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     Before you dispute the fact that I did something new today by simply being a year older...let me explain.  I had my first birthday at MudWorks.  JoAnn spoiled me with symbolic and lovely new earrings and a beautiful card...but the talk that we had just prior was a gift in itself.  I went on to have a delicious cupcake and blew out the first ever human candles...Leigh Ann and JoAnn held lighters which I then blew out.  I drove home and realized that it was the first year since sometime in my teens when I didn't have to buy a bouquet of flowers to thank my Mom for giving me a birthday.  My little ones picked out gifts on their own.  It was the first year my birthday card was just from my Dad to his Cookie.  Was it the first time I had a Carvel cake with my friends and family?  No.  BUT, it was the first year we had the larger cake (ya know, the one that is supposed to serve 20 but served 8.5) and had "crusties" instead of crunchies.  It was also new to find a wall full of beloved pictures where only empty frames used to hang thanks to John.
     It was a day that I felt the most special I have felt in a very long time if not ever...the texts, calls, messages and Facebook posts were truly amazing.  I teared up several times today reading them and realizing what a lucky girl I really am.  So it was a mix of tried and true tradition and some brand new and it was all possible because of a brand new number!