It's my birthday today and I didn't get what I wanted.

Does this happen to you? You make it really, really clear what you want. You talk about it constantly and still, it doesn't show up? Well, that happened to me today. I kind of knew it was going to happen but still, it is a little depressing. So, here's what happened instead.

Last night, DH took me out to dinner while our saintly sitter took a double shift with our kids. It's not that famous/expensive a place and it's not that far away (we walked) but it was still 90 straight minutes of time with my beloved. Talking about things, holding hands, laughing about big people stuff. Oh, and we shared a plate of calamari, just like the old days and just like the old days he took all the little baby octopi. Eating whole animals kind of grosses me out...

 

Then this morning, I was told to "sleep in" while my husband and little people made and brought me breakfast in bed. Three of them were on "toast duty". God bless my husband. I know that took an abundance of patience on his part.

I checked my email and found a wonderful assortment of greetings from friends far and near. I had to chuckle that the first arrived at 4:56 AM. Nothing like having a friend who is also the mother of a 3-month-old! Oh, I also went to search something on Google and this came up.

So, it's kind of cool cause you know, it's my birthday, but it's also a little creepy.

DH took #1 to Little Flowers and I finished baking off the saffron buns we had started on Thursday night. Considering the yeast was dead, they turned out a bit more like tea cookies but were tasty just the same. We dropped off a plate to the parish staff, wished them a "Happy St. Lucy Day" and headed to Mass.

Saffron....the magic ingredient

 

The second batch looked slightly better.

It is never a "great" Mass with these little people but I do try to get there on my birthday every year so it was such a blessing to hear a wonderful sermon about St. Lucy and our need to open our eyes to the light. More so with 4 of my 5 next to me.

We picked up #1 and then picked up our lunch (I don't cook on my birthday). We arrived home, ate and were greeted by my two very best friends. Again, what a blessing to spend my birthday with these two. It is such an amazing gift to sit and think and discuss with them. I always come away better for it.

They stayed long enough to witness the reenactment of St. Juan Diego's visit with Our Lady of Guadalupe and to share some after-play cupcakes.

St. Juan Diego meeting Our Lady with the bishop and narrator looking on

The understudy Our Lady looking on (the first one quit after the first scene - lol) while St. Juan Diego reveals his tilma to the bishop

 

This afternoon has been full of TV watching (yes, we do bad things here too ;0) ) and eating and pretty much anything I can do to avoid cleaning (my family is arriving tomorrow)...there will be time to do that later. Now, I'm enjoying my day and realizing that the world is full of "things" that we want. It's our human nature to look around, see what others have and think we should have it too.

 

Better, though, when we take the time to reflect on all the blessings that have been given to us by our Heavenly Father...the things we need. Having reflected on the day, I have to go back to the lyrics of a really bad song from the early '90s.

 

I do not want what I haven't got

I am blessed!

St. Lucy, pray for us.