Sunday Funday!

Normally Sundays aren't so fun for me.  We get up early to go to church - which I really don't mind most weeks.  I love our church, so do my kids and Seth.  It's the AWANA club in the evenings, which my kids really enjoy going to, that kills Sunday for me.  In case you don't know what AWANA is, it is a club where kids come and learn Bible verses for prizes.  Of course there's games and singing and snacks and a Bible message.  But the club is for Bible verse memorization.

Anyway....

Since we live on the other side of town, it's really hard to travel 20-25 minutes to church in the morning, back home for a late lunch.  Have a short afternoon then back to church for AWANA.  By the time we get home from AWANA it's after 7:30 so supper is often late and bed time is late.  It's hard but it is well worth it to have my kids memorize Scripture.

Yesterday, there was no AWANA due to the fact that most of the area schools were on spring break.  We had a very restful afternoon.  It's started out with a yummy potluck at church and our Easter choir practice afterwards.  I always enjoy our fellowship dinners.

Seth needed to get some sleep so he took a nap.  It was a nice day...warm even, so the kids took our puppy out and played in the sprinkler.  I took the opportunity to get through some of bins that have been clogging up my laundry room.  I had been saving every kind of paper that came to our mailbox that looked remotely important.  Turns out, I didn't need to be.  I searched online and found a list of what to keep and for how long.  I printed it off and used it as my guideline as I sorted and sorted and sorted through all of my bins labeled "important papers."

As I was in the middle of multiple piles and a huge bin full of papers in front of me, Seth got up from his nap and said he was gonna go out to a friend's place to shoot his guns.  All 3 kids got their shoes on to go with him, which was fine with me.  This way I could get my project finished without being hassled by the kids.  I'd still get hassled by the puppy, though.

However, sweet little A realized I would not be joining them and was absolutely heartbroken.  I don't know the last time I saw her cry so hard, face covered in tears.  We didn't understand why she wanted me to come so badly but how could I say no to such a strong desire to be with her mommy?  So, I deserted my project and walked out the door.

Our friend was there with his guns and he, Seth, the older 2 kids, and myself took turns shooting the guns.

After a couple of hours, it was time to head home.  Actually, it was time to eat.  We stopped at Arby's for supper and check ourselves for ticks in the bathrooms.  We already caught 3 while we were out shooting and found 1 more in the bathroom.

As we were leaving the shooting area, we discovered why little A wanted me to come so badly.  We have gone camping there a few times and she thought that we would be camping there again.  When she realized we weren't staying, she became upset again.  Not crying as badly as before, but still very sad.  That explained why she was so heartbroken over me not coming in the first place.  She thought she was leaving me for an entire night and she wouldn't see me until morning.  Sweet little girl.

We enjoyed our meal at Arby's and came home.  We played with Rambo who had been fenced in all day (we have a small area where he has toys, food and water, and a potty pad next to his crate fenced off from the rest of the living room).  Then it was bath time for the kids and bedtime.

I got back to my project and made it through a total of 2 1/2 bins of papers.  I bagged up each of my piles and placed them in an empty bin while the other bin I had already cleaned out was now full of papers that need to be shredded.  I have a half a bin left then my paper trays full of the most recent mail piled up on my end tables.  Then I can file them appropriately and maybe stay organized as new mail arrives.  One can only hope.  :)

Fun and Medicine?

I have an 8-year-old daughter and it probably comes as no surprise at all that she is a bit of a drama queen.  Everything seems much worse than it actually is.  Today, she put on quite a performance.  She had burned her fingers earlier this evening, basically due to the fact that she wasn't listening to her dad.  All the rest of the evening she carried a cup of cold water to put her fingers in.  By the time she needed to get ready for bed, she had blisters.  I got out the Aloe Vera gel and bandaids so she wouldn't feel the need to take a cup of water to bed with her.  Because, obviously, that just wouldn't work.

