Today is my 28th birthday {December 15th}...and even though I don't feel any older...so much has happened in this past year that I know I am a different person than I was. I have been truly blessed by so many experiences this year...including...
new friendships {with many of you!}...
features in magazines and websites that I never thought possible...
exploring new creative avenues with sewing and photography...
enjoying time with my family and watching my younger siblings grow...
finding a church that Josh and I can now call home...and developing relationships there...
and another year of growing together in love with my husband...
Truly a remarkable year.
I awoke this morning to find a bouquet of white flowers waiting for me...
I put them in one of the many birthday gifts from my mother...the white pitcher above...
There was also my favorite cranberry scone waiting as well...so I made myself some tea this morning {sent to me from dear Tracie} to enjoy with it...
Josh blessed me with many other gifts in the past few days {he can't hold out until the day apparently ;)}...
One of the major gifts that I am still marveled by...
a new laptop computer. He thought I could "blog and stuff" on the couch ;) Isn't that sweet?
My only birthday request was to have my very own pair of St Joshua earrings {every time he makes a pair of these I want them and get sad when they sell}. He gave them to me today...the last ones he could make...and the best he said...
I completely agree.
Last night when Josh went to get the mail, he brought in some other birthday surprises...including a sweet package from Tracie...
She sent me some French gifts...including candy, a beautiful postcard and an enamel tag....I LOVE it all!
Then we went to my dad and step-mother's house for an early birthday dinner, where I was greeted at the door by a very excited Destiney, waiting to give me her "really big" gift...
It was a folded and taped bit of white paper...that she said was the biggest gift I would receive...and I would never get anything else like it...
It was a $1,000 dollars! Can you believe it? I surely have never gotten anything that big before ;)
There was also a sweet card she made for me...
It has a road with cars driving on it and they are going past huge road signs that say 'Happy Birthday'...sounded like a good idea to me...
From my dad and step-mother I received a beautiful tin of European chocolates...yummm...and a framed photograph of my brothers and sister.
My brother Jaron, who is 13, also made me a card...
after I opened it Destiney said, "Look, you're on top of the world!"...
and she is right.
I do feel like I am on top of the world with all of the love I have received not only for my birthday...but everyday of my life...
I hope that you too are surrounded by love today, and I wish you all a beautiful holiday season filled with family, friends, generosity, and lasting memories...
Till next time...
