Weekend Fun/Happy Birthday 2 Me

So we got off to an interesting start this weekend. As we were getting ready to go to Cleveland to visit with friends, I ended up in the ER, with what they called a "bad GI bug". In other words 24 hours of pure hell. But by Friday afternoon, I was fine. Strange how things work out. We made it into Cleveland, and had a wonderful time with our friends. These are real friends. They have been with us through thick and thin. For example, after we had Peanut, they left their kids in Cleveland, and drove in to spend the day with us. I will never forget, they were there with us when we received the news about her eyes (see Beloved Life - Peanuts Story). They are truly special people. At no point at all during the weekend, did I ever feel uncomfortable, or self-consious about anything (particularly Peanut). It was great. All our kids played, ran around and reaked havok. The kids spent over an hour Saterday afternoon making grape juice, from grapes, as a group. They peeled, and squished the grapes by hand, made each of them a small cup of juice. Funny for us, but my poor friends kitchen floor was so sticky! The way I see it, no one got hurt, no one was crying or screaming, they were really having a blast. It was so fun. I think it was more fun because we were around all boys. I have realized that unless you have at least one boy of your own, you cannot understand what it is like. Boys are cut from a different cloth. They just think differently and do things differently. (That should be read between the lines as: Boys are crazy! They don't think things through before doing them, they just think something is neat to try, so they try it!)
My birthday was this weekend. It was very special to be able to spend the day hanging out with old friends. My husband got me a day at a spa (where will I find the time?!), and a few skirts from this great boutique, my girlfriend in Pittsburgh gave me a manicure certificate, and my friend in Cleveland gave me a great purse. All in all it was a great birthday. I was a little anxious about the next big year, but I think I'll be ok, with all the friends I realize I have.
In my ripe old age, I am able to draw the conclusion that if you have a good friend , or two, whom you can truly trust and share things with, you are rich. If you have your health and a family, you are rich. If you have the understanding of what is and is not important in life, then you too are rich. So while I may not be sure what I want to be when I grow up, I know that I am rich. I have couple of great friends, I have my health, my family, and I know now, thanks to my Peanut, what is and is not important in life. I pretty much have it all. I really am lucky. Happy Birthday to me!