I'm Blessed

I am actually on time to post on my friend Gretchen's blessing party!  I know there are probably other things I should be doing right this minute, but I am really excited to post this and I want to make sure that I don't run out of time.  :)
Last week I was tired and crabby and had to dig just a little bit for blessings to share.  Not so this week.  I have more to write than I have time!  So, let's get started.
I am VERY blessed!  First of all, Michael is teething.  I know this doesn't seem like something that would be a blessing, but just hang on.  Emma and Timothy were not terrible with teething, but they weren't overly pleasant either.  (It's just not an overly pleasant experience, so I understand!)  Abby was...WAY beyond difficult when it came to teething.  Between that and colds, her sleeping pattern got completely and almost irreparably damaged.  I was really, really praying that things would be different with Michael, and boy are they ever!  Last week his first tooth came through.  He also had a little cold at the time, for most babies would make for a difficult and unpleasant time for everyone.  But Michael is not most babies.  Even with the cold and the teething, he was still the same happy, smiley, sleeping-all-night baby!  And that is truly a blessing!
Second, we had a fantastic weekend!  Every year, Randy and his 5 sisters take turns hosting a Christmas get-together.  Many times this happens in January, when things have settled down a little and schedules are a little more open.  This year was our turn.  The couple in charge can choose to host the group at their house or come up with a fun alternative.  Instead of exchanging gifts, we decided to all go to a local water park resort.  We have done this kind of thing before and it really makes for a fun time for everyone!  We all get to relax, visit and just have fun together, and that is a terrific gift.
Third, I have a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY awesome husband!  This Friday is my birthday.  My 35th birthday, to be exact.  (Yes, I did just share my age, but we are not discussing my weight!)  35 is one of those numbers that seems like kind of a milestone birthday.  I had thought to myself that it would be really neat if my beloved would plan some kind of fun little surprise, but I didn't say anything.  (Usually surprise planning is not necessarily his thing.)  A couple weeks ago, he asked if I would want to go shopping yesterday, since it was a holiday.  I said sure, since I am always up for doing something fun.  I just kind of assumed that he meant the whole family, and that seemed fine to me.  Then over the weekend, Randy said we should make sure we have a sitter to watch the kids.  So, we got that all lined up, and I was excited to have a day out with my beloved!  Now, the thought had crossed my mind that the place we were going was a little more than half-way between us and some of our very best friends and that with my birthday coming up, it would be fun to see them.  But again, I didn't say anything.  So, we headed out of town yesterday for our day out.  We stopped at a couple of furniture stores to look around.  This did not arouse suspicion since we have been kind of looking on and off at dining room sets, and this particular town is one where we have done furniture shopping before.  He did an excellent job of just keeping things casual, asking me where I would like to eat supper and talking about where all we might go.  For supper, he suggested the possibility of going to the Olive Garden, which I really enjoy.  I said that sounded lovely!  When we arrived, I found out that he had made reservations there.  That still didn't make me all that suspicious, since he knows we both like to eat there and it might make things faster to have reservations.  So, we were escorted to our table, only to find our friends sitting there waiting for us!  That's right, my beloved planned this whole birthday surprise for me!  We had a wonderful and relaxing supper with our friends, and then decided to catch a movie.  We saw Mission Impossible 4, which was a pretty good movie.  (I hadn't seen any of the others, but it didn't seem to affect the ability to follow this one.)  It was a really, really fun day!  And did I mention that I have a really, really, really awesome husband?  I am very, very blessed!