Happy Birthday to Me!

Boy, am I glad I finally got on Facebook! I have never, ever in my life gotten as many birthday wishes as I did this year. Not to mention that I think every one of my 10 siblings, parents, grandparents, and in-laws wished me a happy birthday, too! Maybe they somehow knew it was my "golden" birthday, meaning I turned the age that my birthday date is, if that makes any sense. It was truly a historic day. And now my life is officially one-third over because I really don't want to live much past ninety if I can help it!



My dad and I were born on the same day and he always claims that I'm his very favorite gift, even on years when I can't give anything! I also think he knows that I have a hard time celebrating by myself because somehow it always seems to turn out that he will be coming to visit right around our birthday time. This was true even when we lived in Japan! I love it. Thank you always, Dad, and Happy B-day! Xavier (below) loves to help blow out candles. This time he got to try several times since Joe used one of those little trick candles!



Joe was the amazing husband he is and didn't stop giving me birthday presents and wishes all day long. He did the dishes, made me Swedish pancakes for breakfast, did all the phone calls for work, took me shopping for just the kind of plates I've been looking for, even smiled at my indecisiveness and let me go back and get the plates I originally liked as we were halfway to the checkout, took me out for a family bday dinner, and wished me happy bday even when we got in bed way after midnight when he is usually such a stickler for saying the day is over after 12o'clock! He also helped Xavier give me a present and even splurged on the buy--two fish, not just one! Ollie and General Sherman are holding up so far, and I am realizing that I have a lot to learn on taking care of pets. Joe says this is just a step toward getting a dog. He might be right. I had a really great birthday (even if I did cry over my statistics class in the middle of it). Joe is a great support to me and I love him more and more each year. He even patiently let me give a kids' Halloween party on one day's notice and didn't complain when I put away all the Halloween decorations just a few minutes before our first trick-or-treaters in two years trekked up our rickety stairs for some candy. What a sweetie. Happy Birthday to me!



P.S. Don't worry, the fish have been relocated to a bigger bowl and are awaiting a real fish bowl which will be arriving a few weeks from now when our friends pack their house for their move to Germany.