Birthday

Y'all, I have come to grips with my birthday. Scratch that-I have come to embrace my birthday! It has been a journey, I tell you. But I have made it there-in more ways than one.
 I have always had wonderful birthdays! Even when I was single and hated Valentine's Day I still had a great birthday! (On a side note I still don't like Valentine's Day because it is just a way for people to make money. However, I do like all things pink and purple and hearts and flowers and chocolate. So I decorate for it and I do like to remind those around me that I love them. So at least some good comes of the commercialized holiday.) When I was a kid my brother-who had to share his birthday with me and who is a totally amazing person- called the radio and won ME an ice cream cake! Can you believe that? So cool! In high school "the gang" as we called ourselves always did something extra special for me: surprise parties, gifts, red carpet etc. (They were a much better friend to me than I was to them-that's for sure.) All my life my parents have made it a point to celebrate me and help me have a special day.
But as I have gotten older I always get a sinking pit in my stomach as my birthday approaches. It's because I always feel I have come up short in terms of where I am supposed to be in life or what I have accomplished. This year was no different. Since I haven't accomplished several of the major life goals I had hoped to by now I was really really feeling it. BUT! I'm putting all that behind me. So what if people judge me? It's my life. I'm not on their timeline. I will eventually get my goals done-because I always do. AND, I have to stop a moment and think about what is absolutely most important to me in my life: my family! And that's what I am doing right now so I don't need to feel too badly about not doing the other stuff. I'll get there and I am just not going to compare myself to others along the way. So, Happy Birthday to me!

*I wrote the above "soliloquy" on my birthday and here are few pictures from the event!

 A very thoughtful friend of mine surprised me with a birthday cake! She even had ice cream to go with it! J was in heaven with that red icing!

The kids surprised me with a trip to eat out the day before my birthday. M was hilarious about it and went to great lengths to keep it a secret. When we got there she snatched my blindfold off and screamed "WELCOME TO MOES!" (which is where they had brought me) It was pretty funny!

In case you didn't know, M loves to make people happy-especially on their birthday. She wanted to make me a cake and decorate it all by herself but being that she is seven and lives in a dream world I told her she could help make my cheesecake and then decorate my piece of it. Here it is. She made it fancy with sprinkled cinnamon and spinach. (In case you are wondering it also has a very rich dark chocolate sauce and a delicious  homemade blueberry sauce on it as well).

Sweet Grandmomma sent us a valentine craft which we greatly enjoyed putting together:

I truly did have a nice birthday and thoroughly enjoyed all the calls and cards and very generous gifts I received. Thanks y'all! It's going to be a great year!