Simple, Sweet . . . Blessed Birthday!

Kamahiwa's sweet & simple birthday card for mommy.

Birthdays are special in our family!  We try to do something sweet for the birthday person.  Sometimes it's very simple - cake, ice cream, and singing Happy Birthday.  On milestone birthdays we do a birthday bash, like Kamalani's Sweet Sixteen!  Today is my birthday and I would describe it as simple, sweet, and blessed this year.

One of the sweetest things I received was a simple, yet beautiful card from Kamahiwa.  He designed it on a new computer program he learned in school called Keynote.  I love that he is learning about technology!  The words of the card were simple, sweet, and reminded me of how blessed I am.

Me and my seventh grade student, Alycea Harp.  Cupcakes for Kumu!

 My students blessed me with sweet and simple presents and cards.  Alycea brought cupcakes and I even let her smash one in my face!  She was pretty gentle!  Other students made cards, brought gifts, gave me hugs, and sang to me.  A touching moment was when I came back from getting my lunch and a line of my former Hawaiian Immersion students were standing there waiting.  As I approached, they began chanting the chant I wrote for them last year.  I was overwhelmed!  Fighting back the tears, I answered them in chant and we had a big group hug.  They had made a huge card for me that they all signed.  I was so touched that they remembered me.

Birthday blessings!

The sweetest birthday balloon!

Kepa Revelle made me a delicious cake!  That was my birthday breakfast!  My day was filled with simple gestures and sweet words filled with love!

Llewellyn took me out to dinner while the kids went to Trunk or Treat at church.  We went to Genki Sushi and then watched the movie Courageous.  It was the best movie I have seen in a long, long time.  We ended the evening gathered around my bed in family prayer.  My children wished me a Happy Birthday one last time, and then went to bed - simply beautiful!

As I end my simple, sweet, blessed birthday, I am counting my blessings, naming them one by one and reminding myself of just what God has done for me!