Anything I want

During the Lenten season, Pastor Tuuri has been encouraging us to think of a particular sin we want to overcome as we focus on the victory we have in Christ. 

True confessions...
Mine is greed. I can be a greedy person - greedy for my babies' attention, greedy for a bigger house, greedy, greedy, greedy. Now you know.

After today, I've decided this is entirely my family's fault.

Yep. They have no one to blame but themselves. 

Apparently, anything I could ever imagine I want or dream of having they will find a way to get me. 

My generous and amazing daughter is not only taking me out, just us two, for dinner, but bought me a long coveted, super-sized Sur La Table tea kettle. You can't tell from the picture, but this baby will fill TWO ice tea pitchers with room to spare!

She seemed to have a super-sized theme this year, because she also got me the biggest bag of Swedish Fish I've ever  seen in my life! I'm pretty sure it weighs about 5 pounds and I will subsequently weigh about 15 pounds more if I eat it all! I woke up to flowers, piles of presents and hot coffee thanks to that girl. Yay! for teenage daughters who get up before 6am to make your birthday nice before rushing off to work.

My husband took me shopping and bought me a new wardrobe to wear in Ireland. Every girl should find a man like mine. He not only shops with me and finds all the best stuff, he also insists on buying me the things I leave on the shelf because I can't stomach paying $27 for one shirt . Why? because he knows that's the one I really want. Like this red polka-a-dot number I wore on my birthday outing today. Love it!

My sister Jessica, in cahoots with my sister-in-law, Rose, got the rest of my kids, siblings and my parents to go together and buy me an amazing, ridiculously expensive, Epiphanie Lola camera bag! I've been lusting after this piece of purse perfection ever since seeing it on a friend's blog. After all, it  suits my hobby and my motto - "everything's better in red!"

Doug didn't even suggest it (which would usually be the case with extravagant gifts); they came up with a plan and look what I got...

I can't believe it. 

This is one of those things you don't imagine really having. You just drool. Maybe after a couple years of saving birthday and Christmas cash, maybe then buying it for myself. But probably not because only rich people buy designer bags that come in their own dust cover, just because they're that special. Normal people like me just covet them. 

But no. 

Just four short months after first spying it, I have my very own! Now while I'm in Ireland I can have my camera with me constantly without lugging around a giant, ugly black camera bag, my purse and a knapsack.  Much less "American tourist," much more fashionista.

After all, I must officially be fashionable now, right? I have a designer bag. Who knew that would ever happen?!

The rest of my day was filled with doing whatever I wanted and having various family members drop by with more thoughtful and fun gifts. 

Really, how could anyone not expect great things to come to them in life with family like this!

Well, that and friends who send you to Ireland. 

Greed - it's all their fault.

Thanks everyone for a really special birthday and for all the generosity and effort that went into giving me such great loot!