Happy Birthday to Me!!

Well, I think I may have hit an age that I don't care as much about my birthdays as I used to...that or we've been so busy that it came upon me without me really thinking about it.
I've been very VERY thankful for a quiet birthday this year. Last year's birthday was a little traumatic with Nathaniel's head injury and subsequent 3 day ICU stay. There is nothing so terrifying or so un-centering as watching your precious baby boy being resuscitated in the ER on your birthday. He acted fine within days, but we lived with this unsettling fear for him for several months.
This year, we stayed h0me. My parents had tried to come and spend the week with us, but then Nathaniel got his nasty nasty tummy bug (which no one else ever came down with thankfully) and I told them to stay home. My dad doesn't need that and yes I was sad, but they came the next week instead and it was a delightful time.
Luke took me out for dinner ON my birthday and Luke's parents took the kids for the night. His mom surprised me with a cute little chocolate cake when we dropped this kids off on our way out of town. I don't mind dessert before dinner! She is so sweet in even just little things like that. ; D
It was out first date night out of our little town since July and it was WONDERFUL to get out to the nearby "big city." Those that know where we live can have a good laugh, but the nearby town has a bit more to offer in the resturaunt arena that our cute little place.
Alas, I looked at Luke half-way through dinner and he looked awful and falling asleep in his plate! So much for our movie afterwards. We took to-go boxes and left and I drove us home. And for those of you that know us, that's a big deal. Luke likes to drive but was feeling too bad. He had come down with strep poor guy and spent the rest of the weekend in bed! Aw, the ROMANCE of marriage.
But not to fear, I still got my alone time away from the house the next night. I woke him up just before 5; had dinner and a movie ready for the kids and him; kissed him goodbye and went SCRAP BOOKING for 5 glorious hours!!! All he had to do was put the kids to bed (which they were under strict instruction to be kind to each other and obey since daddy was not feeling well).
I came home to a mess in my kitchen and a mess in the living room but DIDN'T CARE! I'd had my first evening out ALONE in months!!!!! My first time to scrapbook someplace other than a kitchen table in over a year and a half!!

The Saturday that I was home with the kids, Good Lookin' made me this adorable little Play-Do cake. Precious Jewel had gotten the set for Christmas, and everyone has had fun with it. He was so proud of himself!

Nater Mater just likes his picture taken so that I can then in turn show him his little face on our digital camera.

When my parents came the next week, my mom made this scrumptious cherry cheesecake for my then-belated birthday.
Then a few days later, my brother and sister-in-love (my new term for her) (in-law sounds to much like out-law and I would have loved her even if she wasn't married to my brother), came for the weekend. More pictures to be posted later.

Her birthday is the day after mine! So, my mom and Precious Jewel made ANOTHER cake! A yummy from scratch chocolate cake with chocolate filling and whipped cream and cherries on top. I felt loved. It was wonderful to have my brother (whom hadn't been to our house in 4 years) and his family stay with us.

Happy Birthday to Me!