My Number Thirty-One

Caramel brownies made by my boss - they were the best ever.

I like the succession of these pictures.  Watch my eyebrows as I try to get all four of those candles blown out.

I did it!

My birthday always reminds me of the many blessings that fill my life.  I was missing Jake and the babies on the actual birthday but they had celebrated with me earlier in the week by going to Black Island Farms.  Noah gave me a naughty cat calendar and Abbi gave me Disney Pictopia game.  We're excited to play it together.  Jake bought a new sofa for my craft room and let me buy a few accents for the room, too.  The night before my birthday, I carried Noah into his room after 11 p.m.  He had been sleeping in the car and barely woke up while I pulled off his costume.  When he crawled under his covers, in a little sleepy voice, he said, "Happy Birfday, Mommy."  I've never had a better happy birthday in my life.

I was glad to have a couple of Face Time conversations with my parents.  They are doing so well in South Africa and have so much to keep them busy.  I love hearing from them and haven't been too homesick for them because I'm too happy for them to have this adventure together.

My siblings text messages during the day made me laugh because they all called me a different nick-name.  And, Jimmy made funny jokes about the sweat pants dress code for anyone coming over to my house that night.  I am blessed with best friend brothers and sisters.  We get in each others' business a lot but I think we must like it because we all do it.  We're grateful to have good relationships.  I like them all.

This year really secures my place in my thirties.  I'm going to figure out how to make this decade just as good as all the rest.  I'm always sure the last ten years were the best, but blessings still pour in making hard times easier to bear as I'm surrounded by my wonderful family and really great friends.  I'm sure being in my thirties will be pretty good.