Birthday Blessings

Today was not the most exciting birthday I have ever experienced, but it was a nice one filled with blessings. I began the day with my three little cherubs greeting me with "Happy Birthday Mommy!" Next, I got the traditional Johnson Family Birthday Call from my Mom and Jack, during which they serenaded me. When hubby came home from work we went to Red Robin Restaurant for hamburgers for lunch. Next we stopped at the Bible store where we found some things to add to our fall curriculum and continued on to Old Navy where we picked out this year's $5 flag shirts (a family tradition). We finished our shopping trip with a visit to Borders where the kids were very excited to look at all the books. This was their first time together in a bookstore. I had taken D previously and that was much easier! D picked out a Curious George book to bring home. He is really enjoying learning to read. During the evening I enjoyed talking to my best friend Shelley on the phone (she lives out of state) and my birthday dessert which is Peach Raspberry Slump (an ugly name for a nummy cobbler) that I made this morning. Tomorrow night Hubby and I will have a rare treat...an evening out together to eat at one of our favorite restaurants and a friend is watching the kids for us. We get a date on average once a year, so we are very excited about this!

The pictures above were taken about 39 years apart. That's my brother in the background. He was born Dec 67, so I would say this was 1968. I think my Mommy made the Raggedy Ann and Andy smock...what do you say Mom? The second picture is me today. UGH! The thing I hate about pictures of myself is that they look like me! LOL You know what I mean? You don't look at yourself all the time and then you see a picture and realize that you do look that bad! I post this in obedience to my Mommy! :o) And for the benefit of my children.

The roses have always bloomed around my birthday at home in Washington, so they sometimes make me think of my birthday. Here in CA my roses bloom almost year around so it's not such a novelty. The pink and white rose is the Gemini rose which I planted in honor of my Grandma Hopkins since she and I share June birthdays. I love the white, tinged with pink. They get darker as they get older. The magenta colored rose is pretty but difficult to capture in photographs. I especially love that bush because it has virtually NO thorns and is very hardy and green even when the others get mildew or rust or whatever other ailments that roses get.