She saw the bottle of green gel and began screaming bloody murder.  Ok, not quite bloody murder.  That actually came later.  She had suddenly put herself in a horror film and the Aloe Vera was her cryptonite.  It was like I was going to dump a bunch of spiders on her.  Or she would be sleeping with snakes.  Or birds came flapping through the window attacking her head.  Drama.  Queen.

"I'm fine with the bandaids...but not THAT!"  boo hoo hoo.  Yep, the girl deserves an Emmy.

I finally had to force her fingers out of the cup of water, dry them off, and I put just a teeny tiny bit of the Aloe Vera on her 2 blistered fingers.

More screaming.  But not yet bloody murder screaming.

"It stings!!!  It stings!!!"  I blew on them and then covered them with bandaids.

The next several minutes involved her rolling on the floor, then onto the couch, then back to the floor.  Screaming...yes, now bloody murder...and bawling.  Waaaay over the top here.  She may give Jim Carrey a run for his money.

I told her that she was thinking about it too much.

"Maybe if I could have some ice cream..."

I could not hold in the laughter any longer.  Sorry girlie, you're not getting any ice cream.  An applause for such an amazing dramatic performance.  But no ice cream.

More screaming, bawling, rolling on the floor.

"I just want to rip my arm off!!"

More laughter from me....and from older brother in the next room.

Finally, I asked what the pain felt like.  I knew she was in some pain, just not as much as she was portraying.  She said she could feel her heart beat.  Well, that meant the bandaids were too tight so I offered to take them off.

She agreed, but I had to do it carefully.  I did my best, but she still gave me screams.  The bandaids came off and she ran to get herself another cup of water.

And....scene.  Take a bow, dear.

Time for Act II.  This time, I'm the main character.  (Were you wondering where she got her drama from?)

My eyes had been giving me some issues so I bought over-the-counter eye drops which have helped.  Previously, my left eye had been the problem.  Today I woke up with my right eye sealed shut.  Awesome.  K had been my eye dropper since I just couldn't do it myself.  Tonight, however, I said each of my 3 kids could give me 1 drop.

I lied down on the floor.  And battle ensues.

"Mom keep your eye open!!"

"I'm trying!!"  I tried to focus on A, but she wasn't helping.  "Show me a silly face."

"Why?"

Drop into my hair.  "Moooommm!!"

"Sorry!"

The longer this takes, the more I get to laughing.  And who can really laugh with their eyes open?  Yep, that just added to the problem.  Which lead to more laughter.

Finally, after getting drops on my cheek, eyelid, and the actual bottle smacking me in the eyebrow, K got a drop in.

Then J took his turn.  I looked at A again for support, this time she knew what I needed her to do.  However, J didn't quite get the hang of it.  First he placed the dropper right in front of my eye so I couldn't even see around it.  And when I told him it was too close, he stood up and held it a few feet above me.  Well, that's not gonna work!  He found a happy medium.

And...drop...right in my eye.

A got her drop in on the first try without much of a fight.

So, with my eyes running with tears of laughter and eye drops, I thanked the kids and sent them to bed.

Curtain closed.

It's VBS season!

This is the time of year my focus becomes our VBS.  I have blogged about the VBS before but that is what is on my mind and will be until VBS is over.  And then we all kinda start brainstorming for next year.  lol  I'm very excited about this year's theme and certain scenes for the skit have been running through my mind.  However, since I depend on the speaker's notes and main Bible verses to write the skit, I have to wait.  And that part just drives me crazy!  No, I'm not going to tell you the theme just yet.  :)

This year, I wasn't sure if I would even get to be involved at all because there's something bigger going on this summer.  Yep, bigger than VBS.  My sister is getting married and since that pretty much trumps everything, I was telling people last summer that my involvement may be very limited this year.  Well, they wouldn't have that.  "We can't have a VBS without you, Laura!" was something that one of the VBS planners had told me.  So, we quickly got together and figured out a week when I would be here AND my absence wouldn't hugely disrupt our rehearsals.

