Sunday Sentiments

 

Thank you so much for your kind words on Friday when Ryan shared his birthday post for me. I cried reading his words ahead of when they posted. I could read his writing all day long. Don't you think he should guest post more often? ;)

Yesterday was my actual birthday, and I'll show you more tomorrow about what we did, but in the meantime I'll tell you that it was a beautiful day of joy in my heart. Compared to what we have done some years, this was a very low-key day, but my heart wanted and needed that this year. 

* I was grateful for an easy morning at home with one of my favorite things: Casey's breakfast pizza. (More on this tomorrow.) Sleeping in and having that on my plate was pretty much the perfect way to start the day.

* The weather was so pretty in the morning, and we were able to sit out on the back porch while I opened the cards and gifts that had arrived in the mail this week. We still have no yard. It probably bothers everyone around us way more than it bothers us. But to sit on my little back porch chair and look out into what will one day be our yard was a joy.

* It's a true gift to say that we have friends here already, given that our time here hasn't even reached the two month mark yet. But we do have friends here, and one of them stopped by to bless me with birthday balloons. I was in the middle of doing my hair and looked fairly terrible, but her impromptu visit was one of my favorite parts of the day!

* I scrapbooked, we watched really old shows about people who live on houseboats, I enjoyed birthday greetings on social media, and spent the bulk of the day with Ryan, Braeya, and Lexi.

* At the end of the day, we went to our small group, where we celebrated with brand new friends who have embraced us completely and without question. They sang happy birthday to me (and one of the other guys in the group who also has a birthday this week) and took time to hear our stories and encourage us!

It may not have been a day of external fanfare, but it was a day of deep gratitude for me. This past year has been full of so much change. SO much change. This weekend really does mark a new beginning for us in a variety of ways, and it felt so fitting that entering a new year was part of that new beginning for me!

Thank you for loving me well, dear friends. I appreciate you!