Sometimes life gets in the way of...

...living life.

but not this weekend. It tried, but we prevailed and didn't allow the bumps in our road to steal the joy that we set out to find.

My 34th birthday was Thursday and we loaded up the family that evening and slipped away for a few days to celebrate. Destination? Canton, Tx. First Monday Trade Days. Let the fun begin!!! (for me at least. I'll have to admit they all tried to be good sports about it). Then on to Dallas for a weekend of Tarheel ball.

So what did our weekend entail? Rest. Relaxation. Shopping. A Tornado(a 1/4 mile from the RV we lay sleeping in!). A competitive game of Sequence. Lake side chats. Fishing. Romps through the reeds. Bamboo sword fights. Cricket lullabyes. A breakdown( the RV not us, a mere 3 hours before we had to be in Dallas for the opening game of the tournament!) More "uh-ohs" then we could count from our little pickles mouth. Lots of laughter. Warm chocolate chip cookies. A rescue from our parents. A ride from Blake's coach. A tow truck. Mexican food. A 6-5 win. A 2-0 loss. A 13-3 blow out(in our favor). A tough 10-8 loss. A huge birthday SURPISE! and the most delicious cake you've ever tasted. Memories made with my sisters. Belly laughs that caused us to snort! An unforgettable birthday that just kept going.

Its been one of the most wonderful of my life. Just hanging out with the people I love the most. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Our children are happy and "healthy". Dave and I are so blessed! Ash looks amazing and feels so good. She is absolutely adorable and this afternoon she blew us away as she signed "more drink" when she needed some water. We are the proudest parents around. Each day she learns new things and her ability to live life to the fullest encourages me more than I can describe.

Even when life tries to get in the way of living blessings abound. Tornados. Stranded RVs. Hitched rides. A borrowed vehicle. Nothing could steal from us what God has blessed us with. We have beautiful children, great friends, the most amazing family, each other and so much more. It truly was a happy, happy birthday.