Ssshhh! Don't Tell My Secret! I have a gift for you!

It is my birthday!

It really is!

And you know several years ago, (oops only last year when I was 27 *wink*) I decided that I would enjoy every birthday that I had.

I mean enjoy the fact that I'd had another year to learn and hopefully mature and achieve a purpose greater than myself.

The ebb and flow of life is sometimes joyful and other times heart wrenching, but still I can celebrate each and every day and birthday as it rolls around again and again. And when I no longer have birthdays,

I plan for my life to have been lived to the best of my ability...shortcomings, flaws, mistakes and all...the best I can do.

I was blessed to be born into a family of 10, the youngest.

As a baby girl, I rounded out the number with 5 boys and 5 girls. Now that I read how that previous sentence sounds, I laugh. I still round out the number with 5 boys and 5 girls...even though I'm an adult! Can't change that fact!

My parents who are no longer living gave me the wonderful gift of life, and I absoluuuuutely do not take it for granted.

I've received cards, emails, blog comments, text messages, messages on my face book wall, voice mail messages, phone calls and hugs and well wishes. Ah, the grandeur of modern technology. With a family as big as mine, and friends that I love so much, I cannot thank you enough for wishing me a happy day!

But most of all sweet blog readers, this blog posting is all about you, not me.

Since it is my birthday, I just wanted to send off a little gift to let you know how much you mean to me.

When I return on Monday, I will announce the winner of this truly vintage apron.

So leave a comment on this posting and your name will be entered into my birthday gift giveaway. One name will be chosen from the comments and I will send the apron to you right away. Just be sure and leave a way to be contacted if you don't have a blog.

And so, I guess it really isn't appropriate to tell you to keep the secret that it is my birthday, since I just published that information to the whole wonderful world. Isn't that what www. stands for?

Yes, I've had a happy day, I planned for it to be no matter what. We had a hail storm full of thunder and lightning. It was breathtaking enjoying it from "our romantic back porch". I'll show you photos next week. But that is the way life is. You take it all. The good and the bad, the storms and the sunshine.

That's just the way it is.

So I will celebrate with joy.

Love, Rachel

P.S. You have until midnight on Sunday to leave a comment and be entered into the drawing.