Today is my BIRTHDAY! I am 38 ... hard to believe, I really don't feel 38. But then I look at my kids and can't believe how big they're getting and can't believe they're really mine so I guess I must really be 38, whether I feel like it or not. =)
So anyway, I haven't blogged in forever and I feel bad, but life has been so, super busy lately and thankfully we only have 3 and half more days until the school year is over - then we can enjoy SUMMER! Yay, can't wait!
I thought it would be fun to document some things about myself at 38 ... some things haven't changed but some things have. For one thing, with every year that passes I feel more and more confident in just being who I am. Not trying to be someone else, or trying to impress people, or trying to change to whats expected of me - but simply embracing the ME that God created me to be. Little things like the fact that I'm so emotional and cry so easily - so what, that's me - get used to it, it's not going away anytime soon. And that I like to change things often, not because I'm discontent, but because changes are fun and keep life interesting. I love changing around the furniture and decor in my house ... I also love changing things like my hair cut and color. Change is good. Embrace it.
Some things I love ... coffee always tops the list. =)
Family. Friends. Reading. Scrapbooking. Taking photos. Flowers. COLOR. Decorating.The beach. Swimming. Relaxing. Watching my kids play sports. Being with girlfriends.
Movies nights with my family. Baking. Camping.
Sitting outside and enjoying a quiet morning.
Smiles and hugs from kids at school.
This year I got my nose pierced! Not something I EVER thought I would do! Bob had been begging me to do it for SO long and I kept saying no, I'm not interested. Finally around Valentine's day I had been thinking about it more and thinking about how he is always SO good to me and would do anything for me. I thought that if he was willing to do so much for me, why couldn't I do this one little thing for him. I'm not gonna lie, it did hurt when they did it. But only for a little while and then it's been fine ever since.
And I actually really like it now.
And can I just say how thankful I am for this guy? Later this year we will celebrate 18 years of marriage ... I have known him for more than half of my life and could not even put into words how blessed I am. I have never, ever, ever met someone as selfless as him - he will literally put me and our girls before himself in just about every single scenario. He is always going above and beyond to make sure we are safe, cared for, loved and yes, even spoiled.
This year we've all tried new things. Some good, some bad, some hard, some fun. One thing I never thought I'd do was run a 10k. Just about 4 years ago I had never run more than 30 seconds in a row. I couldn't even get a quarter mile without feeling like I was gonna die. But through Bob's encouragement and a lovely little plan called Couch to 5k I slowly learned how to build up to running a 5k ... then, last year through my friend Christina's encouragement and lots and lots of lovely miles we put in together, I finally built up to a 10k! So in the past year I have run TWO 10K's and a few 5K's as well. It's an amazing feeling to know you can conquer something like this! And in just a few short weeks Bob and I will be running in our first ever Spartan Race - I am definitely nervous but also excited to prove to myself how strong I am and how far I've come. Now if you're reading this thinking 'no way, not for me, I could NEVER do that' ... trust me, you CAN! I have a lovely friend Erin who blogs here ... go check out her posts on running, weight loss and how far she's come in all of this. Anyone can do this!
I love, love, love my girlies ... so deeply that sometimes it hurts! It hurts when they don't respect me how they should, or don't seem to care if my feelings get hurt over something they say or do or when they would prefer their friends or their ipods over me ... but more than the hurts are the crazy, amazing ways that I learn and grow through being their Mom. Sometimes I am the worst perfectionist and think it's totally my job to make sure they 'turn out right' ... not remembering that these are amazing girls, each with their own gifts and personalities and that God will see them through! He has big plans for these girls! He loves them SO much more than I ever could! Being a Mom is tough sometimes and I often feel the weight of the world on me ... but it keeps me on my knees before God, asking Him daily to watch over them and give us wisdom in raising them. And I am one proud Mama ... they are smart, beautiful on the inside and out, talented, and I am just so thankful for both of them!
Since I am such a perfectionist at heart I am always trying to find ways to improve myself. Reading articles about raising kids, reading books about parenting through the teen years, trying to find ways to become healthier and teach my girls about healthy choices, etc. I love the idea of always changing, always working toward new goals, always challenging yourself and learning new things. I have some goals for summer, which include reading a large stack of books on lots of great topics that I have sort of been putting off during these busy school-year months. Summer is such a great time to sit by the pool and read while the girls swim. I also REALLY want to catch up on my scrapbooks! I am SO far behind! I have started doing more of a 'Project Life' style instead of 12x12 fancy, decorated pages ... much easier to slide the pics in and be done. I hope to show some pages I've done in future blog posts.
So anyway ... I guess that's all for now ... thankful for another year of LIFE and just thankful to be ME!
{So far} ... 38 is GREAT!!
