My birthday events

It's my birthday!! (29 if anyone doesn't want to do the math - I am officially cancelling the day next year)

I had plans of getting the kids to swim lessons, do some fun work around the house, and then packing the kids off to the church for the teens to watch while I went to get my hair done. After which I would have picked up the kids & baby-sitter so Mark and I could go out (the ONLY guaranteed day of the YEAR that we go out.)

Not to be. My plans had an unfortunate and sad change.

Monday night my mother called to let me know that my oldest brother (from my father's first marriage) had died of a heart attack. Rick was 20+ years older than me and I hardly knew him. I had not seen him in 8ish years, since my father's funeral. He had moved to Arkansas 12 years ago. But it was still a shock. The grief I feel is more for the pain my other siblings and nieces/nephews and my sister-in-law and the two boys are feeling.
The decision was to bring him back home so he could be buried in the cemetery where my father, grandmother/grandfather, and other family is. The services were today. So my plans were rearranged.
We did not go to swim lessons (late night last night at the church Christmas party). Instead I bundled the girls up and let them play in the snow, while I cleaned up the house. Then we rushed around to get everyone out of the house and off to my Mom's. (She entertained the kids while Mark and I went to the funeral.) After the service we headed back to pick up the kids. :) They had baked me some birthday cupcakes and sang to me when we got there. (My Mother bought me a wonderful cardigan sweater) Spent a few minutes enjoying the time with Mom and my sister Sue (always a good combination for a laugh), then headed home.
Mark and I did get to go out for the evening. What does a couple, who likes canoeing/kayaking/camping/hiking/etc. do on a date in the winter months? (who do not like going to a movie at a theater)we walk the mall of course! What a zoo!!! We went to Trade Secret and I got about 2 inches off my hair, and the girl put some nice curls in. We went to the game store and found 'Encore' - Mark's favorite game (it's a singing game - you get a word and have to sing a line from any song that contains that word - if you know Mark you will know that he does that when NOT playing the game LOL) We headed to the kitchen store and got my birthday present - a nice food processor - YAY!!!! AND a quick stop at the Gertrude Hawk store :) What next? Hmm...Wal-Mart of course! Picked up an oil filter for the van (very romantic huh?) and off to Friendly's. A plate of cheesy waffle fries and then the mammoth 'Hunka Chunka' PB fudge Iceream - OVER warm lave cake, with yummy PB oozing out of the middle.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!


All in all it was a bitter sweet day. But it is still officially cancelled next year - last year the whole family was 'sick' and then this year my brother. I don't want to know what might happen next year. So cancelled! :)

Thanks to all my wonderful FB 'family' for the birthday greetings! They truly are appreciated!