Oh, yes, let them eat cake!!

Deborah is 60 and she's loving it. What a decade I'm planning! Below is my birthday in pictures...I hope you don't mind the indulgence. If you do mind...skip to bottom of entry.

It all starts here, on a hot day/early evening in Naples, FL. A just turned 60 yr. old lady is bent over talking to her little mini poodle, Larry, when her DH (who likes to take candid camera type photos) catches her with her bra strap showing and her dress falling off of her. Isn't this cute! Not!

This picture will actually make my children wonder if the lady has had a nip or two too many. Which she did not! She only drank one glass of tea! I was schwitzing, tired and falling out of my shawl and shoes....and dress....do you think I had anyone around to tell me to pull myself together!!??? :P

Another picture of the same, in case you missed the first one. We were just getting back from a perfectly lovely dinner alone at a beautiful restaurant downtown Naples. We ate early so we'd have the whole place to ourselves...it was like being in the Casablanca movie! ;]

Dear little Clara kissing Mama happy birthday...she probably has an ulterior motive because she loves buttercream icing. :[ Mama's just blown out one of her candles. Daddy thinks mommy is only "39" because he says she's really so young looking.... Mommy loves when Daddy talks like that. XXOO

Clara is alert to the fact that Daddy now wants a frontal picture of her and she hates

it with a passion. Showing her disgust here. But, he gets one anyway.... Note that we think this is a great coup and are laughing our heads off. It takes so little to make Daddy and Mommy crack up!!!

And, now, let's get serious because Larry Kaplan the First, is a picture (whore) model. He loves to get his picture taken. He looks right into the camera and expects perfection all around. Mommy is having anxiety because she's not sure she can measure up to Larry's expectations.

My pretty, "real" birthday cake that my DD, Jessica, asked my DH to buy me. It's my very favorite thing to get for my birthday. I'm so proud of it!!! Thanks, ZeezieKo!

Guess what I'm doing now.....

All in all a very happy day, and one I'll remember for all of YOUR notes and well wishes and comments on Facebook and emails and cards sent to me. I was so completely overwhelmed by your outpouring of love to me. Thank you all so much! It was so unexpected and made me happier than I can even tell you.

It's just a true blessing to have friends and family and children and grandchildren like God's given me. All I can hope for is to continue to live in His grace, and to love back in return.

I'm sending out so much love to all of you, and hopes that this year will be all you hope it to be.

Also, please join me in praying for our military sons and daughters who are giving thier lives to protect and serve us. And, don't forget their wives and children and families at home.

Lastly, I want to thank very special friends for sending birthday gifts to me:

Jinger--thank you for the precious card and words of friendship, and for the threads; so pretty and thoughtful of you:

Barbara (my birthday twin)--what a wonderful friend you are to me--your card meant so much, and I'm in love with that pretty strawberry packet with all the threads and beads! --thank you sooo much:

Deb H.--what a surprise to find your gift for my birthday in the mail! I gasped when I opened it, it was so awesome to hear from you. I don't have a pincushion like it, and I'll cherish it always. Thank you so much for your dear card and for your friendship.

Pictures of all will follow in my next blog, everyone!

Hugs, Deb, your bloggish stitching friend

PS: My darling children made a DVD with especially selected music and pictures of my life with them and my grandchildren as a birthday gift to me. It will always be my most cherished birthday gift. I want to share some of the pictures with you on my next blog...so please come see me again soon.

P.S. Go see www.laurenwillig.com/ to read about her latest contest to cast your vote on who the greatest hero in literature is!