Pineapples Are Kind of a Theme in My Life and I Like It

Pineapples are kind of a theme, or perhaps more accurately, a motif in my life. Its wierd because Pineapples aren't even my favorite fruit. In fact, here's a list of fruits I like more than pineapples:

1. Peaches

2. Nectarines

3. Strawberries

4. Blood oranges

So Pineapples would be about 5 on my fave fruits list, but still they find their way into my life more thematically than fruits one through four. I'll explain...

Someone in my family (or out of my family--I'm not sure--but it found its way into my family) started the "tradition" of giving congratulatory Pineapples at events that merit congratulations (actually only graduation ceremonies). But I really liked this "tradition" and have clung to it. In fact, I recently gifted a Pineapple to my sister-in-law when she graduated from BYU.

While I was in Uganda I ate a pineapple a day. I'm not joking or hyperbolizing. They were the most amazing pineapples you'll ever have (and if you do ever have them you might need to argue about this with someone who has lived in Hawaii and thinks their pineapples are better than yours). I'd buy one from a roadside fruitstand for a thousand shillings (50 cents) and eat it for lunch or dessert. The great thing about them is that they never hurt your mouth no matter how much you eat.

And pineapples again crept their way into my life yesterday. It was Dave's birthday and I asked him what his favorite cake was. He said Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (then quickly ammended it with lemon merengue pie, but I pretended I didn't hear that because I didn't want to try and make it. Plus lemons aren't a theme in my life and I don't want them to be). So being the sweetheart that I am, I made Dave his FAVORITE cake-- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Best part of it: It was the very first successful baked good I have ever made all by myself from scratch--a surprisingly liberating feeling.

It was yummy, and I managed to wheedle in a candle for each of Dave's 26 years (an un-liberating feeling).

The rest of the birthday party was a big success and very fun. Thanks to the MacDonalds for letting us throw it at their house. Here are some shots of the night: