How many candles???

July is such a fun and crazy month for our crew. Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!! My nephew's birthday is the 27th, my Grandma's birthday is the 26th and my mom was born on the 31st! Lot of parties, lots of fun...lots of cake:) Whoo-hoo to cake!!

My Grandma celebrated her 84th birthday this year. While she has her aches and pains, it is amazing to me that she still weeds most of her garden, does her own sewing and paints like you've never seen. Her eyesight is going, she has trouble with her back, hips, knees, but for 84, I think she's doing damn fine. Here's to ya, Grandma:) I love you more than words.

My nephew is nine this year. N I N E!! When did that happen? The poor boy is the only boy born to our family. He is often forced to Barbie.com instead of his normal Avatar site and will dutifully play "whatever the girls want" for about ten minutes. Luckily, he has inherited by brother's love for the outdoors, hunting and (UGH!!) Star Wars. For his birthday, as a matter of fact, he got his very first bow and arrow and my brother has a shooting range set up on his side lot. He'll be a "Turkey Hill" want-to-be in no time at all. I love my nephew for so many reasons, but one stands out to me as I watched him play with our girls on his birthday...his unconditional love. His heart is as big as Texas and he loves, loves, loves his cousins so much. Madison always gets the biggest of hugs when we are with Clayton and Alison thinks he is just "super cool". Happy Birthday, Clayton. We love you so very much and thank God every day that you are part of our crazy lives.

Last but not least is my darling mother. Her "BIG" birthday was last year, so she decided this year that she was done having birthdays. Now, how could I let that happen, right? Scott made her dinner for her birthday (yummy...blue cheese and fig stuffed pork tenderloin), my brother and his family came over to join in on the fun and my grandma even drove all the way over for the festivities (okay, Grandma Volkmann lives right behind my mom...no I mean literally RIGHT behind her...you can see her back door from my mom's back door). My mom always says no gifts on her birthday - "you don't have to buy me anything...just being here with all of you is enough", but she got some great stuff including a new GPS system from my dad. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, sounds like a "guy thing". I thought so too until I realized that the GPS system not only has every MALL and SHOPPING CENTER in the area already programmed into it, but we can also program all our greenhouses and flower shops for future use...Good job, Daddio!!

On my mom's birthday, it always seems like a fitting time to spoil her just a little more than usual, to tell her how much she is loved by all members of our family and to let her know that she is appreciated so very much. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her in it - she's my strength when I have none of my own, my warrior when my "fight" has left me, my comforter when all seems grey. She's my best friend and without her, I would be lost. On your birthday, Mom, I love you more than I could ever tell you, more than my actions could ever show you.

Happy birthday to all our July birthdays! May all your birthday wishes come true...