"I like my birthdays, every one..."

Lisa, 5 yrs

I love my birthday. I really, really do. I love all birthdays, but mine is particularly wonderful. I don't ever really want anything for my birthday, I just want to feel loved. And I got a lot of love this year.

Chad brought me a red velvet bundt cake on Friday and told me not to save it. Just crack it open and enjoy my birthday weekend, so we did.  Yummers.

My actual birthday was on a Sunday, so we went to church. Getting out the door was a bit stressful. We were running late and I really hate being late for church. "How late were you?" my brother in law asked over dinner. "5 mins?"

"Yes, 5 mins."

"Oh please, 5 minutes is still considered on time. We're always 5 mins late."

I don't care. I still don't like it.

After a lovely day of church and several well wishes from good friends, we came home and made lunch for the girls. I talked to my parents on the the phone and was serenaded with a slightly off-key version of Happy Birthday. I opened a lovely gift they had sent, which included a card from Barack Obama (because he's totally my favorite president ever - not) and a Hickory Farms Beef Stick (about which I'm still laughing, but will describe in a later post).

I changed out of my church dress, laid in my bed and ate cake for lunch - which you are totally allowed to do on your birthday.

Chad came home and helped the girls make a birthday cake we could take to dinner with us, which they thought was so fun and wonderful. I made the frosting, but they did everything else. The three amigos also learned the valuable life lesson - don't frost a hot cake.

'Why?" Chad asks.

"A hot cake will melt the frosting," I say.

"Really?"

"Frosting is mainly butter. Butter melts."

"That makes so much sense."

We drove to Chad's parents with the cake on the floor of the car and all the cold air vents blasting it. Somehow it made it with minimal melting. A birthday miracle :)

Denise (Chad's mom) made a lovely dinner for everyone and I do mean everyone. With the addition of grandchild number 10 earlier this month, we are officially 20 people - 10 adults, 10 kids. It's wonderful and very loud...we sat out on the deck and ate it on paper plates. Because no one should have to do dishes for that many people no matter what day it is.

We celebrated my nephew, Cooper's 4th birthday (Aug 20) with a cake and a couple of presents. He was completely thrilled with the attention. It was very cute. We cut his funfetti cake and fed it to all the kids.

Once they were all settled we celebrated my birthday, complete with another red velvet bundt cake (apparently my love for this cake is making a name for itself.) If you are lost count, I'm now up to three birthday cakes - Chad's red velvet, Chad and the girls' homemade cake and the red velvet for the family dinner. Thankfully, I'm a big fan of cake. Big fan.

I got several sweet notes and cards and a magazine of dream home floor plans, which Jenny wouldn't let anyone look through before she gave it to me, so it wouldn't be used :)


My phone buzzed every few minutes all day with texts and Facebook posts from thoughtful friends. And while I know most of these people wouldn't remember it was my birthday without the Facebook reminder, I don't care, they still took a moment to send good thoughts and that makes me feel very special.

I love birthdays. You should feel special and loved on your birthday. People you love should use the day to say that they are happy you are alive, (which my people did), you should get to eat cake (which it did) and you should wear really great shoes (which I did, red wedges in fact that rival few other pairs for the title of my favorite shoes).

Love. Cake. Shoes. A pretty near perfect birthday.