After My Birthday

Hi everyone~ Just checking in again -- I had a great birthday, I'm officially 41 now! Thanks so much for your birthday wishes for me in the comments here and for the e-cards that I received. That was so sweet!

What did I do for my birthday? Well, everyone was home so that was very nice. We had coffee and cake together (I'd made a gluten-free icecream cake -- not low calorie, for sure, but yummy and a once-in-a-while treat) and then we went to a funeral! Now, that's normally not a birthday sort of celebration, but our friend's mom passed away. She was 90 and a Christian and, if you know me, you know that I love going to funerals of Christians who have 'fought the good fight' and she was no exception. Funerals from such people are so encouraging to me in my faith. Yes, it's sad, but it's also so bittersweet! And we sang my favourite hymn, 'Great is Thy Faithfulness' and I DIDN'T CRY AT ALL! :) I wanted to go to the funeral for a few reasons, one to support our friends (he's older, married late and they have kids the same ages as ours, who are friends with our kids), to offer support as members of the Christian family of faith, but also to test my 'cryability'!! LOL So that's what we did. We were all glad that we went.

I also did some things that I enjoy: I tried a new recipe -- this time for homemade, fresh lemonade!! It was so yummy! I'll share the recipe next week. And I made some more skin cream -- this time the all-natural, non-petroleum jelly. I've given some away with baby gifts and wanted to make some for my sister-in-law who is expecting baby #9.

I was so happy that I wasn't blubbering over crying at the funeral (which has been my usual self when not on medication -- for the past 7 years anyway) so that was very, very encouraging. It was good to try this out at a funeral for someone that I really didn't know very well too. It gives me some more confidence for when another funeral comes up (which inevitably will).

It almost made me feeling like crying because I wasn't crying, if that makes any sense!!

In the afternoon we just did some stuff around the house, which also doesn't sound like birthday stuff, but I'm not one who likes the focus all on myself. I was happy to have my family home and to share the day together. The girls kept coming up to me and hugging me and saying 'Happy Birthday' and DD13 made me a card that said 'you go girl' and 'thanks mom'! The 'thanks' meant a lot to me -- sometimes us moms can feel so unappreciated. Or at least I do. And the funeral made me realize again what an important role us moms play. It's is so significant, not only to society but to those around us. The love that we share, even in simple things like having meals on the table and a happy home, is immeasurable!

So today we're off to my sister's place and we plan to be away for a few days. DH's back isn't great today so I'm hoping that he'll be okay. It's no fun having back pain.

I plan to KOKO and EWE! You too?

~ D

P.S. Great to 'see' you Susanne!!! I'm going to visit you soon okay??