Birthday #35!

Wonderful Birthday Celebrations!

Mom is the most incredible cook and truly enjoys it, which makes it even more fun. Her pizza stone broke a couple of years ago and I enjoy her authentic Italian style pizzas so much, I gave her a nice, new one for Christmas. She had the fabulous idea of having us over to celebrate my birthday and make pizzas together Saturday night. We all made pizzas and ate on each other's pizzas. She also made an incredible minestrone soup. We ate little by little, which ends up being much more than you would ever eat at once. The dessert was the most amazing, moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. All from scratch, of course. So, so good. Jen and I were miserable because we ate WAY too much. I actually asked if it could hurt the baby if I eat too much. I felt like my stomach was going to bust. Oh so good!!!!!! AND we got to take the left overs home! We also had a nice mini-visit with Brant's parents who stayed with us after a wedding in Boerne!

My sweet faculty and students had happy birthdays coming in all day long. Cards, letters, drawings, flowers, even a gift for baby! One dual language class came in and sang Happy Birthday in Spanish, then Las Mananacitas, (the Mexican Birthday Song I had never heard- so sweet!) then Happy Birthday in English. My high school special ed/Life Skills kids that work in the library twice a week sang Happy Birthday to me. Even my library guru processor called from central office and sang for me. Everyone is just so kind and thoughtful. I do feel very special.

Brant got me the simple wedding band I wanted for my birthday. I wanted something I could wear all the time that would not scratch baby and that I could wear to the river and places I where I worry about wearing the real deal. Alice was going to come over for a visit, but it is extremely cold and rainy outside, (so many wrecks on the way to work, it took me 1 hr. 25 min. to get there today,) so I told her to stay home and stay dry. Just got off the phone with John and got to talk to many friends today. My girls, Jenni and Alice, have been finalizing the baby shower. We're staying in tonight and munching on my favorite creations-good cheeses, shrimp and gyoza! It's whatever I want, right? Hee hee! (As my Dad would write!) Brant just kicked me out of the kitchen...nice! I like it!

Las Manacitas Lyrics and Translation:

Spanish original

English translation

Estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David. Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti. Despierta mi bien, despierta, mira que ya amaneció ya los pajarillos cantan la luna ya se metió. Qué linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte. El día en que tu naciste nacieron todas las flores y en la pila del bautismo cantaron los ruiseñores Ya viene amaneciendo, ya la luz del día nos dio. Levántate de mañana mira que ya amaneció.

These are the songs that King David sang. Today because it is the day of your saint, we sing them to you. Wake up my dear, wake up, see that the day has dawned the birds sing, the moon has set. How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you we all come with joy and pleasure to congratulate you. The day you were born all the flowers bloomed and in the baptismal font sang the nightingales. The dawn has come, the light of the day is given to us. Get up with the morning and see that it has dawned.

* Often replaced with the name of the person who is being celebrated

We got the crib Friday night and Brant put it together this weekend with a little help from Lacey!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that dog!

Year 35 is looking good!

So thankful!