Birthday Memories

Today just happens to be my birthday. I share this day with Elvis and couple other famous people. I am not sharing my age... a woman never tells. But to be honest I never share my age I am younger than most mothers with children the ages of mine so I spare myself judgment and just keep the number to myself! Anyway enough about that... Since I can't share any of my baby photos (old as dirt computer) I am going to share a couple special birthday memories and one little sad one...

When I was in Mrs. Sprayberry's second grade class at Big Spring Lake Elementary school I received a very special and grown up gift. This year on my special day my parents had balloons delivered to my school which were being weighed down my a "Troll" doll with a pink colored stone in it's belly. My parents had never done that for me before so I thought it was oh so cool. Well when they picked me up from school I had another even bigger surprise the grown up gift... I received my first piece of jewelry that year for my birthday. I got a pretty little pink ice ring. I remember thinking I was so big getting this little jem. I wore it alot even to school and for several years it was always by my side. It now lives in my mothers old jewelry box which is in a box at my dads. Maybe next year on Jesse's birthday I will pass this little jem on to her.

The next memorable birthday came the following year... I was in the third grade Mrs. Bunch's class at McCord Elementary school. This is the year that the Elvis stamp came out. To this day I am not sure of the lengths my dad went through to get me my stamp. I think he ended up getting it from a guy he worked 3rd shift with at Wagner. He put a sweet message with it and laminated it. It is not worth a single penny now I am sure. But it means the world to me. I use to carry it in my wallet but for fear of loosing it I now keep it in my jewelry box.

There are many other birthday memories I could share. My mom always made my birthday special. I can still remember her making the labor intensive Manacotti I would request almost every year as my special diner. My Dad always said "It all started with you Hollie you taught me to love someone other than myself." Just thinking about him saying that makes my heart hurt, my parents always made us feel so special and loved.

My mother spent my last birthday before her death in the hospital. She had been admitted and they were unsure what was making her sick. We later found out she had leukemia. On that birthday I will never forget my dads attempt to make it special. I wasn't expecting anyone when there was a knock on my door and there stood my dad with a 8 pack of snickers minis (my fav) with candles stuck down in them singing happy birthday. To this day I miss my mom more on my birthday than any other day. I miss manacotti (which I haven't eaten in years) and I sure do miss German chocolate cake that she would either make or have made for me every year.

Not trying to be sad this is a very happy day. I am so blessed to be another year older and wiser (no objecting Michael). Looks like I might be spending this day stuck inside because it is like 20 degrees here and my kids have a "snow day"! Happy Birthday to all who share this day it is a great day for a birthday if I do say so myself!