...firsts....

...so, there are always "firsts" in the "journey to a new normal" and my birthday happened to be the "first" - first hurdle for us to overcome. November 18 came with the alarm ringing at 6:15 as so many days before . . . another morning, another day to face in the new life we are living, another day to CHOOSE to either serve GOD and honor Rick's memory or to challenge God's plan for our lives. I chose the first . . . . I will not dis-honor GOD or Rick's memory by doubting that God has a plan for our lives . . . and daily it is a CHOICE! :)

My beautiful girls awoke with greetings of Happy Birthday Mama which immediately lifted my spirits! :) When I got to school/work, the "spoiling" just continued!! :) There were so many Happy Birthday wishes and little gifts and words of LOVE that it was just AMAZING!! :)

I was initially taken "aback" when I received a bouquet of flowers that said "Happy Birthday, Love you Bud" . . . this is the "nickname" Rick & I have always used for each other . . . I was QUITE certain that no matter how much I LOVE him, I also KNEW that he was NOT organized or enough of a "plan-aheader" to have ordered the flowers ahead of hunting season to have delivered so when they arrived, I read the card, put it in the envelope and took a few deep breaths! Tessa was in the office, so I showed her the card and she responded, "That's why we had to go to Debackers last night (the ice cream shop - you have to go PAST the flower shop on the way to get ice cream!)" :) It then made sense and she told me that Nick was even in on it, and figured it would make me cry! :) I did tear up several times during the day, but more from beautiful memories and the ♥LOVE♥ that I was enveloped in and being "spoiled" with!!

A little later in the day, ANOTHER bouquet arrived, this one from the "Big Kids"!!