A new year...

Today I turn 32!  I can't believe I am in my 30s much less 32!  Sometimes it seems that I am aging and passing years faster than those around me.  Is that how it seems to everyone?  It is hard to remember that although I am older than my children, for example, I am not "getting" older any faster than they are.  Just a birthday thought.

So, on to the birthday fun!  Our family has some birthday traditions that we try to observe each year.  First off, we begin the morning with a "Happy Birthday" wake-up serenade followed closely by our traditional birthday breakfast of Giant Pancakes or Dutch Puffs.  Presents abound at this point... many small gifts with large quantities of thoughtfulness and heart tucked in the wrapping... Many of my gifts today were still bearing the tell-tale tag that signified a small person with a small budget did the shopping but who wouldn't love an apple cider candle, a pumpkin spice candle and a spoon rest? It wasn't in the gifts that I took the greatest pleasure but in the red cheeks on the smiling faces that watched me open their gifts.

Now that the morning is rolling along behind schedule and usually slow, we move on to a rather normal day.  The evening brings our other family tradition.  It is date night!  We have decided to teach our sons and daughters the art of either escorting a lady (for our sons) or being escorted (our daughter) on a date to a nice dinner.  Since our boys were about 4, Nathan has dressed them in a nice button up shirt and slacks, placed a couple of $20 bills in their pocket, educated them on how to ask for "a seat for two" and how to pay for the meal then he sends them off as my escort to a restaurant of their choice.  Likewise, I have helped our daughter get dressed fancy with a special hair-do and sent her off with her daddy for a special dinner on her birthdays.

All said, I thank God for the years I have had and all the gifts that have come my way!  I am excited about what this coming year will bring and hope I can say that I learned some good lessons, had lots of fun, loved my family, enjoyed every day as much a possible, grew in my relationship with God and loved and helped my husband to the very best of my ability when this special day rolls around next year!