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I’ve blogged on my birthday for a few years now, so I don’t want to miss this one!

It’s sure been nice, so far.  Rich took me and the children to (guess?) Crackerbarrel for breakfast this morning.   It was fun for us and the man who sat at the table next to ours.  Apparently he was the type to be amused at the antics of large families; Grace reading her book through EVERY distraction, Seth picking up his plate and handing it to Ethan when he was all done, Caleb getting one last spoonful of hot chocolate (and dribbling it across his chair) before getting up to go to the bathroom, Rich and Jacob’s friendly competition over the peg game, David crying out “BACON IS FROM PIGS!”, and everything else said and done.

 heart

After breakfast, guess what?

I got a picture of a robin!

It, along with it’s brothers and sisters, and a bunch of cedar wax-wings, was gorging itself on tree berries.  They were a delight to see.  They made us think of spring, even on this very, very (very) cold day in February.

Sarah sat up like a big girl, in a high chair, at breakfast.  She ate bits of pancakes fed to her from the tippy end of my fork, gently.

She was exhausted by the end of the event, and fell promptly asleep when we were driving away.

All softy pink.

 

Rich picked up a pretty birthday cake for me from the wonderful Publick House bakery.

 

Now that we are back home, we are getting prepared for *****guess again?!?!*****vacation in NAPLES, Florida!  I hope the sun is shining, I hope it is shining HOT, I hope the sky is blue and the SUN IS SHINING and I hope to lay and SOAK the bright yellow/orange HEAT into my pale, dry, wintery, depressed SKIN.  Tomorrow at this time, Lord willing, we will be there (at the beach, hearing the waves, in the SUN!).  Rich and I are, of course, taking baby Sarah with us, as I am still nursing her and could not ever leave her behind at this age.  We delight in taking along our babies, anyway.  The other six will be home, here with their Grandma.  I can’t tell you how many times I had to explain exactly WHEN she was coming; “No, not today, Saturday NIGHT, actually YOU won’t see her until SUNDAY MORNING, when you wake up!  Let me show you on the calendar even though you still won’t quite understand …. and next time, my dear, I will not TELL you she’s coming until she’s pulling IN the driveway!  I know.  You are SO excited.  We ALL are!”

And somehow, using my womanly persuasive arts, I convinced my darling husband to leave it (work) all behind.  Namely, the blackberry.  Really?  A REAL vacation? 

 

I am aching-happy in my heart, thinking about the wonderful life GOD has blessed me with. 

I don’t deserve a single good day, yet He has given me 35 good years.

Now someone tell me.  Am I this tired because I’m a mama of seven?  Or is it because I’m so old now?  winky

 

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  1. yay!!!! Happy Birthday! sounds like a fabulous time, and oh what a great present having your husband totally undistracted by a phone!!sounds like a fabulous time. be blessed in the years ahead!

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  3. hi shanda…….HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  what a fun start to the day.  and a vacation in florida?  fabulous.  oh, how i wish i could feel that warm sunshine on me.  you are blessed indeed.  may you have a restful, wonderful, and blissfully good time!

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  5. Happy Birthday!I thought of you last night when I was in Goodwill…I found a book of fairy poems by Laura Ingalls Wilder :)Have an awesome trip–we are escaping the cold and heading to FL next weekend!

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  6. Happy, happy Birthday! What a wonderful birthday treat, to be able to go get some rest in the sunshine!I think you’re tired because it’s February, personally. February is when I start to feel that it is “always winter and never Christmas”, or rather, always winter and never spring!How terrific that you got to see a robin today, as a reminder and promise that spring really IS coming!

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  7. You are tired because you believe in living every single minute with all your might! You are tired because you believe that you’ve been entrusted with a great gift — that of being a wife and Mama, and you want to do it right.You are tired because every single day you put the needs of your family before your own, trusting that God knows your needs and that He gently leads you, and carries your “lambs” in his arms.You are tired because you want to give your best, not just “get by”.But Shanda, God is providing you with another great gift in your getaway with the man you love the most. I hope you have a wonderful time, that you relax and rest and enjoy your time with Rich. I’m always a little troubled when people say “you deserve this!!!” when, in my heart, I know that there are women all over the world who deserve so much more than I have and do with so much less. So I’ve begun looking at these wonderful gifts as simply that — Gifts from my Father because He loves me and enjoys giving gifts to His Children. And this time, He picked you for this gift. May you be blessed in it.

