Since I subjected you all to a rant last week :blush: I thought I would share my feelings today. I am about full to bursting and at times, it feels like it's over "nothing". Not "nothing" as insignificant, but "nothing" as it's what I normally take for granted or do not even see.

I woke up yesterday morning to a sweet girly face with no bangs ;) whispering "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" I was pounced on by a mischevious 9yob who asked what I wanted for my birthday breakfast and asked when I was getting up to make it.   I came downstairs to hot water for tea and my dh had made hot drinks for all the children.

I took my tea to the computer and was greeted by birthday wishes from friends around the world on two message boards that have helped encourage and sustain me daily. Thank you!

We made and put up out Thankful Tree and everyone added their daily leaves.

I was at the soccer field and while I wasn't thrilled with the idea of spending 2 hours there as I'm REALLY getting burnt out on soccer, I was peaceful that I was able to be there and watch my children and know they are all involved in something that feeds them physically and emotionally. My children LOVE soccer and look forward to practice nights. They are blessed to be on teams with mostly good children who are not horrible influences. I am blessed to be able to afford for them to be involved, something that most parents here complain about as it's a burden for anyone with more than one child in our high-poverty city. I have done our registration for a couple of years now and here this constantly. sigh...

We ate take-out as I really didn't feel like cooking. Only KFC, but it was a hot meal I didn't have to prepare and my kids thought it a great treat.  I was given a wonderful prayer by my dh that brought tears to my eyes, which I have finally learned to accept gracefully and not give a nervous giggle.

And we then ate chocolate fudge cake and vanila ice cream. I have never been known to turn down chocolate or fudge, so you can imagine my delight! LOL

I was presented with birthday cards. My oldest bought a beautiful card with his own money. Not a funny card, but a sentimental one that I loved. My dd gave me a very pretty card with a "white flower and see all the sparkles?" My 9yo came home from soccer practice last week hiding something behind his back. Last night, I was given several white marble landscape rocks he had found under a tree at the soccer field. Sounds silly, but not many people here have them, so he doesn't know they are landscape rocks. He just found there "beautiful white rocks with all sparkle bits under that tree" at the soccer field and saved them for me! He also made me a lovely card with pictures he had dh print off the computer and stuck his $5 in the card for me!  Never have I been so blessed by $5, as I know how little my children have earned in recent months and how hard he had worked for that bit of money pulling weeds for dh.

Did I mention dh? We were married young and have had our turbulent years and our not so great years, but in recent years, we have come together in a way I never imagined when I said "I do". We've survived and become stronger, we've matured and, thankfully, grown closer and not farther. I can see how he was made for me and I'm told I was made for him. I can't imagine not growing old with him and pray every day that's not something I have to learn.

I didn't get any grand gestures or wildly romantic gifts. I got several phone calls through out the day to see how I was doing and to be told he loves me. After he coached a practice at the field and ended early so I was given "early release" to go home and relax while he waited for the last two children to finish up. He shared his heart while he thanked the Lord for me and for what he thinks I am to our family and for him especially, something every woman needs to hear.

Wow! What a ramble! So, yesterday was nothing "special" in the scheme of things. No lavishness, no storybook romance, nothing big or grand... Just the beautiful, quiet peace of feeling loved, wanted, and appeciated and the wonderful feeling of being blessed to find joy in the simple pleasure of it all.