Clothespin Butterfly

Today is my birthday.  This morning, I woke up to my girls walking into the bedroom.  Abigail running in with a present in tote, Katie holding a large scented candle from the living room, and AnnaJaye holding onto the back of Katie's leg taking a little while to wake up as she usually does in the morning.  They were singing happy birthday, celebrating me.

After getting out of bed, I walked into the living room to find that my sweet wife who has been on bed rest, unable to go by the store and buy decorations and/or gifts, used the decorations we had at the house to create some ambiance.  It just so happened that all we had were pink streamers and black balloons.  Although the decor was fitting for a 50-year-old woman, I was feeling the love.

I usually put a lot of thought into the 'stuff' that i want for my birthday each year.  But this year there really isn't that much.  I would like a pair of Diesel jeans or an 8 piece 18-volt DeWalt cordless tool set (I find myself grunting and scratching just thinking about it).  But, for some reason this year I'm loosing interest in the stuff that i want.  Yesterday, when i picked up the girls, Abigail ran out to the car with a clothespin butterfly that she made 'just for me'.  The wings were made out of tissue with a bunch of bright colors where markers were touched down and bled all over the tissue.  Of course when Abigail whipped it out, AnnaJaye started crying because Abigail didn't make her one, she was asking me for it, but there was no way in the world I was giving up my butterfly.  Not the manliest statement in the blog for sure, i was just thankful she was thinking of me.  But this morning when i woke up to the sound of my beautiful girls, pink streamers, black balloons and clothespin butterfly on the counter it brought about a joy much deeper and a contentment much greater than Diesel or DeWalt ever could.

There are definitely some things that I want for my birthday, but today I am thankful for the wonderful gifts that the Lord has given me that cannot be bought.  A wife and kids who love me and think I'm worth celebrating.