A couple of people wished me a happy 29th birthday except for one over achiever who chose 27th

But I’ve earned 41 years and I claim them all.  And since I have a 15 year-old I’d rather be significantly older than 29!

I got the loveliest birthday card from Elizabeth.  It said, “First of all don’t open this card.  Second of all you’re the best mom in the world.  Third of all you can open this card.”

I did … and homemade confetti hearts fell out.  And a clue to a scavenger hunt.

My kids think that scavenger hunts are THE. FUNNEST. THING. EVER.  So often I will see them figuring out clues and running around the house.  My scavenger hunt was about fourteen clues long.  And at the end was my gift.

In Elizabeth’s painted wooden treasure box was a paper heart with William’s name on it.  One with Brianne’s, dad’s, Jacob’s, Lizzy’s, a Lizzy heart balloon and a paper “I heart You.”  It also included three chocolates, a sucker, a Hersey’s Kiss, bottle caps (because I know you love them) and a dollar bill.

It is seriously the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.

And Brianne made me a cake.

I walked into the kitchen in the middle of it and was promptly sent out with protestations of ruining surprises and being a stinker and at least you don’t know what flavor it is.  When I smelled burning I opened the oven and saw that Bri had decided to bake me a heart birthday cake.  Adorable.  Unfortunately the heart pan is smaller than a 9x13 inch pan and she had poured all the cake batter into it.  Cake batter had overflowed and was burning on the bottom of the oven.  I put a pan under the cake and shut the oven.

My cake ended up being cake balls.

I stuck a candle in one of them, lit it and let William blow it out.  (Because it is a tradition in our family for William to help everyone blow out their birthday candles because it makes him so happy!)

Our church choir sang Happy Birthday to me.

And Marcy and Cheryl took me out for a birthday lunch.  Yummy!