I love my birthday. To me, it is the most beautiful day of the year. The weather is always perfect. The trees display the height of their gorgeous colors just for me, and I gladly receive an abundance of love, attention, and blessings from those who know me best. Perhaps my parents spoiled me on my birthday growing up, but truly, what more could a girl ask for!? Sam & Hayley's beautiful backyard provided the perfect setting for a yummy meal shared around the fire ring, laughing and praying together, and trying out Sam's new swing! I can hardly wait to have a home like this someday...
This year, the week of my birthday marked significant changes in my life. I had just started a new position at work and my body was still adjusting to sleeping at night and eating during the day when I traveled home to Kansas City to visit my family. My grandparents and sister were in town and it made for a lovely time of fine dining, shopping, savoring morning coffee and venturing on 5 mile walks together. Pretty soon, my body started thanking me for going back to a 'normal' routine!
Elle and I made time to reconnect with our dear friend RuthAnn after many months apart. Such a beautiful sisterhood we three share! There's no way to explain the how precious a friend and sister can be. There's no better expression of love than to know and be known.
The change continued with my little buddy, Scooter. At 4 months old, he was as ornery and energetic as ever, fighting for my attention, and never wanting to leave my side. I loved him so much... which is how I came to the realization that I needed to let him go. Living in an apartment with no yard and having to lock him in a crate for 12+ hours at a time when we went to work was just not working for him or me. No matter how many hours we spent walking or playing, he needed so much more than I could give and it broke my heart. So, I said goodbye to my loyal companion and cried more tears than I can remember crying in a very long time.
Only this little guy could make me smile :) The day Scooter left, we took Clay Henry Unruh to the Pumpkin Patch just to capture his adorable expression and match his hair to the bright orange balls he was so enthralled with. What a little pumpkin he is! Someday, a little person like him will capture all of my attention and affection, and I won't have to worry about letting go too soon.
I traveled back to Springfield and sadly picked up all of Scooter's toys, his food and water bowl, his many bones and packed up his crate into the closet. To get my mind off of missing him, I baked the most scrumptious dessert I've ever made: Apple Spice Cake with Toasted Pecans and a Browned Butter Frosting from a recipe found in Southern Living Magazine. All the wonderful flavors of Autumn, yum!
Curtis and I enjoyed a comforting meal of baked garlic chicken and roasted potatoes, a glass of wine and my delicious cake, then we went on a shopping spree! He bought me all kinds of cute clothes, new jeans, some home decor and my favorite latte. We went to bed that night watching a movie, then I got a wake up call at 2:15am to come in to work as they were short-staffed and my name was next on the list to come. I worked 17 hours that day, the day of my birthday and I've never been so emotionally, physically and mentally spent. Around lunch time, I received a special delivery from my adoring husband: a gorgeous bouquet of yellow roses! Everyone in my department was so jealous :) Thanks, babe!
All in all, my week of birthday had some ups and downs, but as this week often symbolizes a season's change, so in my life I found a new beginning, a new chapter to embrace and the desire to wait expectantly on the Lord to reveal his good plans and purposes for me. He reminded me that "To everything there is a season and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven... He has made everything beautiful in its time and has planted eternity in the hearts of men, and yet we still cannot fathom what He has done from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.
I'm trusting, Lord, and believing that things will be beautiful... that they already are, and I'm just opening my eyes to see it all around me! Happy 24th. Here's to a year of change, growth, thankfulness, promise, possibility, peace and joy!
