Celebrating Mom's birthday

Here is one of my favorite pictures I took around our home/farm area. This is of our windmill and I thought it was fitting for today because it was quite windy! I loved how I was able to capture the motion of the windmill and see the blue of the sky behind it.

Today we celebrated Mom's birthday although her actual birthday isn't until this Tuesday, the 7th. We were just so thankful to have her for another year. Since her last birthday she has been through much, but God has sustained her and we thank Him for that. We put flowers in honor of her in front of the church today. She was surprised and thankful for them. We wanted everyone to know how thankful we are to God for the gift of Mom's life. Hopefully she can get them home tomorrow where she can enjoy them up close.

We went up to their house for lunch and my brother cooked pesto pasta. (I am sure if I said that incorrectly he will correct me when he reads it...ha!) It was a great lunch...followed by chocolate pie. Y'all KNOW I hated that dessert...just couldn't hardly get it down. :) Wesley did the happy dance.

After we ate we gave Mom her gifts. Mikayla had already brought her a bloom off our our camila bush in the yard. Mom immediately put it in a glass bowl. I took a picture of it...(Shock to you, I know..) We had bought her some more of those soft fuzzy/warm socks like she had gotten at Christmas. She loved them so much that I thought I'd get her some more. We also gave her a CD, slippers, necklace, mini flag for her pole out in her flower bed and some kitchen "gadgets" she had been wanting. She loved them all. My brother surpised all of us by giving her...and the rest of us...a birthday present we weren't expecting! We are all going to Pennsylvania to the Amish Country at the end of May/first of June!! I am so excited and am looking forward to having that time to share with Mom and Dad with us. I told them today I am going to have to get another card for my camera because I KNOW I'll be taking more than 278 pictures! HAHAHAH!!!!! :) Mom wasn't so sure...but that is typical of her with trips, Daddy was already trying to figure the best way to drive up there and we were just tickled about all the things we will see. It will definitely be something nice to look forward to. My brother said that after what happened last year with Mom, and he knew she had always wanted to go to the Amish Country, he wasn't waiting any longer. I agree with him.

After we left Mom and Dad's we came back home to work on stuff to get ready for another week. Why does the weekend go by so fast??? As soon as we got to the house I decided to go outside and take pictures of our maple trees budding! The sky was a beautiful blue again today and I was tickled to get that. I took the picture of the tree itself and then one of the tree budding up close. I really have to restrain myself most days when I take pictures. It is pitiful, really.

When I got back inside, we finished Wesley and Mikayla's hearts they had to make for their class and I worked on their Valentine's. I decided it would take FOREVER for them to do them and we had to have them in by tomorrow for the teachers to help them pass them out. We also worked on Kindermusik and their verses for AWANA.

It was a busy rest of the afternoon but now they are on their way to bed and I am on my way to sitting in front of the fire. :) Yes, the wind died down enough for Steve to be able to start a fire. I'll have to go find something to eat and then maybe drink me some hot chocolate tonight. I truly haven't had any since that horrible stale stuff I had a few weeks ago. ha!!

Enjoy each moment of your day today. Find a little something to make you smile.