It really started the Saturday before my birthday. I went to the doctor to get a flu shot hoping to stay healthy. The Monday before my birthday I started feeling worse and Mom said, “You better hope you’re not sick for your birthday” and I agreed. When my birthday finally came, I woke up smiling and happy and ready to open my presents I usually get in the morning (card, small stuff). My brother got me a birthstone heart necklace and Mom went back to her room and brought out a Diamond Rio plastic bag with my present in it, the 1998 Poplin jacket, autographed by the whole band! I put it on and it was a good thing I got it, it was cold that morning! Mom requested a Rio song for me for my birthday at our radio station we listen to and they played it while I was eating. She also called in and signed me up to win a free DQ birthday ice cream cake. I ate breakfast and got dressed and left for school, thinking I’d make it through the day and go celebrate my birthday with my friends at a pizza buffet that afternoon.

I went to my 1st class and the teacher gave me a lollipop and printed out card. At the end of 2nd period I felt so awful that I didn’t want food at all. When I went to lunch I told my mom how bad I felt and the cafeteria boss came out and said, “You won!” and I was like “What?”. She explained to me that I won the ice cream cake from DQ & the radio station and I said, “Please, don’t mention food!”. I never did make it the whole day. I went to my last class for about 3 minutes to see my favorite substitute teacher and told her I was feeling sick and had to check out.

I stayed home that whole weekend and didn’t celebrate ’til the Tuesday after. I got home and put on a comfy nightgown and laid in bed. Then my mom said I was going to get a big surprise and that my grandparents were coming over. At the time I thought maybe they got me a car.

A month before my birthday my mom called Scarlet (the Diamond Rio fan club president) and told her it would be my golden birthday and she said, “Well, we’ll just have to do something special for her!” (knowing I was a BIG fan); then she said, “What if I get one of the guys to call her for her birthday?”. Mom said, “Yes, she’ll like that!” and I’m very glad she did, too! Around 4 Scarlet called(I was sitting on the couch) and Mom was nervous (I thought she was talking to relatives) and said, “Well, now we’ll be home all evening (as I was unable to keep anything down). Then my grandparents arrived and we all sat on the couch. I went to my room and grabbed the tape with “16 Candles” on it and played it while we were waiting (Mom just laughed).
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Around 6 PM the call finally came and Mom answered; when Dana asked for me she said, “Here she is”, at first before I started listening I thought it would be my grandparents in Minnesota, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!. I instantly knew who it was when I said, “Hello?” and smiled. I wish I would’ve recorded it, I don’t remember everything we said. I told him I was sick and he said, “Well, bless your heart” and I almost cried when he said that! I told him about having 2 cakes, one I won and one I baked, and he said, “Eat plenty for me when you feel better” and I told him I would; I did, but I didn’t taste anything! Then I walked back to my room with the cordless and popped in their Unbelievable CD and played the title cut and sang along to the 1st part. I sang, “She’s a mouthful of anything and everything a man could want”, then Dana,”Yeah!”, then Marty (in the song) “Yeah!”. He told me they’d just finished taping a show in Las Vegas and I couldn’t believe he called that far out! I can kick myself for not asking to talk to Marty, but Dana cheered me up! We talked for 10 whole minutes, that was the best day of my life! The end.