The tears welled up in my eyes

Today was my birthday. I spent it at the hospital-undergoing tests. I am not sad or upset or anything. It was a nice day after the testing.

We picked up the kids from school. Then we went to an early dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Yummy-that's all I have to say.

We arrived home and Number One Daughter ran into her room yelling, "presents!!" Then she brought me a gift wrapped in a coloring book page of My Little Pony. It was violet-my favorite color, so it was extra special. Inside were two hand-drawn figures. One a gingerbread daddy and the other a gingerbread mommy. There was also a picture of a cake with heart sprinkles and a box with heart shapes on it. And a very humbling gift completed the package: one of her necklaces.

Oh! What a bounty. Little Big Boy thought it must be time to unwrap the gifts that are under the tree, so when we weren't looking, he started to bring them upstairs. We convinced him that they were for Christmas and he marched them back downstairs.

Number One Daughter took him into their bedroom to draw cards and now Little Big Boy doesn't feel left out.

G's birthday was the fourth. I gave him a print from Breakfast at Tiffany's. I have told G that he looks like a young George Peppard. We love that movie and the kiss at the end is the print that I gave him. It is a small token of the love that I have for him. I gave him a black and white print, but it is of the scene herein.

These last three years, he has earned a living while I stayed home with Little Big Boy. All the while, he has also been going to college again. He is on his way to a second degree. He does this without a word of complaint. He works third shift and goes to school days.

More than that...as I have become almost home-bound, he also runs the kids to and from school, to doctor appointments and grocery shopping. He is an amazing man.

Then to top the whole birthday off, my daughter came to me and told me that her class is gathering "gently used" toys and books to give to children who don't have any. She brought with her one of her Barbie dolls...not the ones with hair that is cut off...not the ones that she has had for too long...no...she brought me one of her "princess" Barbies. She offered it to me and she said, "I don't care very much for her anymore....someone who doesn't have any dolls will care for her a lot."

I told her that God is looking down on her and smiling with a tear in his eye. I said to her that he is up there with all of the good angels and he is pointing down at you and saying, "Look! Look, there." And he is so proud...then the tears welled up in my eyes and I told her that I am proud of her, too. She has the real spirit of the holiday in her soul.

How blessed am I? All the way up to the sky!