and what a beginning

life is amazing! 

pure light, radiant light, bursting light....that's how i would describe my heart. it's amazing the power of love. it restores, illuminates, heals, comforts, inspires, propels, builds and expands one's life. i've been sitting here reading emails from those i love and facebook messages from dear friends who bless my life, and bawling through it all. Heavenly Father just pours down bucket after bucket of blessings and i relish every drop...talk about dancing in the rain!

i honestly don't know why He is so good to me but i thank Him and glory in His name. He's given me the most amazing kids, who have always be the bright spot in my life. actually they've made my life. they've made it more, they've made it purposeful, they've made it fun and they've also brought to the family such incredible 'in-laws' whom i adore. and then there's the grandkids! truly truly blessed.

so for my birthday week, yes, i'm expanding it to a week because there is just so much fun and goodness. jen (best sister EVER) decided back in december that we should celebrate big for my 60th birthday by going on a trip. she and jana planned everything to fly out to california for a few days. 

this is how we started the trip but then i received surprise after surprise and the plane flight ended up looking like this:

i literally was trembling with surprise and absolute joy! we then spent the next three days talking, eating, going to the beach

this is what mormons girls do on the beach on sunday! needless to say it was an incredible trip. jen had us all make a list of our 5 favorite books, songs, websites, scriptures, recipes, gadgets, and 5 things no one knows about us, which we shared with each other each night. it was such a great idea. after great meals out, and great breaksfasts in, hot tubbing, shopping, exercising, lounging by the pool, we had to say goodbye and head back to reality

i realized i was so elevated spiritually by being around these amazing women. their righteousness and love is a constant and spending time with them was truly like spending time in heaven.