Zoey's birthday

Today was Zona's birthday. She has been so excited for everything having to do with her birthday this year. She's been counting down the days for over a week (which for an almost 5 year old is a pretty big deal). She keep track every day. On Wednesday, she threw up and was sick all day. She was so worried that she wouldn't be better for her birthday. Her birthday was 4 days away, right? Of course she'd be better. Her tummy still hurt on Thursday morning, but later she was feeling better and we went shopping for groceries and birthday stuff. Friday was good, but Friday night when I was talking to Nathan on the phone, he mentioned that Zona had thrown up. She was sick all day Saturday and threw up this morning at about 4:00. So, she had to stay home from church on her birthday. She had been so excited to go to church and have all of the kids sing to her ON her birthday. After church, she rallied enough to open her presents and was able to get SO excited all over again, but she opted to wait until tomorrow for the cake. I'm thinking it was a good plan.

So, here are some pictures from present opening. Hopefully she'll feel better tomorrow and I'll remember to get pictures during the cake eating. I LOVE her faces in these pictures. She was so excited for each present. Sorry about the pj's and the "throw up bun" hair. She was sick.
And now today I am grateful . . .

1. I am grateful for a husband that will let me (and encourage me to) go to sacrament meeting even though he knows he has a lesson to teach and it would probably be easier for him just to go to the whole block. I'm also grateful that he will go with me to places that he didn't sign up for.

2. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to fast; and when I realize that my fast has been answered, even though it is not in the way I expected (it's better - I'm sure).

3. I am grateful for a little girl who gets excited about the simplest things and reminds me to look for joy in everything.

4. I'm grateful that I decided to have one more baby after Owen, even though my body was telling me to stop. I'm grateful that Zona came to our family 5 years ago!

5. I'm grateful for kids who have testimonies and who love to share them.
One more aspect I'm going to start sharing. I will try to see God's hand in my life daily. Today I saw that God is mindful of me specifically. I've been struggling with something and have fasted about it a few times. I didn't see how things could get better, but today I felt an outpouring of love as I realized that God had led me to the answers I needed and taught me how to change into the person I need to be to overcome my struggle. It will still be hard, but I don't feel so alone.