A Beautiful Birthday!

Saturday arrived with blue skies and sunshine. The temperature was wonderful and it was a gorgeous day! It was a glorious day to spend my birthday! Our community was having a parade in the afternoon and my sister came to town with her family. I was so joy-filled to have them in town to spend time with! My children were in the parade with my parents and Chris (who drive my dad's wrecker, tiltbeds etc. through). 

It is bunches of fun to watch a parade with littles. Dinah was there, in all her cuteness. She happily sat in her stroller, taking it all in!

And Eloise....oh, the Squeezle...she makes me giggle *a lot*! She was gathering candy that was thrown...seeing how much she could hold in each hand without dropping it. She has food allergies and doesn't actually eat any candy but she has a ton of fun gathering it up so she can give it away!

And the band plays on...

Mid-jump...

Some of the things that went through the parade were quite loud...Eloise acted accordingly!

It was so fun watching my children go through the parade on my dad's trucks...

They threw candy and handed out balloons to children (although they ran out of balloons before they reached us ~ they saved one pink balloon for Eloise!)...

Such a smiling sweetie Dinah is! And look closely...somebody is getting teeth!

Following the parade, we all headed to my parents' house for a birthday picnic!

My sweet girl, Madelyn...

My cousin and Dinah...

They crack me up!

Eloise loved carrying around this cement bunny...

My boys....my heart....

Xavier's birthday had been earlier this month and my sister had this extra gift to give him but didn't have it until recently...so she gave it to him last evening. It is perfect for him (that is totally his thought process!)...

I praise God for these people around me. They are gifts...each one. Just sitting here, thinking about each of them...from each of my parents, to my sister and her family, my Aunt Jo, my cousin, my Christopher and my children...can bring tears to my eyes. Tears of gratitude. 
So many walk around today thinking they *deserve* bigger, better, more. We deserve nothing good. Each and every thing we have around us are gifts. Each person, each comfort, each delight...gifts. They are things to be treasured...but *more* than that, they are to draw our eyes to the Gift-Giver. I come to Him, almost daily, with a broken, humble heart at my inadequacies and un-deserved-ness. I praise Jesus for my salvation and for these treasures He has put around me on this earth. His grace confounds me. He is so good. 
Before I depart for the day...someone asked in the comments what I am reading lately. In addition to my reading of the Scriptures, I am continuing in the Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon (a 1500 page book that I am working through). I am also reading through J.C. Ryle's Commentary of the gospels. I am also reading (yes, three books at once.....I just want to *learn* sooo much!) Attitudes of a Transformed Heart by Martha Peace. All three of these books are just excellent! I highly recommend them! 
Thank you for coming by and sharing in a bit of my birthday with me! I hope your weekend was splendid and all things done to the glory of Christ! 
Warmly, Katy