Happy Birthday Darling Daughter

I can't believe it! Yesterday my little bundle of joy turned 5 and I gotta confess, she was just as unsure about it as I was. It is funny how birthdays can impact us. And ironically, when going through old photo books we realized that darling daughter had the same "I don't want to be a year older" feeling when she turned 3! And she loved being 3. And she will love being 5. And by the time dinner approached, she stated that now that she was 5 she could learn recipes. I got her some paper, a pen, and scissors so she could take notes while I made the dinner of her choice. It was taco night by the way. Oh, and mommies of boys, darling daughter stated that they get to learn recipes when they are 6.
To all the moms out there, you know we have hard days but the good times are much greater. I loved the tweet from @kelsey5k that reinforced this "The days are long but the years are fast." - a much more poetic version, don't you think? My response, "So true! And the 2 hr party today was way long!" And it was as I have a daughter who loves to plan and she was a bit upset perhaps insert some screams when things weren't going the way she planned/hoped. It is a learning lesson for kids of all ages, isn't it?
I am truly blessed to have this special angel in my life. And I love how co-workers, friends, and perhaps just acquaintances along the way made her day even more special. Her week long celebration started with a gift from Grandma, and yes, I let her open it early. In fact, it was almost a week early as the gift arrived on the day when I worked the run. Then Saturday we went to the gym for my run, which I ended up cutting short because I just wanted to spend more time with my precious gem. Darling daughter received a Jamba Juice gift card from the sweetest staff who takes care of her while I run. We are both so blessed!
The day of her birthday my phone was ringing and beeping all day with good wishes and songs from family and friends. I am touched by the outpouring of love. Darling daughter commented on how everyone keeps calling! Gotta love it! But what I love the most is that we have an old video of Grandma and Grandpa singing, or trying to sing, her Happy Birthday. I love that she will always be able to see and hear Grandpa's voice. And that brings me to my most precious gift to her, a book called The Blue Roses by Linda Boyden, who actually called Maui her home for awhile. Darling daughter and I checked this book out from the library ages ago, okay, perhaps not the long. We both instantly fell in love with it as it is an amazing story with a great lesson, well written, and has a touch of humor to it even though it is a sad story - one that still brings tears to my eyes when I read it as it makes me miss my Dad and opens up discussion about Grandpa.

Rust to soft yellow = Success!

I could ramble on and on about how much I love my daughter, but you all know that. I could tell you about our whirlwind of a weekend that included not only baking a cake but painting a kitchen but that could drag on forever. But I must say, I am glad darling daughter pushed motivated me to bite the bullet and paint the kitchen like I wanted to do. It was hard work. I still have some touching up to do. But it was worth it especially to hear darling daughter exclaim, "Mommy! The kitchen looks so much brighter!" My response, "Ahhh....thanks! That was just what I was going for!"
Have a great week all! I am off to work, try to get some more running in, and blast away this cold that is brewing. Count down: 6 days 'til the BIGGEST WORK DAY EVER! Not the time to get any sicker!
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for being a mom.
Daily Affirmation: I love myself and I am in charge of my own happiness.