Happy Birthday to me!

Today I turn 33 years old, which means I am still in my early 30's, I'd say.  It may not be the most exciting of birthdays.  Noelle's comment this morning was, "We're going grocery shopping on your birthday!?!?"  Evidently, a trip to Trader Joe's would not be her idea of a festive birthday celebration.  Yet, it was a sweet trip - complete with enchilada samples, mustard on sale, 2 helpful shopping assistants, and an absolutely adorable 10 month old in jeans, a hot pink hoodie sweatshirt, and fuzzy pink boots.

I've already received most of my birthday gifts.  We had a little celebration in CO.  We'll have another little celebration this weekend (with a meal I don't have to cook).  Yet, I truly feel like I've been opening gifts all day -
- the health and strength to get out of bed, even with another broken night of sleep
- a warm cup of coffee, prayer, shopping list
- an early bird riser who goes straight to the bathroom to throw her pull-up away, and then comes straight to me for morning snuggles
- a baby who slept until 6:30 and patted and nuzzled me when I retrieved her from her bed
- a husband who told me he thinks I'm wonderful before he left for work
- paper airplane contests with a plane Isaiah made for me
- watching Noelle feed Lucy her first serving of cottage cheese
- reading another chapter of The Wizard of Oz with a child laying on each shoulder, fully absorbed in the story
- getting facebook messages, emails, texts, and calls from people all over the world that are remembering me and are glad I was born
- brownie cheesecake bites and a cup of coffee at my desk while all 3 kids are resting/sleeping
- the opportunity and ability to serve friends with a new baby by making dinner for them
- the peace of having a plan for the next step of our family's journey

It may not be the most exciting of birthdays, but it is certainly a happy birthday for me.  Thanks, God.