Birthday Babble

Last week was my birthday and I daresay that it was one of the loveliest on record.  We woke up early because I had spontaneously decided that I would like to spend the day in Chicago with my family.  I was greeted by a sublime bouquet of roses at the breakfast table and then was showered with gifts.  I got an intercom system so that I no longer need to yell ~ thank you so much, because it was getting rather old (do you think I can yell into the intercom?  We'll just have to see...) and it just shows that they know it was a necessity and not any deficiency in my character.  I also was given two books by Shannon Hale (I LOVE her.  I want to talk to her about books.  I want to be her best friend).  And my mom sent a lovely sweater.  I can't wait to wear it (when the day comes that I can actually pry it onto my body because it isn't drenched with sweat).  We then sallied forth in the roomy vehicle in which only kind and patient words were uttered for the three hour journey north.  We visited the Field Museum for the first time and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We are going to have to return since we barely scratched the surface.  We then had dinner with my niece and her mom and also tried to go to Ikea, but it closes early.  We were all SO disappointed.  Especially my husband.  He loves to wander aimlessly around Ikea and look at absolutely every tiny swedish inch of it.  He is such a shopper.  Actually I think there was happy smoke trailing us as we zipped out of that parking lot.  But I showed him and suggested we visit The Container Store and Home Goods to make ourselves feel better.  ("Oh yes," he groaned obligingly since it was my birthday after all).  All in all I felt more pampered than I ever have.  The next day I saw that I had received copious amounts of well wishes from all of my Facebook friends and was overwhelmed.  (One friend I remembered had had a birthday only a week before and I responded by apologizing for not wishing her a Happy Birthday, only to have her tell me that I had indeed written her a note that day, but cannot seem to remember that fact.  Those word games don't seem to be hindering the onset of Alzheimer's much).  But wait, there's more!  I realized on Sunday that two of my dear friends, AndieF and Normal Mom, wrote terribly kind things about me on their blogs (I am embarrassed to link it, but I think my mom will like to read them).   No one has ever said such gratifying words about me before ~ it was almost like being at my own funeral!  I even cried and got the chills!  I just wanted them to know how touched I am even though I don't believe half of what they said and don't think I deserve such generosity.  I became very close to them as they helped me sail the choppy waters of being in the Primary Presidency and they also both happen to be my visiting teachers so I think that counts as a visit.  For two years.  Or more.  Really girls, so thoughtful, you have no idea how much it means.