44 at 10:23 a.m. on 10/23!!!

Yesterday was my birthday and I had a simply wonderful day and actually a terrific birthday weekend! I got back Saturday night from the most fabulous getaway! A 3 day arts & crafting retreat! That post is yet to be finished! Back to my day tho...Jim made me breakfast in bed...veggie egg scramble, sausage and toast with ya know... the crust cut off! Just the way I like it! I relaxed and visited with my family since I had been gone for 3 days and the retreat was located where there no cell phone service.  We had lots to catch up on!

At 10:23 a.m. my mom called me...you see that is exactly when I was born!!!  AT 10:23 ON 10/23!  I look forward to that call every year!  Then at 1:00 it was time to head over to our friends for my birthday dinner.. OH MY! Lunch was s0000000 yummy...ham, potato with pea salad, tomato's,  brocolli salad, orange fluff salad, special Grammy Pats green salad...we did not leave that table with empty bellies.

Don't these look so delicious?  Grandpa Al grows the B*E*S*T* 'maters ever! At the beginning of season he always brings me one of the first of these simply yummy little guys! Then throughout the season, I'm allowed to pick them to my hearts content along with many times being supplied whenever he sees me. He & I sure do LOVE these! I can eat these just like they are candy...to me they are just that good!!!!!

So when I asked where I was to sit...grandpa Al said to take a look at the table and I could probably figure out which chair they had intended for ME! My very own bowl of 'maters! Oh...I did share however I made sure that bowl ended up back by my plate so I could pop those yummy candies anytime throughout dinner my birthday girl heart desired!

Time for dessert...WOW! Grammy Pat made a new recipe...Turtle Cake!

This cake had LOTS OF CHOCOLATE! LOTS OF CARAMEL! LOTS OF YUMMY TASTINESS!

Me 'n My Natterbugs!

I HEART this girl!

Pat & Al Nave...known to our family as Grammy Pat & Grandpa Al!

These 2 wonderful people mean so much to our whole family! I will never be able to thank them for all they have done for all of us and all they have meant to all of us! I'll do a separate post on these amazing folks another day...just so you get an idea tho...

The first time they had our family to dinner after church back in February of 2000, Nat (4 at the time) climbed up onto Grandpa Al's lap and asked if she could call him "GRANDPA"! Of course he said she could without hesitation! Melted my heart and from that day forward we have been family! Adoption is a pretty nifty thing! Another great part is my mom absolutely loves them both also and was so glad we had people like that in our lives since she didn't live here yet!  I just love how the Lord brings people into our lives and hearts at just the perfect moment! Do you kinda get how much I love them???? :)

It was a very nice "low key" birthday!  I have so much to be thankful for and I would never be able to convey that in my blog however you can get a glimpse into my life and see just how very blessed I am! Later that evening Nat asked if I would make them chili dip...promptly Lauren stated that she shouldn't ask me to do that as it was still my birthday! Jim has trained these girls so well! Needless to say, I did make them the dip and was reminded as I did so & listened to them laughing and talking how truly rich my life is...

and just how much I do cherish my family & my friends!