottle of Sambuca to my friend in California for his 21st birthday. When I consider how confident and adventurous Brian was back then, it's no surprise that we're celebrating his 37th year on the other side of the world. I'm blessed to be by his side. Happy Birthday, Brian!

Cenang Beach, Langkawi, with Megan