Happy birthday to me

My birthday turned out pretty special this year. 

I started off my day using my special prayer corner pillow that my mom made and gifted to me a couple days early. We had seen one at a craft sale, and she turned around and made one for me that looked very similar. I love it! It's the perfect way to store my prayer journal and books that I use each morning, and it looks cute, too. I especially love the material she used with all the different names of Jesus. It's a gift I will use every day and one that I will treasure.

I also opened a card my grandma sent me with such a sweet note of encouragement inside. 

Mike and Juan were still sleeping when I left, but I woke up to a facebook message from Mike and a message from David that they both sent after midnight the night before. I also got a really sweet message on facebook from my host family in Argentina wishing me a happy birthday and telling me they always carry me close in their hearts.

I got to school, and as soon as I got out of my car, the crossing guard (a close family friend from church) hollered down the street to me, "Happy birthday!!!" Little did he know that he was the first person to verbally wish me a happy birthday. 

My students spoiled me so much last Friday for the end of Teacher Appreciation Week that I didn't expect much for my birthday a few days later. Last year my students didn't even remember my birthday at all.

But they completely surprised me when three students walked in the door with big gift bags in their hands. One with perfume, one with a really nice lotion, and then another with a really cute t-shirt for me. I gave them all big hugs and started my day with a smile both on my face and in my heart. When all but one student had arrived, I assumed she was going to be absent, so I put the breakfast coolers in the hallway and closed the door to start class. A few minutes later, she opened the door and walked in with a huge bouquet of 13 multicolored roses, a balloon, and a small individual cake with icing that looked like a blue rose. (This is the same student that had just given me a vase of at least a dozen multicolored roses on Friday!) They made me feel so loved and special that I determined to enjoy every bit of the day with them. I felt absolutely spoiled. 

I got lots of Happy Birthday wishes from other students, staff and teachers during the day. One student from another class gave me a sweet note and another one gave me a dollar. Two other staff members also had the same birthday as me, so that made for a fun day celebrating each other. One of them wore a cute little pink crown that said, "Happy birthday!" I looked at her and then told my kids, "I need that crown!" I was tempted to make a paper one, but decided it wasn't necessary. Lol. 

After lunch, we went back into the classroom to start Math when another teacher that helps out in the office walked in my door with a huge display of 14 more multicolored roses. When she handed them to me, I saw that it was from one of my students, the same boy that gave me all the strawberry treats last week! My heart melted!

This time I left all the new roses in my classroom we can all enjoy their beauty and they can remind me every day of what a sweet bunch of kids I have this year. 

After school, I rushed out to make it home with enough time to go out with Mike to Texas Roadhouse for dinner to use the rest of the gift card we had from our anniversary. We got seated immediately, and the food came really quickly. We both enjoyed some good rolls with cinnamon butter, fried pickles, side salads, sirloin steak, and loaded mashed potatoes. YUM!

After we ate, we rushed to Rockwall to our weekly ReEngage meeting, arriving right as it was starting. I'm so glad we didn't miss it because our pastor, Josh Howerton's, parents gave their testimony there for the first time. They just moved here to Texas a few months or so ago. One of the things I love the most about ReEngage is you really get a chance to "know" the leaders in the church and understand their stories. The more you know about their struggles and what God has redeemed in their lives, the more you connect with them and respect them. 

After the large group testimony and worship time, we went to our group that we meet with every week, and two of us wives celebrated our birthdays since her birthday was a day after mine. She even brought cupcakes and brownies for us!

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for the whole thing because I went to my writer's group, also at the church, while Mike stayed with our marriage group. I only have about one or two more times that I get to be with them since they only meet once a month, so I didn't want to miss it. I hadn't shared anything about moving yet, so I decided to write about it as my writing to share for critique. When they finished reading it aloud, the two leaders looked at me with their jaws dropped and said, "And this is how we get to find out????" Then the leader that I've been the closest to got up out of her chair right then and walked over to me to hug me. I can't tell you what that meant to me because she has no idea how much she has helped me as a writer in the last ten years I've been part of that group. I will miss them immensely. I plan to scope out a new writer's group in my new area if I can, but I don't think they'll ever compare to this special group. 

My writer's group last till nine, so by the time we finally got home, it was already almost 9:45 (45 minutes later than I am normally in bed). But we still had cake to eat, a moist, white cake with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, and kiwi on the top with a whipped icing. Mike did a great job picking it out!

Oh, and I also was able to get a quick selfie with Juan to make up for him not getting a selfie with me on Mother's Day.  He said I will get my gift on Friday and wanted to make sure I knew he didn't forget about it.  Hmmmmmm. Wonder what it could be?

I sunk into bed after 10:00, but didn't fall asleep as quickly as I normally do after just eating that sugary cake. Ooops.

This morning, the day after my birthday, I got up early and went to a local coffee joint that was offering free drinks to teachers for today only. Then when I got to school, I got out of my car, and the crossing guard hollered, "Happy day after your birthday!!!!" Lol. He's a fun guy, and truly, our families are pretty close. His daughter is one of my closest friends.

But the sweetest gesture came when my students walked in the door and one of my girls handed me a pink Happy Birthday crown, the one I had seen on the other teacher yesterday and jokingly said I needed a crown like that. It touched me heart in a deep way and made me feel so special! I will treasure that crown for a long time.

Turning 45 felt pretty good. :) 

Thanks, God.