Forty-Six

Well Folks, it was quite the weekend.

My birthday was Saturday.  Now I have known this for quite some time because although I quite often forget the birthdays of my friends, my peeps, and occasionally the mailman, I have never once in all these many long fast years forgotten my own.   

I was expecting it to be moderately busy because I was throwing a shower for one of my favorite mama-to-be's ever on Saturday morning, and also my little brother (who is now waay bigger than me) and his family were driving in from Knoxville to spend Labor Day Weekend with us.  Frankly I was giddy with anticipation, and already my cup was full.

Well. 

As it turns out, that was just the beginning. 

Late the other night my doorbell rang, and there stood sweet Audrey in the dark just waiting for a hug :)  And a very Happy birthday to me!  I can't even tell you how excited and thankful I was to be able to see "my babies" and my daughter on my birthday.  Of course I had secretly wished I could maybe catch a glimpse of their faces at some point, but to actually have them spend the weekend with me was certainly far more than I had hoped for.  Kate's a busy mama with quite the full life going on at home these days, and I completely get that.

I actually had a bit of a tummy situation going on all weekend that we won't get into on the worldwideweb so I was quite pleased and content to consider lying around and watching some Kipper & what have you when I wasn't showering Samshe or hugging Keith.

Well.

As it turns out, that was just the beginning.

Kari came by the next morning with her two littles, and we had barely said our hello's and can-you-believe-they're-here's when she says they have more.  Turns out Katie came to town with a mission, and the mission was not to just eat my Friday's leftovers.  

She and Kari had BIG PLANS to completely re-do my bedroom Extreme Bedroom Makeover style.  All I needed to do was snuggle the littles while they disappeared for approximately 30 hours behind closed doors.  Oh! and I needed to get whatever I would need out of my room because I wasn't allowed back in.  

What followed included all manner of banging and thumping around, and yes, my very favorite scent...paint fumes wafting down the stairs :)

Needless to say, my weekend shifted dramatically from moderately busy to FULL-ON CRAZY just that fast.  Just the way I like it :)

In approximately 20 minutes I was wearing all manner of Gerber in my hair and on my person, we had scattered Cheetos and assorted edible miscellany all around the floor, and the obligatory toys and cars and papers and diapers, etc. had landed in their usual places...underfoot, ha!

We snuggled, and giggled, and napped and refused to nap, and repeatedly answered repeated questions...and laughed hysterically at all The Crazy.  

What we didn't do was watch a single episode of Kipper.  Turns out when The Mysterious is taking place Noodle loses all interest in media.  She was all up in everybody's business all weekend long, and we were pretty much okay with that.

I'm not posting the before pictures because I have my pride.

We'll just say that my former bedroom was the room that received zero tender loving care...no matchy-matchy, no precious little theme...not really even any furniture.  It was where all my home decor went to die.  When you are funds-limited you have to prioritize, and the room no one ever saw but me was certainly expendable.  

But I have to tell you, waking up in my pretty room with all the love splashed all over the walls?  It's the gift that will keep on giving.

I loved-loved the new bedding, and the new headboard/footboard combo...I loved-loved the shelves Drew hung (love you Drew!!)...I loved-loved the Pinterest-y ideas for art by the babies...and OH THE JOY at the sight of those bright yellow curtains. 

But the thing that stirs up the deep in my heart and makes me thankful to be a mama is not how they wanted to work so hard on my behalf, or their generosity, or even their desire for my life to be a little prettier...but how they know me, how they listen to things I've said over time about things I like, and how they understand what matters to me.  

It appears that my kids get me.  And as someone who has always struggled with feeling like enough and with feeling worth the effort, I can't even articulate how valuable a gift it is to me...to be gotten :)

I'm just going to say it because it has to be said.

I love you Katie, and I love you Kari.

I actually feel sorry for all the other parents in the world who don't have you for their very own :)

Happy Tuesday!