36 ain't that bad!

What a wonderful day I've had! It's actually been a great weekend spent with friends and family. We've eaten lots of great food (seems that's all we do for celebrations) and I've opened some cool gifts. It feels so good to know that there are so many who love me!

I woke up this morning to my first 'birthday card' for the day from our Zack. He's very creative and so affectionate! He promises that even when he is a teenager, he will still want tuck-ins and cuddles. I can only keep my fingers crossed. (Graham USED TO call me for tuck-ins but he's 14 now and I suppose he just doesn't need them anymore.)Speaking of Graham; he made some cinnamon rolls this morning for breakfast and they were especially good! It's so nice that he's becoming more and more independent. He's growing up so fast! I even got a tiny back scratch yesterday and a hug today. Not even forced! Love you GC!

After breakfast we scrambled to get ready for church. The hurricane postponed the previously planned Primary program so it was rescheduled for today. The kids did a wonderful job. Maddie gave a talk that she had prepared and Zack had memorized a scripture. We are so proud of them. I've never been involved in a Primary program and I'm sure it's quite the project. To get all those squirrelly kids together at one time AND make sense of the whole thing. Amazing!

I still have a hard time getting Mike to leave the darn electronics home. He finds that scripture reading from the iPhone is convenient and that taking pictures during our meetings is vital. Here's what I think about that.....

After church we headed down to LJ to spend the day with extended family. It was the first time we'd been down there since the hurricane and it was just plain ol' nice to be together again. It gets crazy with all the kids running in and out of the house, but oh, how I love to be with each and every one of them. I wish so much I had taken pictures of the happy occasion.

Amidst the noise and chaos I just sit there and soak it all in. My heart aches to think how bland my life would be without the pictures and memories of my dad, the never-ending giving of my mother, the infectious laugh that my Jen makes, the comfort my Mis emits just being around her, the call that Aaron makes just to let me know he's thinking of me. The love I have for my 4 beautiful nieces and irresistible nephew is hard to describe. My husband is patient and so very loving and I do believe I have a forever flow of love from my 3 step kids. They have always treated me as though they are my very own!

Birthdays are a bit humbling for some reason. Although I don't feel old. I feel blessed to have experienced the life I have thus far and hopeful for more to come. 36 years is hard to fathom, but it's real. Almost surreal when I really think about it. Whew, wonder what I will feel at 45, 50, 60. Thank you to everyone for your kind words, phone calls and birthday wishes! I enjoyed every moment!

We are home now. Kids are in bed. Another birthday almost gone. Sigh.