August 14 – “Happy Birthday to Me”

One thing about Facebook … I got more birthday greetings through Facebook this year than I have received birthday cards in years – maybe ever.   It was really nice to hear from each one.  Maybe someday I'll figure out how to do that Facebook App and return the favor.  In the meantime, if I have your address and know when your birthday is, I'll send you a card.  Thanks, Lanny.  You sent my only card this year.   This morning when Chris and I were talking she said she planned to cook a meatloaf tonight for supper – one of my favorites.  She asked what I wanted to do.  Well, in the back of my mind I remembered that yesterday she said that the only thing she wanted was for the house painting to be finished.  Actually she may have meant the whole house thing in general, but I was painting at the time.  So I answered, "I want to paint the trim."  Of course, I couldn't begin right away, because the house became a mini-construction zone today.  It's been a long time, but I remembered the feeling well.  The contractor's guys got here around 8:00, but they weren't sure what to do, so they waited for the contractor.  The painters got here about thirty minutes later, about the same time the contractor arrived.  Suddenly, they were all at work, touching up paint and hanging closet doors, and sanding stuff, and installing closet door tracks.  Chris and I finally went out in the backyard and installed some new screen in the eaves vents.    The crews all broke for lunch, but by the time they came back I decided to start painting, even if I was in their way.  I started in the back, because it was afternoon and Chris would probably have made me stay indoors if I had tried to start in the sun.  It was hot, but the Galveston breeze was back.  At some point in the day Nathan and Cailyn came over.  He decided to stick around and help with the painting.  It's always good to have one of my boys around helping me do stuff.  We talked a little – after all, we are guys, and guys never talk a lot.  I think we got a lot done, though.  He worked longer than I did.  Around four he told me I had to go inside and see my grandkids.  By that time Jachin and Micah had arrived for their sleepover with Nana and DadDad.    One of the most fun segments of the day was when Cailyn and I chased the boys around and around the house and we all got yelled at by Nana for running inside.  Some things never change.  It's just fun to run in the house when a little kid is squealing and laughing the whole time.  Multiply that by three and you have pure fun.  We ended up not even having meatloaf.  We some leftover pizza out of our freezer.   It was not the birthday I imagined.  But memorable, nevertheless.   Ephesians 3:20-21 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."   Father, thank you for my human being birthday gifts this year – my wife, my Mom, my sons, my daughters (in law), my grandkids, my Facebook well-wishers.  Amen.