Birthday!

Birthday's are funny things. I wonder if other people feel the way I do. In the morning on my birthday, I started making my bed and I thought, "A person shouldn't have to make her bed on her birthday." A few minutes later, I was downstairs and noticed how dusty the floor was so I got a broom to sweep it up and thought, "A person shouldn't have to sweep on her birthday." Then I thought I needed to snap out of it because it was just another day where food needed to be prepared and the house needed to be picked up (those are daily duties around here, never changes).

I actually got my birthday present a few days before my birthday. Mark was so excited he made me open it. And, of course, Pennie had to help.

 What is it?

 The sweetest gift ever! He made my blog into a book!!

This was the first page...okay, Mark is awesome. Enough said.

On my birthday day, it was pretty business as usual. Mark is out of town. I had high hopes the boys would whisk me off and take charge of the birthday, but they are boys and need to be reminded or taught. (Felt like a Mom failure, but Mark said, "They have been taught, but they have their agency." Love that man.)

So, I went to Trader Joes, bought some pretty flowers which make me happy and bought a small thing of delicious chocolate covered caramels (that also make me happy)!

Dinner was...well let's just say it didn't work out after the Eagle Project meeting. The boys didn't want Panera Bread, so I got Panera Break take-out for me and went through the drive thru at In-N-Out for them.

Then, I made the hardest cake of my life. It was a recipe I was dying to try and it was yummy enough (hard cake recipe, super hard frosting recipe), but kind of a disappointment because it wasn't as good as it was hard (Did that make sense?). I want a chocolate cake like I had at "The Chocolate" in Orem with Billy and Caitlin. 

We didn't even eat it on my birthday (and no song and candles) because I didn't get it finished until 10 p.m., which is past my bedtime. So we had it the next day when we had the missionaries over for dinner. 

It really was a fine day, and in the end I realize how many blessings I have. Birthdays are always reflective for me...I always ask myself where am I in my life?...how do I think I'm doing and what more do I need to be doing? Every birthday before this one (in my recent memory) I have run a ton of miles, just to prove I can. But this one I didn't run at all, and I think that's progress in a weird way. I don't feel like I have as much to prove or something.


As I reflect, I remind myself that I need to do more to develop Christ-like attributes. That is a daily effort. I am grateful I am able to continue to pursue my education because that is also an important life goal. Mostly, I am filled with gratitude for my family. All of my effort as a mother is worth it.