Normally, I am the most excited about the skits.  I get others excited as I develop their characters and let them know my plans.  This year, after asking one of my main actors if he could take the lead again this year, his excitement went through the roof.  He came running up to me telling me everything he wanted to do with his character and what he wants to wear.  He was almost more excited that I am.  Which is a good thing!!  I like that my actors are excited and are planning their parts, characteristics, and costumes, even before I really have the skit written.  Sure, I provide the storyline, conversations, and the basics of entering and exiting when and where.  But my actors, all of them, throw in their own personalities and with their ad libs and commitment, the skits become much bigger and better than I ever imagined.

I LOVE this time of year.  I let my creativity run free, even though it keeps me up at night.  I love how everything comes together for VBS.  Not just for skits, although that in itself amazes me.  But how everyone of different talents come out of the woodwork and God uses each of these talents to create this incredible week of fun, crafts, songs, games, and learning about Jesus.  VBS is the time of year where we can see the body of Christ working together for the Lord.  Some years, if not every year, we get down to the week before VBS and we wonder how we're going to pull it off.  But God does it.  Every year.  It's so awesome to watch God work!

So, if you will be in the Wichita area and want your kids to enjoy our VBS, mark your calendar for July 23-27.  It's going to be a fun one and we would love to have your kids join us!

2002 - 10 years after saying goodbye

If you were to ask me what the most difficult year of my life was, I would tell you 2002 without the slightest hesitation.  It was 10 years ago that we said goodbye to 8 family members.  Between February and November of 2002, 8 people from Seth's or my family entered eternity.  Some were expected.  Some were quite shocking.  And my heart breaks as I may not see some of them again.

Uncle Paul

Seth and I were getting ready to move out of our apartment and into the house we live in today.  J was nearly 14 months old.  Before our helpers arrived, Seth received the devastating call from his dad.  Uncle Paul (Seth's dad's brother) was killed in a car accident along with his dog.  I had only met Uncle Paul once in the summer of 2000.  There was an unofficial Harrington reunion.  I finally got to meet Seth's dad's side of the family.  I had a blast with all of them.  I hung out with Uncle Paul as we panned for gold in the creeks.  We all camped out on a mountain side, no bathroom or showers.  We sung and told stories around a campfire.  I will never forget it.  Most of those people I have not seen again.

Virginia

My Grandma had passed away when I was very little.  I have very few memories of her.  My grandpa then remarried to my best friend's grandma, Virginia.  It was a dream come true: my best friend and I would be cousins.  I never called Virginia "Grandma."  It was always "Grandpa and Virginia."  But, I did enjoy being in her family.  My sisters and I would often ride our bike or rollerblade to their house and they would give us popsickles or push-ups for a snack.  Grandpa passed away of a heart attack in 1999 while Seth and I were interning at a camp in New York.  We flew to Iowa for the funeral.  Virginia continued to be a part of our family.  She made sweaters and pot holders and had an entire room in their house dedicated to her work.  I got a phone call in May that she had suddenly passed away.  I went to the school where Seth worked at the time to tell him.  I don't remember if my sister, Lisa, was living here at the time or just visiting.  But we made plans to head to Iowa for the funeral.  It was Memorial Day weekend.

