A TRULY SPECIAL UNEXPECTED GIFT.

I just had a birthday. Yup.. I turned another year older.. I love my birthdays.. something about having one day a year that is ALL YOURS,  I don't care if I do anything.. It's just knowing that it's MY DAY.. to celebrate me.

I was a single mom for a long time.. and when I wasn't single I was by myself with my girls for long extended periods. So in essence.. I was a single Mom most of their lives.  I left their father when they were almost 2 and almost 4. IT WAS TOUGH..  I won't go into all of that.. that's a different story. But needless to say my girls and I have always been EXTREMELY close.

Sometimes too close.. we are always in each others business. We are always giving unsolicited advice to each other. And yes.. we argue.  We are all three very independent. Fiercely loyal to each other.  Extremely opinionated and VERY VERY loving.  We have always called ourselves the 3 Musketeers and one of our tag lines from a song is, "when this trouble passes over, you and I will walk away.. knowing that our love survived another test of faith" So that's us. our relationship in a nutshell. 

I'll be honest.. I never really wanted to be a parent.. but God knew I needed those girls. They grounded me and kept me from continuing down the path of wildness that I am certain I was destined for. 

My girls are my loves.  I was barely 19 when I had the first one. And not quite 21 when I had the 2nd. Being a young mother is more work then I could have imagined.  And being a young single mother was insanity. I tell my girls, who are now adults and one of them has two of her own, that they became wonderful women in spite of my lack of any knowledge of how to care for another human being.  Sometimes I am certain that we 'grew up' together.  

So what is the point of this post.. well it's to get back to my birthday.. there were years when we had little of no money and sometimes birthdays and Christmas were slim to none.  But my sweet sweet girls were always so gracious and humble about the lack of presents even as little ones.  It's like they knew that I was doing the best I could. But they never EVER let my birthday go by without doing something for me.  Some extra help around the house or a homemade gift .. it was always something. They always celebrated me.  Their mom.  

One of the best gifts they got me way back Christmas 99' was my first 35mm film camera. I was going on a missions trip in January and they wanted me to have something good to take photos with.  I still have that camera. I love it still and use it every once in awhile.  And well.. we know where having that camera lead..  

Okay so back to my birthday.. this year.. I got a gift that I never EVER thought would happen.  I was so surprised that I was speechless. YES I know.. me speechless go figure. 

My girls secretly went behind my back and bought me TICKETS TO SEE BARBRA STREISAND.  OH MY GOSH.. hubby bought me round trip air fare.  My best friend and I are going to see her in Philly.  I can not tell you how much of a dream this has been for me. Something I never thought would happen.  EVER.

I have loved Barbra Streisand since I was around 9. My mom is credited for that.  She had 8 track tapes of her and she played those constantly in the car and in the house.  I love that silky powerful voice and she got me through so many rough times.  Her music has always spoken to me and she has only done a couple of tours her entire career.  Barbra Streisand has horrible stage fright and when she does sing in front of people the tickets sell out and are usually so expensive that only the people with the big bucks usually get a ticket. 

But once again.. my girls .. celebrating their mom... trying to make all my dreams come true. I love those girls so much.. even when I think they may think I am the biggest pain in the butt they show me in many ways how much they truly love me and what I mean to them.  So this video is that moment when it happened.. when they made one of their Mom's silly dreams come true.  And just so you know and to make it perfectly clear.. part of the crying.. it's from realizing in that moment once again how selfless my girls really truly are.  Thanks my loves.. my babies.  My heart.  3 musketeers..

ps (my eldest daughter who lives out of state is on video chat)