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> My Dear Loving Family and Friends,
>
> I want to thank each and every one of you for making my birthday so very
> special. I started writing this even before I read my birthday messages. lol.
>
> This has been the best Birthday ever! Thanks to each and every one of you!
>
> On Saturday, 9/11, my birthday, I made a huge potato salad, and Vernon and
> I cleaned house for the party. My menonite friends called me that morning,
> and they asked if they could come over that afternoon. I was so happy! They
> do this every year, and they always bring a lovely cake, ice cream, and
> food gifts from their freezers which consists of stuff they have baked from
> scratch. I always look forward to this every year! I always get lots of
> those precious lovings and squeezings, too!
>
> The day was spent cleaning, visiting, squeezing, and talking on the phone
> to all of those of you who called! Thanks to all of you who left sweet
> messages on my cell phone, and loving birthday wishes in my email inbox! Oh
> I'm just elated with love and thanks to our Lord for all of you!
>
> Saturday I received so many wonderful phone calls from many of you! Vernon,
> bless his loving heart, he helpped me clean house, and took me out to eat
> Saturday night! We didn't need much, as we were not really hungry from the
> cake and goodies.
>
> Saturday night was spent talking on the phone to many of you Loving ones!
> Thanks to all of you on my Prayer and Praise group for all the love and
> prayers and birthday greetings.
>
> I prepared my turkey for roasting the next morning, and my frozen buns for
> baking on Sunday morning, and went to bed.
>
>
> I had the funniest thing happen. lol.
>
> I got up at around seven and went down to bake my buns for the birthday
> party that afternoon. I opened the oven door, and to my surprise, I found
> bread dough all over my oven. lol.
>
> I had two pans of buns in the oven raising, and well, they really rose!
> lol. It was so funny! I couldn't get upset about it! I just laughed, and
> squeezed the bread dough as I cleaned up the oven. lol. I didn't let it go
> to waste either. lol. It all got put back in the pan with the rest of the
> mess. lol.
>
> I preheated the oven, and I told Vernon, You are getting my Duds for
> breakfast, because I can't serve this mess at the birthday party. lol.
>
> I had one tray of buns in my Microwave/Convection oven, and they turned out
> beautiful!
>
> After I baked the duds, I took out the last package of frozen buns, and
> prepared them for baking in muffin pans, and also another batch in the
> convection/Microwave oven.
>
> They rose in a few hours in the warm ovens, and I baked them. They turned
> out beautiful, so I had 30 beautiful squeezable buns for my birthday party!
> lol.
>
> Vernon and I cleaned, and I put my loving turkey in the roaster, and made
> my pasta salad
>
> Sunday afternoon people started showing up here at around 3 PM. Marilynn
> Gehm showed up a few minutes early with the punch makings, and the really
> cool whale made out of the watter mellon rine. This was for the fruit bowl
> which was served with the punch. Everyone offered to bring something. It
> was cool! Marilynn had different people bring fruit for this fruit bowl,
> and others brought vegies and crackers and salads. We visited and then we
> had the vegies and the crackers and the dip that Marilynn made, which was
> delicious.
>
> When it came time to eat supper, They had me be the first one to get in
> line to dish up my plate. There were lots of delicious salads.
>
> I was so glad to have everyone there. Jackie Siver sat by me at the table.
> Then it was time for cake and ice cream and coffee.
>
> They set the cake in front of me that Linda Perry had baked and taken over
> to Marilynn's house on Friday evening. Then they sang happy birthday to me.
> I almost cried, because it was so sweet! They lit the candles and told me
> to blow them out. I blew! and Blew! They kept telling me I was missing the
> candles. lol. There were 2 rows of candles. One was a row of 5 candles each
> one representing 10 years, and then a row of 3 candles. I told them I
> didn't want to hyperventelate! They said "that's okay! We got a nurse
> here!" lol! I said And if I start a fire, we got an X fireman here, too!
> lol. Everyone was laughing!
>
> Then they took the cake to cut it. It was delicious. and I think Marilynn
> decorated it, but not sure.
>
> Then I opened all the wonderful cards and gifts.
>
> We visited and the guys were having fun out in the movie theater watching
> movies, while the ladies were cleaning up the kitchen and doing the dishes
> after filling the dish washer.
>
> After a while, people started leaving, and I got lots of lovings and
> squeezings!
>
> It was such a beautiful party with lots of loving friends and relatives.
>
> So, thanks again to all of you for all the birthday emails, phone calls,
> cards and gifts.
>
> May God richly bless all of you.
>
> With much love,
> Pat Ferguson