Since we got married, every birthday and Christmas I have thought, "I know all Markus really wants is a bike, but that is a really big gift so I should find something else." Well this year I was all out of something else so we he got a mountain bike!
I really had no idea it was going to make him so happy. I think not having a bike besides a cruiser for a few years got him to a place of extreme bike gratitude. And I mean, he already looks totally professional, right?
Gift: check. Next was the cake. Markus' request was chocolate chocolate chip, which thankfully is a recipe in my super trusty baking cookbook, The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free. You start with gluten free cake mix and you can seriously make anything! 
Markus loves Calvin and Hobbes, and I have wanted to make him a Calvin and Hobbes cake for years. I finally got some tricks up my sleeve and was able to make it work! 
These Gourmet Writer Food Decorator Pens made it really easy to draw my design onto some Wilton Sugar Sheet paper, which is basically a really thin sheet of fondant. 
I actually super cheated and took the markers and sugar sheet up to my old high school where my friend is a teacher and traced it all using her projector! Sneaky sneaky. Then I took my finished art home and just laid it on top of the iced cake. His coworkers got a good kick out of it. 
Gift and cake: complete! Next was the big birthday plans. I volunteer with Cancer Support Community as my Junior League placement, and they needed volunteers for the costume party Rock the Red Door. Markus was super happy to sign up to volunteer with me, and I do know that we had the best costumes there. When I suggested that we dress as Lloyd and Harry from "Dumb and Dumber," Markus said, "Just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber, you go and do something like this...and totally redeem yourself!"
Big Gulps, huh? Well, see ya later! 
Last stop on the Birthday Express was family dinner. Markus is the family vegetarian but he loves Fogo de Chao for their mega salad bar, sides and amazing gluten free cheese rolls. I really love this picture because I feel like I look SO SAD that my mom wouldn't let us eat until we all took a photo together. Classic food obsessed kid.
I was in much better spirits after our meal, especially when my mom pulled out the Birthday Hamster! He makes an appearance at all of our family birthdays since I was in high school.
Markus loves really low key and family birthdays, and he was super happy which made me so happy! I am proud to have him as a friend and was inspired that he really just wanted to go to work, do something for other people by volunteering at the party and enjoy his family. He's worked really hard this year and I am so excited for all the fun things headed his way!