Baby Harrington

Earlier that spring, we found out we were expecting another baby.  It wasn't planned and I wasn't sure if I was ready for another baby already.  J wasn't even a year yet.  Just before Virginia's funeral, I started having problems.  I called my Dr. and he said it was ok to travel to Iowa for the funeral.  My family knew of my situation and were praying for the baby.  My older sister, Sara, announced that she was pregnant with their 1st baby that weekend.  We talked about pregnancy stuff and I liked the idea of being pregnant together with her.  My baby was due about a month before hers.  However, things got much worse after we returned home in Kansas.  We went to the ER and got a sonogram.  The baby was gone.  We took it easy that day.  I don't remember a whole lot, but I think we went to a park and then to the mall where J rode the kid rides in the food court.  Seth was heartbroken.  I was just lost and feeling soooo guilty that I may have had something to do with losing the baby.  At some point (on another day, not sure how much later), I was in excruciating pain.  We went back to the ER.  I received pain meds and the baby came out.  They put the baby in a small casing so we could take it to Idaho and bury it.  I was just 11 weeks along, but the baby was only 9 weeks in size.  We could see the eyes, the stubs of arms and legs.  It was truly fascinating to see an unborn baby up close and in person.  But it was MY baby.  And Seth's baby.  And J's little brother or sister.  I stayed over in the hospital delaying our planned trip to Idaho to see Seth's parents.  First we stopped by Seth's older sister's house not too far from Wichita.  I also remember stopping in Iowa before heading west, but I don't remember why.  We showed my family the baby.  Then we headed to Idaho.  It was several days before we finally went to the cemetary to bury it.  I was just in shock that I had a miscarriage.  It was something that other women had, not me.  Seth was so heartbroken to have lost his baby.  I cried every night for months and carried the guilt for several years.

Uncle Eldon

While in Idaho, I got a call that my great uncle passed away suddenly.  Sudden in that we didn't expect it but yet not a surprise because he was "at that age" so to speak and losing his mind.  He and his wife never had children so they were like a third set of grandparents.  We trick-or-treated at their house and sang "Happy Birthday" to Aunt Helen because her birthday was on Halloween.  They came to our Christmases, too.  His wife died in 1999 while we were in New York and I was unable to return to Iowa for her funeral because I was just there for my grandpa's.  Eldon was my other grandpa's brother.  Since we had not been in Idaho for very long, I chose to stay and miss Eldon's funeral.  We knew that my grandpa was losing a battle to cancer.

Grandpa

I seemed to get daily updates on Grandpa Stowell while I was in Idaho.  I don't remember how long he had cancer, but he was going downhill fast.  Finally, on Father's Day, his battle ended.  We left Idaho earlier than planned and made our way back to Kansas.  We stopped in Wichita, took care of bills, did laundry, took naps, J took a nap at some very generous friends' house, repacked, and headed to Iowa the same day.  Grandpa was an elder in our church.  He enjoyed singing, and even got to sing with Dick Van Dyke.  He played special games with us grandkids like "The Monster Game," and "I've got so and so" and "Little blackbird," and the handkerchief mouse.  He always had his video camera out to capture special grandkid moments.  I still miss him.

Uncle Bill (in the back on the left)

Seth and I had made plans to host a youth trip to Idaho with friends we knew at the camp in Iowa where we worked for a year.  We had gone up to that camp right after Grandpa's funeral and worked for 2 weeks.  J celebrated his first birthday while we were there.  We returned to Kansas for a few weeks and then headed back out to Idaho for the youth group trip.  We explored, and camped, and swam, and hiked.  It was quite fun.  Then my family, after struggling to get a hold of me, finally left a message with Seth's grandma who passed it along to Seth's dad.  I was standing next to him as he relayed the message from his cell phone.  My uncle Bill passed away suddenly.  I could hardly take any more.  He was my mom's sister's husband.  My youngest cousin was only 14 (I think I did my calculations right).  I think this hit my family the hardest that year.  Christmas was already going to be hard without Grandpa, but now my cousins no longer had their dad.  My aunt lost her dad and her husband within weeks.  I cried on Seth's shoulder, wondering why God was allowing all of this, especially Bill.  No one was ready to let him go.  Since we were committed to doing a ministry at the time, we felt we had to finish with that and if it meant missing Bill's funeral, then so be it.  The trip was almost over, however, so there was a possibility of making it back to Iowa in time.  My sister, Lisa, was visiting her fiance in Wichita and she said she would wait for me to take me to Iowa for the funeral.  I told her she didn't have to because we weren't going to rush home.  And we didn't.  We were exhausted from this Idaho trip since it was combined with a ministry which can really wipe a person out.  We took 2 days instead of driving it in one shot.  We arrived at our house late.  Bill's funeral was the next morning.  Lisa was sleeping on our couch.  We got in a few hours of sleep, then Lisa and I (and possibly J, we can't remember for sure) headed to Iowa and arrived at the funeral home before the funeral started.  We changed clothes and then stood in the foyer with the family, talking, and crying.  I remember that even my grandma had a very difficult time at this one.  Specific conversations and faces are forever imprinted in my memory and still bring me to tears.

