The sun was not yet shining in the valley when I woke yesterday morning, but the sky above the mountains was pale and clear. I enjoyed sweet time in the Word before getting up and dressed for the day -- my 30th birthday. It was not to be a running morning - Mistaya had plans for a birthday breakfast down at the lake, and I had to get the grocery order in before we left. So I headed over to the Ranch about 6:20 (exchanging good mornings with Mark in the yard and receiving a birthday hug from him), joining Gordy in the kitchen as he prepared breakfast and I took inventory and decided what we needed for the week ahead. I always enjoy tidying up the kitchen corners and taking stock of what needs to be used, so it was a pleasant hour and a half. The first birthday card arrived from one of my co-workers, and I had already received my first birthday email from my brother-in-law, who was working late and thus awake for the inaugural moments of August first.
By 8:00 I was done with my morning duties and ready to head down the road with Jake and Mistaya, who were up visiting for a couple of days and so kindly arranged a little celebration for me. When I went into the house to meet them I found a gift from Monica on the table: a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers, a thoughtful card, and a beautiful handmade apron. We loaded into the pick-up cab, and John hopped in the back, and we chatted as we drove to the bakery. There we picked up what Mistaya had ordered: a special quiche and apricot-hazelnut rolls. Samantha and Dawn and her 3 children met us there, and we caravaned down to the lake. McKenna could hardly wait to get out of the car to hand me the sweet card Dawn had written to me. She wondered if I was turning two like she is two. We spilled out onto the log office lawn, pulling chairs into a circle (John found a big king chair for me) and breaking out the bakery treats. The children delighted us with antics and smiles, and we lingered as the sun rose high enough to reach our patch of grass and warm our skin.
At last we broke up our circle -- John had to start working at the bike stand, Jake and Mistaya had to catch the boat, I had to head back up the road to go to work. Before I left the landing, I stopped by the post office and Jonathan handed me a birthday package all the way from Germany.
At home I got ready for work and read my cards and emails. After lunch I put on my new apron and got busy in the kitchen preparing for about 70 dinner guests. Brittany and I chatted as usual as we worked, and the afternoon slipped quickly by. Monica brought us root beer floats on her way home from work, and the cold treat perked us up and made us feel very celebratory. I made a chocolate cake with fresh raspberries squashed into strawberry cream cheese frosting for the filling, and decided it was my birthday cake. The dinner hour came and brought 81 hungry guests, so Brittany and I were kept quite busy trying to fill them all up, especially once we ran out of pot roast (somewhere around guest #64). I think everyone went away satisfied! Then we fed our faithfully hungry and grateful crew, and at last we were able to eat, and there was even a piece of my birthday cake left for me.
John helped us finish cleaning up in the kitchen, and then we walked home together and he gave me a little gift from Dad and Mom and we chatted (and I read more birthday emails) while we waited for Mark and Monica to return home from Bible study. When they arrived we talked about our day and had a sweet time of prayer together. What better gift can I ask for than the heartfelt, sincere prayers of my friends? Though Mark told me there were still 2 1/2 hours of birthday left, we decided it was time for bed, and I tucked into my sheets just as the large, bright moon was slipping out from behind the ridge. I lay counting blessings for a long time before sleep came. Truly, I am richly blessed.
