APRIL BIRTHDAYS....

Yes, April birthdays...we have quite a few. We start off with Harold, April 2. Then we move on down to the 14th which happens to be my dads. This year the girls and I drove out to my parents and surprised my dad with supper (forgot my camera). He was going to serve left overs, so I think we saved mama more so than him. For his dessert we served him cherry pie...his favorite, but the rest of us ate a small cake we picked up...we weren't about to touch that pie....mainly because none of us like it anyway :)

The 15th is a cousin, 16th is my brothers, 17th a friend, 18th is an Aunt, 19th is a cousin, 20th an Aunt, 21st is mine, 22nd is my mom's, 23rd is my brothers wife then pulling up the rear is my little Madge, the 29th.

Our parents couldn't believe we had married folks with birthdays in April....so then we were threatened to NEVER have April babies. Leave it to me, the one that never does anything right, to have the last one in April.

My birthday was a quiet one. Mama had invited me to have lunch with her at Georgeanne's so we were able to share some time together before getting her back to work. I picked up JoBea and headed to McComb for her Dr. appt. then came home and began to catch up on the wash. I received some pretty cards.....

along with a beautiful cross wind chime from my friend Margaret. We sat out on the porch and enjoyed a good visit. A special friend of mine had given me a box of hilarious, cute, assorted cards for an early birthday present....she knows I LOVE to send out cards...when the mood hits!

Now I said my birthday was a quiet one, but the day before wasn't! Madge and I had been asked over to share lunch with a friends family after Church. After lunch the kids jumped in the pool...the water was -40, had to be! I stepped on the top step and immediately my foot went numb to the ankle. How were these kids still swimming? Later, I was volunteered in a game of water balloon war! They still in swimsuits, I in my shorts and t-shirt, filled up balloons, retrieved to our forts and started war. Tre' and I were on a team against Carly and Madge. I would tell some of Tre's secrets, but I can't just in case the girls read this and I'm sure another war will be followed by this one. Later we rode to Brookhaven and ate at Cracker Barrel. Waitresses came out clapping and I thought, "THANK THE LORD it isn't my birthday today because I would absolutely die!" Later they came out again clapping, but this time they came to OUR TABLE!! Yes, Carly, Tre' and Madge saw their chance and jumped at it...letting the waitress in on my birthday. They enjoyed doing that to me more than anything else that day I do believe. It was enjoyable just watching the 3 of them love it so much. They just aren't old enough to understand PAY BACK!

Today, my mom's birthday, the girls and I planned a surprise supper for her. We bought all the fixings and set my dad up to grill. My mom LOVES a good homemade, grilled burger. The girls and I, along with Tyler and Jackie, unloaded at my parents home, then Madge (with my dad) pulled our car around his shed so mom wouldn't see it when arriving home. Well, she surprised us instead. My dad said today he had met her for lunch and she, of all times, ate a good lunch. She didn't just have her little chicken salad and crackers or her little of nothing as usual. She arrived home, was surprised (pleasantly I hope) to see us all there....but sure enough, wasn't eating. She did sit with us as we enjoyed it. My brother and his son, Clark, stopped in to wish her a happy birthday before going home to celebrate Mindy's birthday tonight (remember, hers is the 23rd). After the meal the cake was brought in. Mama loudly said "92! who put 92 on here?!" We laughed and assured her it was not 92 it was a 9 with a question mark, ninety something. She did find some room to have a slice of her birthday ice cream cake with us. We would have eaten without her just like we did supper anyway : )

Doesn't this cake look good?!

Vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake. I'm not much on ice cream, but it was pretty good. After pushing ourselves away from the table, we had accomplished yet another year of birthdays for my parents. Notice my mom waving...she's hinting for us to leave so she can get to bed it was almost 7! Actually she was letting us know who the birthday girl (?) was.

Saturday we will be celebrating Madges birthday. She will be 13 (the 29th)! I think with her, Harold will need to retire and come home while I go to work and let him finish rearing the girls! Saturday Madge has invited her friends Beth and Carly to go along with her for a fun trip to Natchez to tour a home or 2 and see what else we can get in to. With Barbie being our tour guide there's no doubt we are in for a treat!

Oh my, I almost forgot what happened to me this morning! The meter reader came by and my dogs were just a barking. I stepped outside to round them up. After reading the meter, she passed by me saying, "I guess you got the 2 grandkids in school today. I know, I have 2 out there too." I was so glad she kept walking because I was speechless! Was she talking to me? There was no one else around. Maybe she was talking on her phone hooked to her ear...but she didn't have one of those either! Oh my, I know I turned a year older yesterday but I didn't think it made me look like I was now a grandmother of a 16 & 13 year old! I've always thought badly about face lifts and body stuff because I feel like if I were to have all that kind of stuff done, God would say, "Who are you? I don't remember you looking like this?" And Lord only knows, I don't want God forgetting me! But then again, I could show Him pictures of my before and afters!

No, I would never change anything about me....my outsides that is. I'll always work on changing my insides, spiritually. That's each of our responsibilites.

Romans 12:1-2...Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Have a TRANSFORMING day with Christ!

God bless you.....