Uncle Ernie (far left)

The night I heard that Bill had passed away, I crawled into our tent and told Seth there would be 2 more.  This wasn't over.  I was right.  Uncle Ernie, another brother of Grandpa Stowell, passed away suddenly.  He seemed healthy and this certainly caught us all by surprise.  I did not make it back to Iowa this time.  It was October, Seth was working at the school, and we had done enough traveling that year, especially for funerals.  I don't remember a lot about him.  He had his own family.  He came to our church and I loved going up to him when I was a kid and say, "Hi, Ernie!  Where's Burt?"  My family was very weary of losing loved ones at this point.  Going to funerals just seemed routine.

Uncle Gene (in the back, 3rd from the left)

Uncle Gene was my grandpa Cannon's brother.  He had also been battling cancer and so it was no surprise when he lost his battle.  His funeral was in Minnesota.  I only saw him once every other year at the Cannon reunion.  He was quiet and I always got him mixed up with the youngest brother, Don, who had passed away some years earlier.  His wife, Gloria, is so spunky and fun.  She remarried and brought her new family to our last reunion.  The Cannon family may be huge, but we are close and we welcome all new members to the family with open arms.

2002 ended and we could all start a new year, new life, new perspective.  When I felt like I was losing my grip and I clung to the Lord.  He never let go of me.  I don't remember the exact verse that I quoted to myself often throughout the year but it basically said, in everything be thankful.  No matter what was going on in my family that year, I focused on being thankful.  Thanking the Lord that most of us know Him as Savior and we would see some of our loved ones again (if not all).  Thanking the Lord that my immediate family, my husband, and my son, all survived the year.  Thanking the Lord for the new life that God was creating inside of me - daughter K would be born the next summer.  Thanking the Lord that my sister's pregnancy was going well and my sister-in-law's pregnancy was also going well.  Thanking the Lord that in the midst of sadness, we were able to gather in the joyous occasion of a close friend's wedding.  It was a very trying year and we still don't understand why we lost so many.  But we trust in God's perfect plan and timing.

Thank You, Lord, for holding my family close 10 years ago, and for bringing us all closer to You.

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." James 1:2

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort."  2 Corinthians 1:3

Our week in Iowa - with pics!

Ok, as promised, I can now write about our trip to Iowa and post pictures.  I still don't have my laptop but I figured how to put the pictures on a thumb drive so here we go!

This has been an odd winter all around.  Kansas doesn't usually get a lot of snow, but Iowa is usually covered in snow by December.  Not this year.  They were looking like a normal Kansas winter and we were even warmer - in the 60s and 70s even.  So, I wasn't sure if we needed to bring our snow gear up.  Some of my Iowa family said there wouldn't be any snow left by Saturday and others were saying they were expecting more snow on Friday.  Hmmmmm.  We brought it just in case.  And good thing too!!

It DID snow while we were up there.  It wasn't a whole lot, but it was enough for the kids to play in, make snow balls, build a snowman, and even go sledding.

My kids spent the week playing with their cousins.  I recorded some of my parents' home videos onto DVD.  I helped my older sister with the kids and even did some cooking with her.  The 4 of us sisters got together and talked wedding and showers.  I helped with my youngest sister's kids, especially when she was trying to pack so they could come back home to Kansas.  It was a nice relaxing week.  Not a lot of extra family plans - which is what most of our Iowa weekends are filled with.  The guys went hunting all week so we hardly saw them.  Seth had a great time.  I do not have pics of the hunting, however.

