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.

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?