This was a gooood birthday.  I feel so lucky to have amazing family and friends who lift me up every day.  I felt so special and so loved.  Life has been busy and hard this year and it was so nice to take a step back and reflect on all I have to be grateful for. One of my very favorite quotes goes like this: “Do not regret growing old.  It is a privilege denied to many.”  Never has this stuck me more potently than this year as we approach the 6 month mark of Jim’s death.  I feel lucky for every wrinkle I get.

Rusty and Halle made me a delicious blueberry crumble coffee cake for my birthday breakfast.  It was delicious!  And I absolutely loved the cards they made me this year.  Josh’s promised me a massage, and made me a darling birthday Balloon from Sculpty clay. Halle’s card was so clever and she sculpted me my very own Angelica Schuyler.  Is there anything better than that?  She also performed “Satisfied” for me on the piano. Blake sculpted me a really good snake, but I can’t find a picture of it right now.

After church it was off to the Rowberry’s for Sunday dinner.  Rusty had picked up some catering from Sancho’s tacos a few days before for a delicious and easy birthday dinner.  Grace made me the MOST AMAZING double dark chocolate salted caramel pie.  It was one of the most decadent desserts I’ve ever had.  I loved every bite!  The whole Banksberry bunch helped me blow out the candles.

Then later that evening when we were all kneeling down for family prayers Sarah had everyone go around and say what they loved best about me.  Talk about a boost.  I just love all these kids so much.

But the fun didn’t stop there!  The next Wednesday Gina and Kara put together a lunch for me.  Gina made a delicious paleo butternut squash and sausage soup and Kara made an awesome loaded baked potato soup.  Both so yummy!  Joanna made a pumpkin cake, Amber S made her famous Swig cookies, and Elly made homemade bread sticks. There were yummy strawberries and fruit dip and I’m sure a few more delicious things I’m forgetting about.  It was a FEAST.  But the best part was that all my friends know I love to do service on my birthday but with everything going on this year I didn’t have time to put anything together.  So Kara had some quilt squares she’d been hanging on to and she pieced them together and put on a back and we tied up the quilt for the Linus Foundation. It was one of the most thoughful things anyone has ever done for me.  I just loved it.

And last, but certainly not least, the next day Amber M, Kari and I went out to 24 Carrot Bistro.  They gave me $50 to put toward my NYC marathon fundraiser.  I have the best friends ever!  We had a long and very yummy lunch and just gabbed the day away. It’s gonna be hard to beat this one!