Later, we had a birthday party for my nephew and my soon-to-be brother-in-law.  My nephew opened presents then Nate opened his.  Then we had a dance party.  It was a blast.  We taught the kids (and even a couple of the guys) how to do various dances.  Once they caught on, we danced over and over.  The chicken dance, the macarana (I'm sure I spelled that wrong, and don't worry, it was the kids version), the bunny hop, the hand jive, the YMCA - tons of fun!

My youngest sister and her family left on Saturday.  We were hoping to, but we were meeting a guy in Kansas to bring home our puppy.  Seth had been talking to this guy since early December.  He sent us pictures through email and we all picked out the puppy we wanted.  We couldn't wait to meet him (the puppy, that is).  The guy with the puppy couldn't meet us on Saturday so we had to wait until Sunday.

We went to the first meeting at church, said our goodbyes, went back to my older sister's house to pack things up, and we headed out of town at 11:30.  We left Iowa, entered Missouri, and eventually, found ourselves in Kansas on roads we don't normally travel.  Finally, we arrived at the small town of Kansas to meet our puppy.

 Our first meeting.

The kids all said hello.

Then they kept him warm in our van while we finished up business.

Finally, he was ours.  We had our puppy and we could take him home.  Seth kept him warm in his coat while I drove.  He wasn't used to the cold weather we were having.  He was shivering quite a bit, although it was partly out of fear.  We stopped at a Walmart where I ran in and bought a towel to keep him warm and some dog food.  We let him wander around the van for a little bit to get to know us and to take a drink or eat if he needed to.  Then he rode the rest of the way in his crate.

We arrived home around 9:30.  We took his crate inside so he could be warm while we unloaded everything else from the van.  Then, we let him out to get familiar with his new home.  He was very timid at first.  The first couple days he just cuddled with us.

Then he showed us his playful side.

And we finally agreed on a name:

Rambo Chewbacca

Rambo - because he's a little dog fighting a big world.  He "knows" he can take on anything.

Chewbacca - not only does he look like a Wookie, he likes to chew on things.

We are very happy to have Rambo in our family.



A Vacation of Sorts

While my sisters and I did not grow up with a dad who hunted, all 4 of us married (or will marry) a hunter.  This boggles my mom.  How did we 4 girls from a non-hunting family all find hunters to marry?  God had that all planned out.  Because, now every January, the 4 guys get together to go hunting.  And that means a week vacation in Iowa with my family.  :)

Unfortunately, my regular laptop has died.  Or rather, the cord has.  Again.  So pictures will have to wait and I guarantee you that I am just as disappointed as you are, if not more.

We started the trip north on Thursday and arrived at my older sister's house just after midnight.  My kids worked hard in school so that they wouldn't have to do any school while we were in Iowa.  That was fine by me!  Of course, my sister's kids attened school which was practically right across the street.  It's the same school all my sisters and I attended.

My kids were up early to greet their cousins before they left for school.  Seth and Andy, my youngest sister's husband, took off to prepare for their hunting week.  All of the Iowa clan continued with their normal lives as best they could.

For the next week, us Kansas sisters and our families invaded our Iowa family.  The guys hunted, very successfully, I might add.  We sisters did some painting, wedding planning, and keeping our kids entertained and not fighting.  The grandparents enjoyed having us all home - mostly.  ;)  Having 8 kids together for an entire week can get wearisome.  They enjoyed the snow while it lasted, played Grandpa's Wii, and found other toys and games to play with.

My younger sister, who has had a headache for almost 9 years, was not doing well.  Her headache had gotten worse since New Years and was experiencing dizzy spells.  She had an MRI on the Saturday that my youngest sister left to come back home to Kansas.  Her fiance got some hunting in but he really helped out with my sister as she should had little balance to walk.

We had planned on leaving on Saturday as well, but we needed to change those plans.  Since December, we had been talking to a guy in middle-of-nowhere Kansas about getting a puppy.  He couldn't meet us on Saturday, so we had to wait until Sunday.

We went to the first meeting at church and left around 11:30.  We were making great time until we turned off our normal route to pick up our puppy.  We finally arrived in the small town and called the guy with our puppy.  I think it was close to 4:00.  The kids were excited as were Seth and myself.  After losing our rabbit, Sally, we needed a pet we could all call ours - not a specific person's pet.  This puppy belongs to all of us.

