Birthday's and Family

i just love my family. i love my immediate family and my extended families! today is my 26th birthday. my brother jokingly called me and old fart. haha-right. i am thrilled with my life as it is right now. when i got married i thought there was no way i could ever love rob and my life more than i did then. i am convinced that we have much more joy in store for us than we are capable of conceiving.

for my birthday we had my family and my in-laws over for cake and ice cream. the cake was my favorite cake-homemade carrot cake from my mom and ice cream. i was in heaven. it brings me such joy to have my two beloved families around me to celebrate my life on earth.

i am so grateful for my parents and their efforts to raise a balanced, confident and happy daughter. i am so grateful for my parents-in-law and their loving acceptance of me and who i am. i love my in-laws and all they exemplify. if i can be a mother like my mother and mother-in-law my children will be fortunate.

so, on this my birthday, i think of my son and the joy he brings to my life. i think of my husband and the bliss i live in with him. i marvel and am deeply grateful for my Heavenly Father and his wisdom-filled plan of salvation for all His children. truly, joy is all He wants for all of us. i am deeply grateful for this gift. I am grateful for an older brother-Jesus Christ-who chose to be the hinge that makes the plan possible. i am grateful to be alive, in love and trying to be a good person-despite the challenges i am consistently offered without hesitation. :)