43 Years Young

I was a bit overwhelmed this year by the love I was shown on/around my birthday! I spent the morning at the temple with the young women, and I loved that!  I loved being able to spend time with these precious and remarkable young women in one of my favorite places. 

 Alfredo, the girls and I went to dinner for my birthday.  We decided to try a new place called Wallaby's Smoke House.  It was quite good.  Alfredo gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and 5 beautiful shirts and a pair of boots.  He is always so good to buy me such nice things!  He really does spoil me!

The bouquet of flowers was so beautiful !  I especially loved the really unique blue flowers.  They added such a pretty pop of color and were so interesting.  I don't know what they are called, but I loved them! 

I got so many other thoughtful gifts and notes.  Julie brought me a kind note and this darling frame that I've hung on my wall.  I love it.  "We rise by lifting others."  I know my life is immensely blessed by serving others.  I truly have the BEST people in my life...who lift me so often and who enrich my life.  I don't know why I am so very blessed, but I am so thankful!

Stefanie brought me a beautiful crocheted afghan that she'd made for me. 

Aly brought me a chocolate dome, a darling kitchen towel and this little bowl that says, "Love grows best in houses just like this."  I love that bowl.  A few years ago, the bowl might have made me feel guilty because I wasn't sure those sentiments were true...I so often felt like I was falling short as a mother and wife. I still am far from perfect, but somehow I have grown so much more confidence in my roles as a wife and mother and my nature as a daughter of God.  I'm far from perfect but I think my Heavenly Father is pleased with my efforts.  And our home IS a loving and (mostly) peaceful one.

An anonymous person left a box on our doorstep with chocolates and a lovely bracelet in it on Valentine's Day.  The bracelet says, "She leaves a little sparkle whereever she goes."  I don't actually know for sure if the box was for me or for one of my girls...so we have shared the chocolates and bracelet.

Wendy brought me heart shaped candies.

My dad gave me 5 chocolate domes.  My mom and Mike gave me an amazon gift card and Suzy gave me a gift card to Barnes and Noble.  I got so many loving messages and texts. 

Sara posted the following on Instagram/Facebook: "I've said it before and I'll say it again....the world would be a much better place if everyone could walk through life with a Jenny. My Jenny and I have done a lot of walking through life this year. She's walked with me while I've sobbed and she's walked with me while I've rejoiced. We can't physically walk every day, but we rarely miss a day of talking through life. Our subjects include everything from the Atonement of Jesus Christ clear down to how we will build our underground tunnel from her house to mine. She knows all of my weaknesses, including many I'm sure that I'm not even aware of, and she loves me despite. She helps me believe in who I am and why I'm important and she never gives in when I try and get her to say a bad word 😉. She helps me remember how old I am, she is patient when I have to ask her for the hundredth time "what does that word mean" and she kindly talks me out of getting a new pet on a pretty regular basis. She strengthens my testimony and teaches me by example. She listens, she cares, she loves and she serves. My life is blessed immensely by having her in it. Happy Birthday sweet Jenny! I love you so very much!!!"

Sara also gave me a darling pillow that says, "So many books, so little time" and a little reading light and took me to lunch about a week after my birthday.

Jackie sent me the kindest text on my birthday.  She said:

TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT JENNY:

1.  Your diligent efforts to be more Christlike in everything you do.

2.  Your light.  It radiates from your inner soul and draws people to you, and love around you.

3.  Your willingness to listen.  You know when to just listen, and when to offer advice or uplifting messages.

4.  Your joy.  It helps me to remember to dig mine out and dust it off.

5.  Your care and compassion for others.  In every area of your life, you are an example of nurturing and loving.

6.  Your knowledge.  Amazing!

7. Your skill or talent of remembering so much of what you have read, and to be able to share things that you remember with others.

8.  Your sense of humor.  I love to laugh with you over crazy things, and hearing your funny stories.

9.  Your willingness to serve every day (even on your birthday[I felt prompted to take Jackie a small gift on my birthday]) those around you.   I love that you actively pray for others, and strive to follow through with what you are asked to do.  You are an answer to a prayer!!

10.  Your mindfulness in language and care in choosing your words.  You deliberately try to speak only good things and never gossip.   That is such an incredible character trait!!  I know you work really hard at only saying things that uplift and heal or bring joy or help.  YOU ARE AMAZING, and I am so grateful for you in my life.  I wish you a year full of great adventure and happy memories.

Now, I don't think I deserve such high praise...I am a normal person with plenty of foibles and weaknesses.  But I am grateful every day to have friends that lift and inspire and bless and strengthen me.  I'm so grateful for that tremendous blessing in my life.  And I am going to try a little harder to live up to such high praise so that I am worthy of it.