4(0) Times The Fun

The Mister turned 40 this year and though he deserves a lot of fanfare, he didn't want any extravagant party to mark the day.  Just a dinner at home, corned beef cabbage for supper and his traditional white cake with peanut butter frosting.  His parents came for supper and so did his twin brother and his family.  I did buy some fresh flowers (the first time all winter) to make things more feasty and special.  And the red Pioneer Woman christmas goblets I got at 75% off after Christmas elevated the meal too...though it did give off a certain Valentine vibe.  (The day after was Valentine's Day, so it wasn't totally inappropriate.)  Matt's twin brother John favors a chocolate with peanut butter frosting cake so I made one of those as well so that he wouldn't feel left out.  I never got a picture of the cakes  in the daylight because of the haste of getting ready for company but they were perdy (in a grown up sort of way).  No hard plastic animals, tractors or pudgy pigs for him.  No sirree.  Not now that he is all growed up.

I wanted to mark Matt's 40th year with a gift more meaningful than most.  Coincidentally, this also happens to be the 150th anniversary of Newmans owning this land so it seemed fitting to honor both somehow.  Matt is very much a person who values heritage and takes great pride in his roots so I thought a sign of some sort would be special.  My brother in law Bob made the wooden sign in secret for me and I spent several days woodburning it.  The smoke burned my eyes and nostrils and I was overcome by fear of ruining the whole thing at every turn- but in the end it came out nicely and I think Matt appreciated it.  I knit him a hat too (and an inverted one for his brother that was never finished in time, and so will be a gift for another time) using yarn that he had bought me at Christmas.  

He is the one who knows all my dark secrets and loves me anyway.  He is the one who can make me laugh with just a look and knows all my tickle places.  He is the one who gets the children all riled up in the living room just by getting down on the floor.  He is the one who leaves in the dark of morning and comes  home in the dark of night and gives his family those precious few minutes of his day that he could snatch away for himself.  He is the creator of the baby rocketship and ear tugging as a form of affection.  We outnumber him 6 to 1 and yet he stretches to meet our needs and fill us up.  He gives up 'stuff' for things much more important.  And 40 looks pretty good on him  ;-)