More Birthday Memories

When my sister and I returned from our lovely, quiet dinner at a favorite local eatery, I received my second surprise of the day...a pretty bench topped with a mosaic of colorful tiles sitting near our front door. (The first surprise being the arrival of my sister.) I had spotted this bench in the clearance aisle of a local store a week ago and asked Jim if he would go and buy it since it was much too heavy for me to carry. When he returned from the store a few days later, he told me that they had already sold out of them. I figured a landscaper must have bought them and gave up the bench as not meant to be. So, my dear husband is not only thoughtful and generous but also a big fat liar.

Upon entering the house, I discovered this beautiful sign hanging in the entry way. This discovery occurred just after I was pelted with a shower of dry navy beans, my third birthday surprise. We have a birthday tradition in our family of my husband placing a cup of candy above a doorway so that the special person of the day receives a "surprise" shower of sweets when he or she enters the room. How such a tradition can actually surprise anyone is beyond me, especially when the special person reminds her father the night before not to forget! But somehow he pulls it off. Every. Single. Time. I have to admit...he got me again. I was completely unsuspecting when those little white pellets started to pour down. And I most definitely did not suspect legumes. Usually the shower consists of M&Ms, jelly beans, or Skittles...how did I end up with dry navy beans? (You don't think he's trying to send me a message about my forty-something figure, do you?)

And finally, my favorite birthday blessings and the absolute best reason for living in Ohio...

In the words of our family theme song,

wherever we go, that's where the party's at!

(Cake props go to my talented husband. In addition to being a sneaky big fat liar, he is also quite handy in the kitchen. I like that in a man.)