happy birthday to me

I celebrated another birthday this month. I am now officially older than Allen for the next 6 months. He will remind me of this fact about a thousand times in the next 6 months. I had a great day. The kids were out of school and Allen was off work, so it really felt like my birthday all day. I have said this before, but I want to write it down so my children can read it later. They MAKE my birthdays. My birthdays have become more about them then me. Without them, it would just be another day. But seeing their joy and excitement makes me feel so good. Watching their faces as I open up the gifts that they picked out all by themselves is priceless. Their hugs and kisses, their back scratches, their cute smiles, their "happy birthday mom!" 100 times a day. I want them to know how much this meant to their mom-it meant everything. I have vivid memories of each child the first time they could actually sing "happy birthday" to me. It made me cry every time. Isn't that weird? I don't know why it affected me so much. It was somehow significant to me, a milestone that touched my heart.

This year I requested that instead of going out to dinner, that the kids (and Allen) fix dinner for me. This thrilled them. They did a great job. My birthday cake was made by them also and it was yummy!

Allen surprised me this year with one of his gifts. I have been wanting to find a way to print my blog into a book so that I would have a hard copy of this "journal". There had not been a way yet. Well, right before my b-day, blurb came up with a way how-Allen found out and I did not. So Allen was able to surprise me with it on my b-day. Probably one of the best gifts he has given me. I instantly started to cry and couldn't stop. Partly because I was so surprised and so thankful to my wonderful husband. But mostly because I was looking at this book with pictures of my three kids on the cover and filled with memories about them. And my heart was full of the love I have for these three kids. I think I have said it before, but I am at a time in my life where I can't get enough of my kids. They are at such great ages. They are not perfect, but right now they are pretty close. And I am enjoying this time with them so much.