It's My Birthday...

"It's my birthday, not a holiday, but I'd like to say, it's my birthday...go Joyce, go Joyce, go Joyce!!!!" (hands raising the roof)...

Yep, today's my special day!! Yeah!! I LOVE birthdays, but I've already shared that with you. I just think it's awesome to celebrate one's being, our very existence.

I've had a WONDERFUL weekend! My parents arrived late Thursday night. Mom and I were up until after 1:00 AM catching up. Friday was a day of errands and some relatively minor mechanical work. Yeah, my folks had a little red trailer made for me for my birthday (I wasn't quick enough to snap a photog or two before my dad tucked it in under a tarp for safe keeping. I'll undress it one day soon and post pics for you). It is TOO cute. It's a trailer to pull behind the truck/car to carry whatever you need (yard waste, mulch in the summer time, hay bales, trash, a cart load of puppies...hee, hee). See, there is no trash/waste collection in these parts - we are on our own! So, the trailer was a much needed and much appreciated gift! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Saturday mom and I spent tooling around Apex. We hit Home Goods and boy was it good!!! She treated me to some after Halloween goodies at unbelievable prices! I got the cutest rug to put at my kitchen sink; a black background with three white ghosts on it. And four great dessert plates (I have a china fettish...); two have these funny witches on them and the other two have pumpkins. I'll have to post pics 'cause they're very hard to explain. Let's see...we then went to downtown Apex and strolled in and out of the shops - LOVELY. And then visited the Garden Supply in Cary - AWESOME. They were decking their halls for Christmas, while it was 75 outside! I love the South baby!!! Back home we changed and grabbed our dessert and blankets and headed for the church. It was our annual Fall Fellowship get together! This year there was a blow up boxing ring. There were two "stumps" to stand on and these "sticks" with these huge Q-tip looking things on the ends. The idea, very Survivor like, was to knock your opponent off their stump. We had husbands beating wives, children beating mothers, brothers beating sisters, deacons beating the preacher...it was GREAT!!! Then, it was time to eat. Fried chicken, barbeque, butter potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, biscuits and a table full of desserts. I LOVE the South baby!!! Then, it was time to hit the wagon. Two farm tractors get hooked up to two HUGE flat bed wagons. The wagons are filled with hay and we pile high with homemade blankets and sweatshirts. The closer you get, the warmer you stay. It gets pretty chilly back in those open fields! This year's ride went perfectly. Not like last year when the wagon we were in ended up with two flat tires...yep, two flat tires in the middle of I don't know where and boy it's a long, dark walk back to the church - through the cemetary. Talk about a Halloween to beat all Halloweens!!! And that was my parent's first trip! I never thought I'd see them again - Ha! But they laughed and were great sports and came back for more this year! But before we took off this time, the tires were inflated and the gas tank was topped off, just to be sure! We sure have made some memories here...I love the South.

I was also treated to some spending dollars from my brother - how sweet was he? And my DH gave me a gift certificate to get my nails done for the next six months I think! Thank you Mikey! Got some nail polish and a wonderful Rascal Flatts CD and countless cards and emails from friends and family along with sweet well wishes from my church family this morning. I really am a lucky girl. And I love my life and everything about it and all that it brings me...ALL that it brings me.

I've had an interesting year and I'm prayerful that this coming year will be even more memorable and that I'll make a difference to someone. I want to work on staying healthy and continuing to run. I want to work on gaining a position in a company where I can be happy and be a quality employee and offer something special. I want to get more involved in my community. I want to join a committee of some sort in an organization that I'm passionate about - I have to research this further. I want to do more volunteer work. I want to be a better Christian, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I want to make sure I recognize the little things/moments in life. I want to say I Love You more. I want people to know I care about them. I want to have greater faith in the new leadership of my country and believe that things will get better for us all. I don't want to take anything for granted. I want to celebrate my life everyday.

My sweetest thanks to those of you who sent birthday wishes to me. Please know how they touch my heart to the deepest. I treasure each of you and I treasure each and every birthday!!

Happy birthday to me!!!! Yeah!!!!