Today, is my eldest child’s birthday. 24 years ago I gave birth to an 8 lb. 7 oz. baby girl. She had chubby red cheeks, hair as dark as coal, a “cone head” and regardless of that temporary deformity, I thought she was the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. She still is. She was born on the 13th of March, a Friday the 13th. Her Grampa called her Jason for years…and occasionally he still does! Many people are superstitious about Friday the 13th and fear the worst when that day comes around. Not me. Friday the 13th will forever be a day of good luck for me because that’s when I met my baby girl.

I have had the pleasure (and sometimes headache) of watching my grandson grow this past 2 years. It’s been 2 years of ups and downs, fun and laughter, with very little peace and quiet. As I look back, I know I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

In less than a month, S.R. and my grandson will be moving out. I will miss them very, very much and hate to see them go but at the same time I’m happy for them to be able to move on and live their own lives. We’ve had many of S.R.’s “obligations” to tend to over the last year and soon they will be over. The stress of working around those “obligations” has overwhelmed me at times. I hope that S.R. can make it in this world and be happy with her life. I hope she knows (and she should because I’ve told her) that boyfriends sometimes come and go but her family is forever. I’m not happy with her choice in men and it doesn’t really matter what I think. I just hope they are happy and that things work out. We all have great expectations when we’re young; I just hope she’s not disappointed or hurt in the end.

I do hope they will visit often and that D.M. will want to spend the weekend with Gramma sometime. I will miss him dearly.

Tonight we had S.R.’s favorite cake, and I have to admit it’s my fave too. We have it every year for her birthday. If you’ve not tried it you really should! The recipe for HEATH CAKE is below:

Heath Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel sauce
1 8 oz. tub whipped cream
3 Heath bars, crushed

Mix cake and bake according to package instructions. While cake is in oven, mix together the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce.

When cake comes out of oven, and while still very warm, poke many holes throughout cake. (I use a metal skewer.) Pour the caramel mixture over the cake and let it seep into the holes you’ve poked. Once it has cooled down, smooth whipped cream over top. Sprinkle crushed heath bar pieces all over top. Chill cake before serving. Enjoy!!