Birthday Time!

It was a busy week for us, with both Easter and my birthday happening! I had a nice relaxed birthday. My Mum had sent me a little package from New Zealand which I had been saving to open on my birthday. Do you have any idea how hard it was to see it there, and to be able to read the customs form on the front, which said, "fabric and confectionary", and to not open it the second it arrived??!!

My Mum did great - she sent me 3 fat quarters of New Zealand themed fabric. The two with the red flowers are the New Zealand Christmas tree, the Pohutukawa, and the third piece has traditional NZ Maori Koru designs on it. Now these are fat quarters that I just wouldn't be able to buy here in the States! I can't wait to do something special with all 3. Quilt fabric is very expensive in NZ, so I know that these 3 FQ's must have cost her a small fortune. She also stuffed in some NZ chocolate, 'Roses chocolates' which are a NZ icon. Great stuff, Mum! Thank you SO much! She did something similar last year if you want to have a look:)

It ended up being the only present I opened on my birthday. Don't feel too bad for me though...for my present, hubby bought the kids and I plane tickets to go and visit my dear internet friend, Anna, who lives in Maryland, right near Washington DC!
I am so excited! Anna and I have been internet friends for a few years now, making and designing quilt projects together, sending each other goodies and quilts in progress in the mail, and talking/texting on the phone. We are both beside ourselves with excitement that we are finally going to be friends in real life! We go in less than two weeks, so the countdown has begun. We plan to quilt and quilt some more while we are together, and make the most of the precious time. We do get just over a week together, but I have a feeling it still won't be enough. Our kids are also excited to play and make new friends. No doubt there will be many pictures taken to document our time together, so you will get to see them of course!

Now, my hubby also gave me another wonderful present, not jewelry like last year, but something worth so much more. He wrote the following on his blog, which of course, made me cry...get ready, it's a long one...and you might need a tissue, too!

36 Things I love about Joanna
April 8th, 2009
Joanna turns 36 today, well in America her birthday is tomorrow but since she was born across the dateline it’s today. She’s hoping her family gets to call so she can quote the Conchords and tell her mum it’s not her birthday. But since I haven’t forgotten here’s a list of one thing I love about her for each year she’s been alive:

1. Her accent. How can you beat it?

2. How kind she is to live so far from friends and family just to be with me.

3. How the kids fight over who gets to jump in bed with her in the morning. It’s annoying while it’s happening but nice to think about during the day.

4. How she does EVERYTHING around the house and does not complain a bit.

5. That she drives everywhere on my days off. Well as long as we’re not going to a city bigger than Nashua. Fortunately we rarely do.

6. When she’s driving she lets me pick the music. How can you beat that?

7. She lets me leave the light on to read at night. Even though she doesn’t sleep nearly as well.

8. Whenever I ask if I should buy something her answer is yes you should, you know if we can afford it or not.

9. She lets me watch whatever I want on TV. Some of this is because we now have a DVR but either way I get the remote whenever I want.

10. The kids are always writing her love notes and drawing pictures for her. This means she’s treating them as well when no one is looking.

11. She lets Sofia steal her perfume.

12. I love how Coleman says he’s going to marry her when he grows up.

13. I love her quilts. She made a very beautiful hand dyed house quilt that is on the wall right by my computer right now.

14. She lets me nap whenever I want.

15. She makes sure Sofia does her homework every night. If you knew Sofia right now you would know this is a time consuming job.

16. She loves the rain. Most people here complain about it because they’re so used to it but even though she’s grew up next to palm trees she still loves it.

17. Other people love her accent. I’ve met so many people that wouldn’t have a thing to say to me if it weren’t for her accent.

18. I love to hear her laugh.

19. I love when Joaquin begs her to read to him.

20. She’s so good with money. I had to force her to spend $300 on clothes last week for herself. I don’t even think she spent it all. Most wives would not be like that.

21. She doesn’t dismiss my half cracked plans without actually weighing the options.

22. She always forgives me.

23. She leaves me alone when I need time by myself, even when she really wants attention.

24. I love how the boys beg to have her tuck them in at night.

25. She didn’t mind marrying me in the county office.

26. She was so sure I’d get the job I was applying for that she got pregnant before we found out I got it.

27. She’s never complained about a present that I got her.

28. She loves her garden.

29. I get to sleep in every Saturday.

30. She absolutely cannot roll her Rs.

31. Right before we were married she gave me the best birthday I’ve had with only $5.

32. She’s a very competitive Uno player. It drives the kids crazy when she wins.

33. She fixes everything around the house.

34. She laughs at my constant jokes.

35. Whenever I go on a trip I miss her after a day or two. I’m even bored when I have free reign in Las Vegas.

36. She’s my best friend.


Now, do you see why that present is better than anything he could have bought me?! I think I'll keep him around for another year ;)

We had a great Easter, which I'll post about over on our Family blog.

I'm busy this week quilting a large quilt my above-friend Anna designed, so it will be ready to take on my trip to her place. There are 12 blocks and it's taking me about 90 minutes to quilt each block on the machine. Phew - my arms are sore just thinking about it. 3 blocks down, 9 to go. So to finish off today, here's a little teaser...