Let the Birthday-tide begin!

My family celebrated my birthday with me last night at dinner.  Robb had been up at 5am to bake the cake while I slept and tucked it away in the garage fridge so I wouldn't know.  But as I went downstairs for breakfast, the kitchen smelled delish and the oven was still warm...  So I suspected.

I got a few things that I'd put on my Christmas wish list last year!  A cabinet for my sewing supplies, a sewing diary/sketch pad(from Ryan and Jen) 

and some new plastic tumblers and some cash!  Plus my husband wrote me a check and tucked it into his card...  We have a joint account...  

With all my love and $5!

 He always ends a story with "and then I found $5" to make it more interesting if no one seemed enthralled.

And that $5 is ALL mine baby!!!!

Robb had been wondering what to get me until Jen reminded him that I was trying to encourage the family to post their Christmas wish list last year on our personal family fb page and I'd posted a list.  So they checked for things that I hadn't gotten for Christmas.  *smart*

My MIL gave me a card that Meri had made when she was younger and sold to her for a quarter!  

It says so on the back.  LOL!

  

I didn't realize the significance of the card until Meri recognized it.

"Did I make that card?"

And Leon was pretty proud of his Spiderman card that he gave me too.

Meri gave me a large basket full of items to help me relax and it included facial masks, lotions, essential oils, chocolates, bath salts, a professional massage gift cert and some roses, amongst other things that I'm forgetting!  I'm wearing the necklace.  I'm planning on taking a lot of it to Wisconsin with me next month and the girls and I will have a spa hour or two.  

Unfortunately the chocolates won't be able to make the trip.

I don't know why she thinks I'm so stressed!...  Oh wait, yes, I guess I do.

Maddy had arranged to have a gift delivered to our local Walmart and Robb picked it up for her.  When I opened it, I was overcome with emotion.  

Whew!  

I love it!  Not sure on the perfect place in the house for it yet, but SO beautiful!

And then Robb, Meri and even Leon, mostly Robb, cleared the table and did dishes by hand because he knows our dishwasher is finicky and didn't want to tackle it, while I visited on the phone with Maddy. So all the china and glassware is put away now and I've got a batch of sweetened yogurt brewing this morning.   

I love my family.

So I'm 53 now...  NOW what?