I will write more about the puppy when I can post pics.  We arrived home around 9:30.  A trip that normally takes about 6 hours took us a long exhausting 10 hours.  We held the puppy, tried to make him comfortable, unloaded the van, and soon, we all went to bed.  It was a long week, especially for Seth who got up early almost every morning to go hunting.  And we finally had our puppy - who still does not have a name.

Yesterday, we got some things for our puppy and took care of other business.  Today, we try to get back into normal routine.  Although, I still slept in and the kids slept in.  We're learning how to do school with the added responsibility of a puppy.  But we're doing well, I think.  And now it's time for lunch.

I hope to post pics soon so you can see the fun we had in Iowa as well as our newest little family member.

Birthdays

I didn't want to grow up.  As a kid, I wanted to stay a kid.  I wanted to play as a kid.  I didn't want to grow up and have responsibilities.  And then, I did.  I grew up - well, in some ways.

(That's me in the blue with my 3 sisters)

I went to high school.

Went to prom.

Went to college.

Fell in love.

Got engaged.

Got married.

Had 3 children of my own.

Whoa!  I have kids?

Sometimes I just sit and am amazed at how my life turned out.  It happened so fast.  I remember looking out the window as a kid wondering what my life would be like when I was in my 20s.  The 30s seemed so far away, I don't think I got that far in my thinking.  Just yesterday, it seems, I was playing Barbies with my sisters. 

Or I was cruising the square with my friends in high school.  Or I was hanging out at my friends' house several miles away from home, hoping to find an excuse to break curfew - like losing my keys.  Which did happen.  Only because as we were leaving, we were attacked by the guys in the snow and my keys got buried.  Fun times!

And now, I am the mother of 3 children.  I've been married for 13 1/2 years.  I live in a city.  A CITY!  This small town girl never expected that.  Ever.  And today I turn 34 years old.  That's right.  I said it.  I didn't even lie about my age.  I'm in my mid-30s!  Where has the time gone?

I didn't used to think it was a big deal to get older.  I didn't understand why people complained about getting older and having another birthday.  I always said, "You're only as old as you feel."  And to me, I thought I would always feel 20.  Then I turned 25.  That number really changes your perspective on getting older.  I was no longer in my early 20s.  I was right up there knocking on 30.  I was somewhere between a young adult and a regular adult.  25 meant that staying up late and functioning the next day was probably not an option.  25 meant I was no longer considered "fun" and "cool" and "young" by the younger crowd - AKA teens.  25 meant that not only was I old enough to drink, I now LOOKED old enough to drink.  I was quite appalled the first time I was offered alcohol at a restaurant on my birthday.  The only thing that ran through my head was, "You mean I LOOK like I'm at least 21?!?"  Of course, I was older but to actually look old enough just about killed me.

So what.  I'm getting old.  Everybody does.  I have definitely aged in my looks. 

And it really hits me when I see someone from way back when and I notice how they have aged.  It makes me realize that we all are getting old!  Funny thing, though.  As much as I hated it between the ages of 25 and 31, I don't mind now.  I am learning to enjoy my life as it is right now.  I am learning to enjoy my kids in the stages they are in.  I am learning to just love life.  Because this is how God has blessed me.  I may not have wanted children, but God blessed me with 3 absolutely amazing kids.  I may have thought I would have been fine being single, but God blessed me with the absolutely best husband in the world.  I may not have ever seen myself as a stay-at-home mom, let alone a homeschooling mom, but God blessed me with the ability and desire to do so.

34 and still going.  I may be a little slower.  I may be turning into my mother.  I may have my days when I wonder "what if."  But all in all, I am enjoying my life.  And so far, I am enjoying being 34.  Although this minute, right now, 10:01am, is the exact time I was born so I've only been 34 for a few seconds.  I know it will be a great year.  God's blessings are endless.