Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me!

I know it is a selfish title but, it is my blog. Last Thursday, November 1, I celebrated my 29th birthday. I celebrated the special day by cleaning up pee on the floor many, many times. If you remember that was the 1st day of potty training. I actually did not even think about the fact that it would be on my birthday when I started planning and by the time I realized it I had already decided that this was the best time to do it. No turning back!!! So I spent most of the day driving my toddler crazy and bringing her to the point of exasperation many times as I followed her around an forced her to sit on the toilet. By bed time I was exhausted and so I went to bed early (or more accurately fell asleep on the couch and went to bed about 1 a.m.). Yippee! I told you my life was exciting!!!!
Actually, do not let me lead you to believe that my husband did nothing special for me. He outdid himself. I tell him things I like or would like all the time and so often I think he is not listening, or worse he does not care, but that is not the case. He told me last Saturday that he needed to get a few things and wanted to run some errands. We went to Dillard's where he asked me to help him find some dress slacks. He is super casual, right down to his khaki pants and I have told him many times that it would mean the world to me if he would dress nicely and take me out...like a real date where he is trying to impress me. He then told me that he wanted to go out for my birthday next Saturday and (don't miss this part) HE ALREADY HAD GOTTEN A BABYSITTER! WOW! I don't have to find a babysitter! Then he gave me a gift card from Dillard's that he had already gotten. So in summary, we went shopping together for him to get something that I LIKE to wear on our date that HE already had gotten a babysitter for and then he gave me a gift certificate for me to go shopping for myself. I was feeling pretty special and on top of that he got me some perfume and gave that to me on my actual birthday.

So when Saturday night rolled around I decided I wanted to go to Outback for steak. We dressed nicely for each other, went to eat, and we did not talk about the kids the entire night (actually we talked about them very little). It was so nice, and to top it all off one of the project managers that Trace works with was there and he decided to surprise us by picking up the tab on our bill! What a surprise to hear that we owed NOTHING! We were both blown away. Thank you Wade!!! It was such a great evening! I felt very special and loved!
So what is it like to be 29...not much different than 28, but it has gotten me to stop and reflect a bit on this past year. I have had my third child, graduated from graduate school, and attended my 10 year High school reunion. All of those are pretty crazy! It has been 10 years since I graduated from High School and I think I can say I have grown up quite a bit from the rebellious, selfish 18 year old I was to what I am today. Sad thing is that I still struggle with with feeling rebellious and I am still pretty selfish most of the time. There is just this part of me that does not want to submit to authority of any kind. It can make life hard when I know the right thing to do but every fiber of my being is screaming for me not to do it. Thank God some of that obvious blatant rebellion is gone, but it is still a struggle at times in my marriage and in my other relationships. As for the selfishness, I don't know that I will ever rid myself from that. Every time I get frustrated with one of my kids or my husband it can generally be linked back to my selfish heart. I HATE THAT!! I am thankful for the fact that God promises to finish the work He has begun in me.
So it has been 10 years since H.S. and 5 years since I became a mom. That one blows me away! What a journey! What a joy! Yes, there are frustrations but there is so much joy!!! God, I thank you for the gift of motherhood!! This is but one more milestone that shows me how I have been changed by God. I cannot believe how much change can come about in 10 years, but particularly in the last 5. Heck, in just one year my life has changed! I am looking forward to what the future holds and I hope to rid myself even more of this selfishness and rebellion! I know the Lord is faithful and I hold firmly to His promise of change and transformation into the image of His Son. I am His workmanship created to do the works He has prepared for me in advance (my paraphrase Ephesians 2:10). Here's to the next year, whatever it may hold!!!

P.S. Just in case you are curoius...Rebecca has had one accident since her nap on Friday! Thanks for your prayers. She now sits on the potty, pees, and says "I pee pee, clap you hands mommy". So cute!!