60 years + 1 day...

"Pleased to look forward, pleased to look behind, and count each birthday with a grateful mind." -Alexander Pope

I am so grateful for life, friends, and family.  Today, I am 60 + one day.  Warren got up early...very early, like 5:00 a.m. to go for a bike ride.  The phone rang at 5:45.  I thought it could be Caprock with a  call for Warren from a mother who needed help for her sick child, but the caller ID told me it was Warren.  I figured he had another flat tire.  He does have those occasionally, and I have to go pick him up from some remote road somewhere around Roswell.  That was not the case this morning.  He called to tell me to get myself out of bed, and go take a picture of the wonderful sunrise.  I had asked him to do that if there was a good one.  I think it took me too long to get ready, because the sun was up quite a ways by the time I drove out where I could see it well.  I liked it anyway and thought it was still pretty.

My 60th birthday was very good.  People called, packages came, friends took me to lunch, and I had a family party, and it rained.  It seemed like it rained a lot, but my water class told me we only got 1/10th of an inch.  We have had clouds gather every afternoon, but no rain.  I was so glad to see it rain.  I felt like it was a birthday gift from God.

Rain on my windshield as I was stopped for a red light.  

It looks like a lot of rain.  I just wish it really was.  I am happy to have a little rather than nothing.

My friend, Holly, took me to lunch at Cattle Baron.  We had shrimp and crab remoulade salad which I have never had before.  It was delicious, and it will be something I order again.  So, so good!

This is a type of the salad.  I got this picture from the internet.

Holly and me at Cattle Baron.  She the cute balloon attached to the miniature roses, and the cute package.  

The best present of all: Friends.  Holly and me.

When I got home, Warren had the table decorated and was blowing up balloons.  True love for sure!

Didn't Warren do a great job with the decorations?  I was impressed.

Next he finished putting the cake together.  I wanted the cake by "The Pioneer Woman". http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/05/chocolate-strawberry-nutella-cake/

Pioneer Woman's cake.  (taken from her website)

We actually made a few changes in the cake.  We did not use white flour, but almond flour, and instead of sugar, we used light Agave nectar.  It is supposed to be a lower glycemic index.  Not that it mattered by the time we did the chocolate ganache (instead of nutella), and whipping cream!  Here's our cake.

Our cake.  We frosted the sides with ganache, which the Pioneer Woman did not do.   I bet ours was better, and would win in a taste test.

Here is Warren hard at work on the cake.  What a man, what a husband!  I am blessed!

Then we had the party.  WooHoo!

These candles were supposed to have flames that matched the color of the candles.  They did sort of when they all got lit.  It was so pretty.

Singing Happy Birthday!

Me with my grandkids. (Photo by Laurie)

Blowing out the candles. (Photo by Laurie)

Lighting the candles...okay, these are out of order.  Oh, well.  (photo by Laurie)

The cake and ice cream were eaten, Yum, and then I opened presents.  Lots of presents, all very good, useful, and wonderful.  I like cards, too, almost as much as presents.  I got some pretty fantastic cards.

Card by E.  There are 60 candles, and a 60 as my hairdo, and 60 on the chair in the picture.  Pretty impressive that she did all that, and counted the candles.  

Card envelope from my daughter-in-law, Jordan.  I love how she incorporated a candle in the letter "b".  So clever.

It was a great day.  Today, I have a few elements to keep the table simple, but also to remind me of my birthday.  I cannot believe I am 60!

Balloon and flowers, and cupcake salt and pepper shakers from Holly.  Thank you, Holly.

Oh, yes, the cat supervised it all from a sack that had all the birthday decorations in it.