what a birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and it was a wonderful birthday. This is my list of reasons why my birthday this year was so right:

1. My birthday actually started early early Sunday morning when Jack told me happy birthday just before I dropped off to sleep.
2. The celebration continued when Jr brought home a box of wonder from Banbury Cross donuts, which are the best ever donuts. Like eating warm, freshly made bread but with donutti delight on top.
3. Part of the birthday delight was also on Saturday afternoon, which I spent with old friends and Jessie and Cailin at a baby shower for a delightful young friend.
4. Back to Sunday. After the donuts, I went back to bed and slept until 11:30. That is almost afternoon. It was lovely.
5. Part of the birthday was also Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning when I primed, sanded, and painted these adorable toddler-sized bunkbeds that Jack made for these adorable girls.

6. I realized over the birthday holiday that Jack is the maker of wooden stuff, but I am the finisher. He doesn't do finish very well, but I do finish nearly magnificently.
7. Sunday night, the actual birthday eve, was an eating event with all of my children, their spouses, friends, our grandchildren, Jack and me. We dined on steak and potato salad and baked beans and spinach salad and fruit and of course, freshly made berry pie.
8. Bath time for the girls. You know how much they enjoy splashing in the tub together and how much I love to snuggle them in their towels and lotion afterward.
9. Jack and I headed to work on Monday morning after the early morning rendition of happy birthday to you by my mom on the phone.
10. The Red Cross emailed birthday greetings.
11. Both of my brothers called with birthday wishes. And Jack's sister emailed greetings.
12. Jack and I left for lunch and agreed as we drove out of the parking lot that we couldn't see ourselves going back after lunch, so we didn't.
13. On Sunday, Jack asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I thought about that a lot as I lounged in bed. The only thing I could think of was a piece of wood to attach to my black three-legged table that has no top so I could mod-podge the Wheaties box I saved that has Dale Earnhardt on it in commemoration of his admittance in the inaugural group of entrants in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But I didn't tell Jack about it.
14. On Monday, after a quick lunch, Jack drove to the hardwood shop to buy a piece of wood for my Dale Earnhardt table.
15. After dropping off the piece of wood in our garage, we picked up the beds for the girls and headed to their house. As we pulled up, I saw two little faces looking out the window from the sofa that by the time we parked were already outside on the sidewalk calling out, gramma, grampa, we've been waiting for you, you brought our beds and we have a present for gramma's birthday (all said by Breanne except for the part about the present, which came from Janey. not the present. the words).
16. A lovely present of strands of beads, picked out specially by the girls, Breanne, Janey, and Jessie, and a roll of Necco's that we shared after Janey asked gwamma, you gunna share doze?
17. Bed assembly followed by a quick drive to Cafe Rio where we met up with Jr, the drummer, and his girl.
18. Yummy shared pudding cake at Cafe Rio and then Snickers cake back at our place because Jr couldn't stand one more birthday where I didn't have a cake and singing. With more singing. And a singing voicemail from the drummer and his girl. And a card from all three.
19. I almost forgot. Sunday night, we were all gathered in the living room when Jack came in and somewhat sternly told Jr to come to the kitchen. Now. Which caused me to wonder what Jr had done this time, but not for long because everyone in the house joined in the chorus of happy birthday to you with pie and candle. And Janey walked up close to me after the singing and she wanted to give me a hug. And she did.
20. This morning I called and asked about the first night in the new beds. Jessie said they played in their room all evening and all day. I mean in their "neighborhood," the new name for the extra space in their bedroom. Breanne got on the phone and said she and Janey slept weally good in the new beds. Then she said, "Well, Janey slept good. I never sleep in this house." Jessie told Jack's mom those very same words when she was four. Hilarious. I told Breanne that her mom had said the same thing when she was four and Breanne said, "That's amazing, gwamma." She is amazing.
21. I didn't know when I started this post that I would think of so many reasons why my birthday was so right this year. Turns out, I came up with enough to equal half as many years as I am now. Mostly, if a picture says a thousand words, this is how I felt about my birthday this year: