a birthday

Saturday night I got an early birthday present! The dogs went wild as a big truck pulled into the driveway - didn't recognize it. Stepped outside the door, leaving the dogs in the house, and met Justin and Jennifer Nef and their adorable 5 year old daughter! What a surprise! I worked with Justin when we were both working for Triple "A" Landscape (my son's company). He was a young guy at the time - kind of a bad-dude with tattoos, earrings and an attitude! I immediately loved him! He'd had a rough up-bringing and we got to know each other pretty well. I knew his mother - but his mother just didn't do her job and decided she didn't want to mother any more! She took off on the wrong path! There were lots of times when we would just sit and talk about stuff. He just couldn't get a break - man he was a hard, hard worker and did a great job. Long-story-short, he grew up, feel in love and is now working a corporate job in the sprinkler industry! The bond we formed must have been a lot deeper than I thought as we sat and visited for a few hours! I told he and his wife that they were doing something that was a dying-art - VISITING! When was the last time you went, knocked on someones door and just visited? They said they were coming by to wish me a happy birthday (saw it on Facebook)! How about that! Pretty cool and speaks volumes for a young couple! That pretty much made my year!

Bob spilled the beans several weeks before my birthday that he was doing something special on my birthday. Well, that something is being installed as we speak! I'm so excited to show you but waiting until it's all done - then I'll take a photo and post it! It's pretty awesome! I tried asking Shawn and Kandee about it several weeks ago and they both claimed ignorant of any such surprise but come to find out they knew all along!

My birthday was pretty quiet this year - it fell on a Sunday and to make matters worse, on Memorial Day weekend - plus the weather was cloudy, rainy and cold! So Bob, Granny and I ate dinner together and no one else was around - pretty quiet compared to normal standards! Things started to rock and roll when everyone started to call - I like that - love talking to our kids and grandkids.

Shawn brought in his big equipment to move some dirt and get things arranged! The day was miserable - cold and rainy. He donated his time to do the installation of my surprise. Shade, my most handsome grandson, helped in the landscape redo! Pretty special!

Bob was there to help move things into place - can you tell what it is yet?! Super fun and exciting - for me anyway!


Grif and Katrina sent a sweet present - these really cool necklaces on a simple cord - love, love, love! The blue underneath is the vibrant wrapping paper the necklace was wrapped in - so pretty - so Katrina! Grif decorated their envelope in a pretty fun-creative way. No photos of it right now but, I'll get some. Made me laugh!

I have been bugging Whit lately about what's a good green tea without caffeine! She finally said there was no such thing as decaffeinating green tea kills all the nutrients in it! So, as a surprise, they bought me the most beautiful cup (Polish Pottery as you can see) and some Get Lost tea for loosing weight (caffeine-FREE) - as they know that's always the desire of my heart - getting skinny!!! Haha!

So pretty - I put it in my cupboard and it blends with all the other Polish Pottery I have - I just love, love, love that stuff!

Heather and the boys gave me this little "Thank You" angel statue - she's super-cute and I love her!

Thanks to everyone for their phone calls, Skype-experience and love sent my way - you ALL made my day pretty special!