#39

Today was birthday #39 for me. Yikes! A year from now, I will be hitting 40, God willing. Scary thought.

Today was a really good day. Paul and Pam went to visit his family for a few hours, then we all were together for a late lunch at 3. Dad grilled sausage links, pork, hamburgers, and hotdogs. Added to that, we had baked beans, 2 kinds of pasta salad, and more. We ate outside, though rain was threatening all day. After we ate, we had 2 birthday cakes - Allie's birthday is tomorrow, and she had a marble cake with chocolate ice cream. My cake was a DQ ice cream cake, very good!

Later, we opened the presents. Allie's from me, my parents, and Vicki and Steve, Benjy and Katie's from me, since I won't be here in early June for their birthdays, and of course, mine! I walked away with 2 new shirts, sunglasses, cologne, the newest Ted Dekker book (which I just finished reading a few minutes ago), a photo album, car air fresheners, socks, and razor blades. I think that is it. The funniest card was from Paul and Pam - they have had it close to a year, holding onto it for my birthday. It has a bunch of monks in line to eat. There is a big sign saying "Special Today: Beans". Under the picture, it said: "on some days, the vow of silence was harder to keep", inside - "Hope your birthday is a gas!" Their present for me was also in a Bart Simpson gift bag. I thoroughly detest the Simpsons, and especially Bart, so Pam takes enjoyment in often giving me Bart stuff she finds cheap. :-)

We ended up going to the lake at 5. Dad took his boat, and while the kids took turns riding in it with Paul, the others fished and played on the swings and slide. The Don Quales family, and another family from church went zooming by on a pontoon boat. We also got talking to an old college mate of Vicki and mine who I haven't seen in many years, so that was cool.

Afterwards, we came home and ate more, then Vicki and Steve headed home with the kids, and I settled down to reading "Adam", the Ted Dekker book.

Mom and Dad are planning on my getting a storage facility for most of my stuff, and staying here til I get a job and place to live. Since I will be on the sofa bed in the basement, hope that doesn't take long! I do have some worries, that my Christian friends who read this can pray with me about. The job and living situation, of course, but also the move back itself. I will most likely be driving back by myself, pulling my car. I cannot back up anything with a trailer on at all, and am already worried about getting the truck and trailer into the apartment drive and parked, not to mention my driving 400 miles by myself. I am sure I am doing the right thing by moving back, and this trip has helped strengthen that, but the future is kind of scary right now. I'm not even sure I can afford to live by myself. Hopefully, God will work it all out.

I will be heading back to Indiana tomorrow, and dread getting back to work. It has sure been a refreshing and fun time here, and now the real world has to come back. Although I am hoping to get with my Hoosier friends and beat a couple of them in Rook! Here is hoping and praying for a safe trip back.