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  10. Happy Birthday!!!  Yay for a vacation with your honey and sweet Sarah.  I pray that you both are refreshed physically and spiritually!  It’s so important for couples to take time away together.  We’ve been watching a friend’s son this week and they are doing the same thing as you guys only up in Northern CA.  You look great…35 suits you . 

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  11. Happy Happy Birthday! I am celebrating my birthday this month also! 🙂 Thank you for the pictures…especially the one with the Robin. It is like a little bit of hope and promise that Spring truly will arrive in the next few months…Have a wonderful fabulous vacation! I can’t believe your hubby is leaving behind his Blackberry! You will have to reward him for that!!!!! :)Once again Happy Birthday!

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  12. Awww Happy birthday and happy vacation, bring some of that warm weather and sun back up with you when you return! I’ve read all about Naples from Kelle Hampton’s blog and would love to go there sometime. Enjoy!

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  13. You’re tired because you’re a mama of 7. I’m more than twice your age, and I bet I’m not as tired as you. Enjoy Florida.(I always took my babies along when they were little.)

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  20. Well, it’s because you are in baby boot camp, you have seven kids. 35 is still young my dear – I turned 50 last year and though I’d like to think so, 50 is NOT the new 35!! Happy day girl!

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  23. Happy Happy Birthday, Shanda!!! I hope you have a WONDERFUL, fun, relaxing time on vacation with your husband and Sarah!! Enjoy every moment!! 🙂 I’m glad that you had a wonderful birthday!!I hope your children will have a wonderful, fun time with their grandparents 🙂

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  26. Happy Birthday!!! Nice for you to thank God for your blessings. Not everybody does that anymore. I think that’s enough for you to deserve that day. I really like that cake. I’d really like to know how they decorated it.

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  27. Happy Birthday, beautiful Shanda!And my answer: Both! And I say that because we share the same birth year and I feel the same way. So I’m not calling you old ;). I have to remind myself that mid 30s is still young! But I feel it. It’s different.;)Hope you have a lovely rest of the evening and a wonderful vacation! And wishing you lots of rest!:)

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  28. So glad to share another of your birthdays!! You are a beautiful young woman at 35! Yes, I think it is your big happy family, and a snowy winter that makes you feel a tired…so glad you get to go soak up the sun with your biggest and littlest loved ones. It must set you free KNOWING that the rest will have a grand time with their grandmother. I had my extra blessing David at 36, and looking back I felt pretty young then Have a blessed, wonderful time. Lots of love, Jenny

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  32. Happy Birthday!!!Oh a vacation for you in the SUN! YAY!!!!! Have a wonderful time!!! I will say that everything changes after age 35, lol, the body, the reflexes, and yes….being tired. I hope you come home rested, relaxed and tannned! lol

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  39. Happy Birthday.  I hope you enjoy your trip to Naples..it’s so beautiful there.  We live Southeast of Naples and am sure you’ll have lots of sun and warmth!  We are a little chilly here today for us (40’s last night), but it’ll be in the 70’s today.  Blessings for a wonderful time.

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  44. Happy birthday… a day late! It sounds like you had a wonderful day with your family 🙂 I am SO excited for you that you are going to nice WARM SUNNY Florida where you can lay in the WARM sun soaked sand and surf!! I loved the part when you talked about the trip 🙂

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  45. Happy, Happy Birthday Shanda…….Beautiful Cake…..Beautiful Photos …Have a most wonderful time in Florida….I am in Alabama and this next week it is going to be in the high 60’s to 70’s so you are sure to have lovely weather in Florida …have a lovely rest and the most romantic of times with your Darling Rich…..Making memories that you can cherish forever…..Regards Brenda

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  47. Happy Birthday, Shanda!!  Well, guess what??!  I am vacationing right down the road from Naples in North Fort Myers!  It’s beautiful.  Hope you’re enjoying your time away…we sure are!!  Love, Chanda

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  48. I’m way late reading about my friends, so you probably won’t even see this–but a Big Happy Birthday to you, belated though it is! You are tired because you live such a busy, busy, full-to-the-brim life! Age has nothing to do with it. A person who has NOTHING to do and sits in a chair all day is the one who is really tired. The wrong kind. Your tired is the good kind! Enjoy every single minute of every day of your vacation! 

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  49. Happy Birthday, Shanda!  I hope you had a great day.  Enjoy your Valentine’s Day as well. All though I moved on to a different blog I still read. You have the sweetest little blog home here.

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