Birthday Blessings

Friday I turned 33!   My age doesn't bother me at all, it's just a number.  I don't feel any older than the day I graduated (I graduated from the University of Wyoming on my birthday in 2004, 11years ago!).  But, I know it's happening.  The blonde highlights I used to pay for are slowly turning to gray for free.  I have a daughter that will enter double digits in 2016 and  I have been married for 10 years.  What bothers me is that this is the first year of my life that I have to face without my mom.  I never imagined that, at 33, my mother would be gone.  I should've had at least 30 more years with her. 

 

She liked to remind me that she was in labor with me for 36 hours and that I finally decided to come at 12:45 p.m., during lunch:). I would, in turn, tease her that I had been a teen pregnancy even though it was completely legit.  She married my dad when she was 18, just after graduating high school, had me at 19, and turned 20 a month later.  I can just see her giving me "the look" she was so good at and being upset that I just didn't feel like celebrating.  There's a certain guilt, when you're grieving, about feeling happy or celebrating.  As much as you know your loved one would want you to be happy and celebrate, it's just hard.  I know she was watching over me and reminded me Friday that she was with me; I saw a cardinal and I know it was her wishing me a happy birthday.

 

I have some pretty special people in my life that helped to make my day special though.  My dad took us to dinner before he went back to work and made me cry with one of the sweetest cards I've ever received.  I had told him I wanted a new calendar so he texted me one day saying he had gotten me a Fleet Farm calendar for free; he did better than that though and got me the same one my mom got each year.  Dave took the kids shopping and they bought me the most thoughtful presents with their own money.  Dave baked my birthday cake, yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  Sarah and the twins came bearing wonderful gifts, a peppermint mocha from McDonalds, and a pretty birthday poinsettia.  Dave left for work a little later in the morning so he could help get the girls ready to go and make us all breakfast (pancakes with Christmas tree sprinkles:).  He also cooked dinner on Friday and we went out for dinner last night while my sister watched the kids for us.  It was hard, but good. 

 Out for diner with everyone before dad left for work.

 Birthday presents from my girls.  They went shopping and bought me these with their own money.  Madi got me a candle and beautiful coffee mug and Gracie got me Birthday cake Oreos and a box of Christmas cards:)  She thought it was a puzzle and Dave just didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise because she was so excited about the cardinal on it. 

 Wyatt took the liberty of blowing out my candles for me:)  They decorated my cake so beautifully!

Grace's card made me smile; she wrote on the bottom right, "I make you shine."  So sweet.

 

I took the littles to a preschool playdate at the girls' school on Friday.  Once a month they put together activities and for $10 you can take the kids to all 9 playdates.  It's such a good deal and it's nice to get out of the house.  There have regularly been 3-4 other sets of twins there each time.  Must be something in the water!

 The sand table was a BIG hit.  I feel so bad for whoever cleaned up afterwards though.  There was sand everywhere.  It was caked in the kids shoes so is currently all over my suburban too:)

 Hattie's tower in the process of falling down. 

 Loved the look on her face after it fell

 They got to make their own bags of trial mix and they LOVED it. 

Snack time and juice boxes, life is good!

 Wyatt reading the directions to the girls and Luke supervising from the stroller. 

It was a huge success in my book, everyone fell asleep on the way home!  You better believe I sat in the car in my garage and let them sleep:)