Birthday Worthy

[caption id="attachment_4581" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Lotta discovers snow before it melts into a puddle on my birthday. Dress was from Jenny, definately birthday worthy!"][/caption]

Tuesday was my birthday and I decided to celebrate this year.  As I thought about what I wanted to do this year on my birthday, I realized how many things I get to do on a daily or even weekly basis are "birthday worthy".  How cool is that?  I thought how much fun I have going to Hip-Hop Cardio and Zumba at the Y, how while I'm there not only do I get to dance like a fool, but now I get to connect with an excellent community of friends.  How I am fortunate enough to get to spend my days with Ben and Lotta in a town that I adore.  How I got to have lunch with one of my lovely Jennifers last week to celebrate both of our birthdays AND I get to have lunch with another lovely Jennifer today (as well as Dig-n-Save!)  How Betsy C and I got to have an adventure last Sunday.  How Wednesday I got to meet one of our favorite nurse's baby's, a baby that she found out about right after Ellie passed away.  How I have dozens of beautiful multi-colored roses decorating my house right now.  How I was able to have conversations with all four of my siblings around my birthday.  How the weather is feeling like spring (even in Madison!!)  How I get to spend so much of my time doing things that I adore with people that I adore.  How without both of my amazing parents, none of this life would be possible.  How everything just seems to be getting better and better and better.  My life is so fantastically fabulous and my birthday was an opportunity to appreciate that.  How dramatically things have changed in just one revolution around the earth.

Thom made me a delumptious meal on my big day, with homemade pita bread and homemade falafel and a Mediterranean couscous dish.  PLUS a Hy-Vee cake with my name on it!  When you have an 18-month-old and a 6-year-old, meals can be a bit crazy.  Lots of food flying, yelling, standing in chairs, and messes.  Much messiness (Lotta thinks if she is finished with a utensil or food item, it should be hurled to the floor, we're working on that).  Suddenly, I had this great desire to have Ellie physically there too.  As Thom said, she would have added her own flavor of craziness to the mix.  That she would have.  That she would have.