Half a what now?

Today is my birthday.  Jim and I were talking last night, and I told him i don’t wanna talk about this one.   He woke up this morning and informed me he would just refer to it as half a century.   Half a what?  Nope.  Not better buddy.  Jim also made me late to work because he bought me 50 scratch off tickets.  I had to scratch them all. How else would I know if I could quit my jobs?      I did win $27.  Not enough to quit unfortunately!   There was no school today, so I got an extra hour and a half of sleep.  That was a nice gift.  Jim set me up with lottery tickets, Madison  made me a peanut butter cake.   Mallory brought me Halloween decorations. The younger crowd bought me my favorite candy and cleaned the house while I was at work.  I heard from all of the far away ones. I got to go shopping for craft supplies for a 4-H party and hang out with Harper and Saige. I had my traditional birthday  Mexican food for dinner - although I had to cook it because the Mexican place closed.  It was a really, really good day!   I am very blessed.   

Evie made this marshmallow mummy at school. It is soooo cute!   She was very proud of him too!   She is really picking up a lot of stuff at school.  She recognizes letters now and Sings all sorts of songs and nursery rhymes.  

Colin became a journeyman this week.  It required him to work something like 7000 hours as an apprentice, take multiple classes and tests, and pass a big exam.   He has been working at this for a couple of years.  I couldn’t be prouder.  He has done a great job.   

Preston didn’t really want senior pictures.  I insisted.  He reluctantly agreed, but wanted to do some in a series he calls “Petty Crimes!”   Mallory took some of him pretending to egg a house, getting ready to rob a bank, jaywalking, stealing a traffic cone and a few others.  I think it is hilarious. And it is just a joke. No banks got robbed in this process!  

Last weekend I sent some pictures of Evie and Saige at the pumpkin  patch to the older kids.  Lauren replied that she wanted to go to the pumpkin patch.  I responded and told Cameron to take her!  The next day, I got this.   He went on to say the pumpkin patch in Louisiana rocks - they also have cosmic brownies!   It’s good that Lauren is a patient girl!   

A photo of Evie with the rock she stuck in her nose at school. When I asked her why she responded “because I didn’t have any pockets!”

As my birthday “day off” draws to a close, I feel overwhelmingly blessed.  Great family, great place to live and raise our kids, good people all around me.  It’s a good life.  I’m lucky to get to add a number to my years.