Can I just say something? Birthdays, along with other holidays, haven't been that great since childhood. It was nice to get a gift and maybe go eat out. But, it wasn't as fun as before when I was a kid. Then during our cancer journey, I valued my life more and wanted to celebrate things, just enjoy life more than I had before. But, how do I celebrate my own birthday? It seemed weird to get the kids to make something for me, to throw a party for myself and so on.
The girls told me to, "Wait right here. Just a minute, Momma!" They got dressed and made their beds then went to get the boys up. Once everyone was at the bottom of the stairs, they said, "OK, come on, Momma!" I made my way down the stairs to the table filled with treats for me, all decorated in red, and filled with decorations that said what the kids loved about me. SO many red balloons, red plates ready, red streamer, and a lighted "Happy Birthday" sign. The kids had made some decorations too and attached them to Mt. Dew cans. I love the color red and Mt. Dew. Presents were scattered under the balloons on the table with a larger present off to the side. Chris sounded the alarm on the camera to let us know he was watching from work and enjoying the celebration with us. I had tears in my eyes, as I do right now, just knowing how he made the effort on his busy day to plan all of this then to watch it unfold. It makes me feel so super special and loved.
This birthday with all of the love here was one of the best I've ever had. Oh - and to those adoptive and foster mommas that may be reading this, we had a kind of big event that certainly didn't follow our normal routine. Yet, there were no crazy behaviors that can make a good day go sour in mere moments. You know the kind. That alone made for a peaceful birthday!