I write blogs all day long in my head. It is really a shame you can't read them as I think them.
One blog I was really excited to write about was my birthday. But guess what, that was two days ago and I am just now writing about it.
Birthdays were always so special in my family when I was growing up. If we were at home on my birthday I would wake up to a decorated house, singing, presents waiting to be unwrapped that evening and the treatment of a queen. It was MY day to be celebrated!!! Granted there were some birthdays when we were traveling...OK, a LOT. Having a summer birthday I often found myself waking in a tent ('cause that's what we did) in a camp ground somewhere in the world. One year it was Norway...or maybe Ireland...I can't remember. One year some grandiose national park in the U.S. but every time I woke up I felt so special and cherished.
This year, June 29, 2011 I woke at 4:45am to a precious little boy who was wet from head to toe. You know, wet...like, pee. Great. So I stumbled out of bed (literally) and tripped over Quinn who had made her bed on the floor next to mine at some point during the night. I tripped over her and hit my let on the metal corner of our bed-splitting open my shin and landing with all my weight on my opposite knee. Happy birthday me. After I cleaned Asa up all while holding one eye open (I forgot to tell you I decided to stay up until 1:30am for some stupid reason) I put him in bed with me. Drew was long gone to work so I figured it would be easiest for me, and afford me more sleep if I put Asa down with me. Not so. He tossed and turned and kicked me in the face until 6:30am. Long story short, the alarm went off early. We had a birthday breakfast to attend. Okay okay, it was not really for my birthday, it was just a Sole Hope breakfast meeting that happened to be ON my birthday. I woke up my cranky children (I was a little cranky myself...my bleeding, swollen shin and I) and got us ready to go. Breakfast was yummy. Company was fantastic and I only had to take my children outside once to speak some "correction" into their life. I was blessed to have a friend who took one child while I took the other....we split up the crankiness since it was my birthday. Asa and I went bathing suit shopping since I have not had a new one since high school-that was a miserable fail.
(above: Asa and I walking around downtown after breakfast...he was wearing his new Sole Hope flip flops.)
My day started to get better as I willingly accepted a massage my husband bought for me. Thank GOD! Peace and quiet! I went straight from there to the chiropractor. I have minor scoliosis and sometimes it gets really painful...like on my birthday. I later joined Drew on a date to the Grove Park Inn for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner and as we started to leave the inn on the mountain I noticed the sun was setting. I really wanted to sit on the porch in the rocking chairs and just relax and watch the sun set over the beautiful blue ridge mountains. He insisted we need to head downtown before it was dark so I agreed-begrudgingly. I mean, wasn't this MY birthday!?
(A view from the Grove Park Inn-Asheville)
Then, the best surprise... Drew took me to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge and as we stood in line he talked about the DOCICA magazine party had I just attended there for Sole Hope. He wanted me to show him where it was, so we walked up the stairs and guess. who. was. sitting. there......
SEVERAL of my closest girl friends!!!! I lost it. I started crying (and I'm not a crier). All day I had felt so overstimulated by my precious, sweet children (who I wouldn't trade for the world!)...and I felt so alone. I was comparing myself to other friends I have who I feel like have been celebrated "more"...(never compare...it always gets you in trouble!) and I had just felt really alone all day. I was wishing I was young again and could wake up knowing my mom would be there to welcome me with a morning hug-so thankful that God had brought me into her life. I was craving fellowship with others...and angel food cake. When I walked into that room full of my friends who had KNOWN about this little surprise...who had taken time out of their busy lives to come be with me for a couple hours it just blessed my socks off! I felt SO loved. I felt SO cherished. It was as if I'd had a little crack in my normally tough I-can-do-anything, no-one-can-hurt-me armor that was just immediately repaired. It just showed me I should never ever ever tell myself lies like I had been telling myself all day.
Just for kicks since I am obsessed with birthdays...here are my all time birthday highs and lows:
Low: My 10th birthday I woke up at Yosemite National Park in my family's camper on my birthday. Everyone was already awake and had let me sleep in. I could smell the bacon my grandpa was making and I could hear my family laughing and having a good time outside the tent. I realized it had happened. As I slept I turned TEN! It was a pivotal time in my life...and although I laugh about it now I look back and realize I was a deep little child. It was the dawning of a new era because that morning I woke up not happy to get out of bed because I was 10...but I laid there looking at the sky...crying because I was 10...soon I'd be 20!...and before I knew it I'd be gone-dust in the wind. I loved life and I didn't understand eternity. (As if I fully understand it now-ha!) I knew I was growing up so fast and I wanted time to stand still! Anyway, that was uber depressing. After I got my over-thinking 10 year old self out of bed I had a delicious birthday breakfast and got a bunch of new socks though so the day panned out fine.
High: My 16th birthday. It was simple and I spent it with those I really cared about. I was living in Italy at the time and I had a few things in life I was passionate about. Soccer, the beach and my friends. I spent my 16th birthday on the beach with two of my best friends. Later that evening we went to a killer Italian restaurant. It was there I smelled pot for the first time. No-I wasn't smoking it...but someone dining out that night was. Ah yes, the simple life. (below: "my" ocean...home...still the greatest place in the world if you ask me)
And then there was this birthday...I think it was the best yet since my 16th...at least the ending to it was.
I am so thankful. I am SO blessed!!!!
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