Man-oh-man!!

This birthday takes the cake! (A big, huge, chocolatey birthday cake.) Phill was talking about his "secret squirrel" stuff and planning a surprise for about 3 weeks. He kept telling me, "You are going to LOVE what I got you." Because he knows I love surprises and I love the anticipation. Well, Friday rolls around, and Phill came home from work all a-grinning and happy. After a while, he gets a text message, and then says, "Okay. Your present is being delivered. Go in our room and don't come out until Reed tells you you can." So then Reed went and guarded the door with glee. After a while, he said, all trembly with happiness, "Mama, you can come out now!!" And I walked out. Standing there in the kitchen was my "bosom" friend (Anne of Green Gables), Jenn!!! With a huge red bow on her, too. I (of course) hugged her and cried and cried, and so did she. (It's only been, what, a couple of months since she visited? But she's my bosom friend. I miss her excruciatingly in the waiting-months between our visits.) And then I hugged Phill and cried some more. He sent us away ("Go play!"), and when we came back (from shopping, yay!), he had a dinner of alfredo pasta w/shrimp, halibut and salmon, and green salad waiting for us. (It was SO good.) Then we had some friends come over to watch the kids (and THEY gifted me with a Ross gift card and an aebleskiver pan!!), and the three of us went out and played! (Ice cream and playing on Dixie Rock. We were essentially 17-year-olds again.)

Jenn had to leave Sunday morning. But yesterday morning, my Dad visited! My parents and my little sister, Maddie, all live in Japan. My Dad was at a conference pertaining to his Chaplaincy stuff in the Army, and he was able to attend my cousin's wedding, visit other family, and thankfully, able to swing down and see us. He treated us all to the Olive Garden last night, and brought several goodies with him from Japan. Jaxon's birthday present--a ninja mask--has been a huge hit. I just got him to take it off this morning, and he had worn it since yesterday afternoon. (Slept in it, too.) My mom and Maddie sent a really cute onesie for Savvy, and some various fun things in a tin, including a bandanna, for which Reed has already found several uses. Then this morning, my dad took a nap (while Savvy napped, too) and gave me $15.00 to go spend on Reed and Jax. Children's Place and Gymboree were both having sales, and I was able to get the boys six pieces of clothing for $14.25.

I've also received an awesome package from my sister, b-day money from my aunt, and b-day money from my mom.

I feel really blessed and really loved. Not so much because of the gifts, which are great, but because I've had some prayers answered in being able to see some of my loved ones! These last few weeks have been so restorative.

New birthday outfit. :)
Jenn, thank you so much for taking photos of Phill and I. That was a gift in itself.
Oh, Jenn, my bosom friend. This was the most serious photo we were able to take. All others are hopelessly, hilariously blurry and/or photos of our insanely happy laughing faces.
The meal Phill made for us.
Savvy in the darling onesie. :)
"I'm making you Super Grandpa." (That's the super-popular green bandanna.)
Jaxon the ninja. I think he enjoys anonymity.