A Superlative Birthday

Bryan had asked me several times what I wanted for my birthday, and what I wanted to do for my birthday. My love language is definitely not gifts, so this is always a hard question to answer. Finally, I told him that I just wanted a love note. And I expounded by saying that I just wanted to feel loved, that I wanted to feel like it mattered that I existed--that I was born.

And did my man deliver? Most surely!

He enlisted the help of my good friend Carolyn, who set up the party paraphernalia, after he convinced me that we had to go to the store before family night. Even after I locked the front door (habit), he went back to unlock it so everyone could get in.

He took frustratingly long choosing his tomato plants, and didn't hurry the kids through the toy aisles. Lucky (?) for him, we did have another slight delay loading up the car because apparently Joseph had sneaked out of the cart basket and was still in the store. Bryan found him, and then we drove home.

I never caught on until about two seconds after the "Surprise!" I would have loved to see the look on my face, or even to remember what I said in that moment (and I wish it had been something really clever). But because it was one of those things you don't expect, at all, it took a moment for my brain to catch up to my eyes and ears.

Amazingly, a whole bunch of people had crowded into our living room (half of them were children) and sat quietly waiting for me.

This was the first time Bryan has ever been able to completely surprise me. I was most surprised, and least prepared. It was the biggest party I've ever had, with the most people attending. Our house was mostly too small for such a large group. The cake was most delicious. The weather was the coldest it has ever been to celebrate my birthday, but still nice enough to take the party outside. It was the earliest I've ever celebrated my birthday. It was the largest group of people to ever sing to me. I got the most bouquets of flowers in my life. I felt most loved.

Cutting my cake

Some of the kids

More friends and sweet husband

Enjoying the frosting


I was really glad that I wasn't yelling at my kids when we got home (what does this say about me???). I was really glad I didn't have to use the bathroom right when I got home. I was really glad that we had kept the house pretty clean. I was really glad that (I think) I didn't say anything completely embarrassing.

We counted 36 people from 9 families who were here or dropped by. Of course I worried that I wasn't dressed up, didn't do my hair or makeup, and didn't even have my contacts in. I worried that I kind of smelled from the day's labors. I also worried that my bathrooms were not clean. I worried that we had so many weeds in our yard. I also worried that we had interfered with other people's family nights.

But each of these worries were put to rest because I realized that what mattered to these people was that I exist.