blessed

Today I turned 33 years old.  As old as Jesus was when He died, I like to say.  Funny heh heh, kind of.

Didn't have much in the way of expectations for this birthday, I must say.  The older you get, the less of a big deal they are, don't you think?

But THIS year.

BUT this year, I feel unbelievably, unexpectedly loved.

I won't go into a ton of details, but there are moments that stand out in my mind, frozen like treasured paintings:

• a 6 am double hug from my husband and warm sleepy three year old, piping "happy birthday" slightly off key, carrying in a little tray with candles and a toasted bagel; 
• the phone ringing at 7 am, my mother on the other end telling me I was worth every one of the THIRTY SIX HOURS of labor she went through, to no avail when they gave her a C-section; 
• two phone conversations with friends who are far away, bringing back memories of birthdays we've spent together in years past; 
• the surprise delivery of the Most. Thoughtful. Generous. Basketful of Love I could have ever comprehended; 
• treats and cards in the mail; 
• a home delivered lunch from Honey with a precious friend who spoon-fed Charlotte her cereal so I could eat my cupcake in peace, and the list goes on.  

These years are so fleeting, the ones where my babies are young and we sit on a blanket in the grass of our backyard, waiting for Scott to come home from work, passing time pretending we're on a raft in the ocean, or playing "fetch" with one of Sam's 10,000 balls.

There are moments that are hard, like today when Sam stood by my head at 4:50 am, sniffing and telling me he has "poops in my pants."  The thought "Oh why couldn't I please sleep in just this one day?" crosses my mind fleetingly, and then I'm up and out of bed with him, and the baby is fussing wanting to be fed and it all feels so tiring.

But then.  Scott delivers with a Starbucks family date on a work day, and all this happens, and I feel so loved it's indescribable.

Thank you to all of you who reached out to me today, you've created a pool of refreshment and joy and utter contentment in my heart that will last many, many, many 4:50 am mornings to come.

Thank you for being a blessing to me.