33 Years and Counting

Today I am 33 years old. I have to say that I am pretty happy with where I am in my life. I feel like I have accomplished great things, I experience tremendous joy almost daily, I surround myself with extraordinary people, and sometimes I even get a shower and smell like a girl.

Sometimes, I have a hard time believing that I am an actual grown up, that I have a real life, and children. I am raising children and they are mine (am I old enough to have children?) The condition that I am accustomed to lately is pregnant and feeling a little tired and out of shape are a state that I have come to grips with. After all this is Baby #3 is just under 4 years. My mind feels young, busy, challenged and I can hardly believe kids I taught to swim are old enough to have their own babies.

I have a tendency to like the things that I always have and my favorites hardly ever change. I love the smell of lilacs, favorite song Stay by Shakespeare's Sisters, favorite movie is Remember the Titans, favorite actor Mark Wahlberg, favorite color purple, and best person I ever met my sister. I love girly things, sparkly, purses, perfumes, jewelry, make-up, having my hair done, and heels. I enjoy cooking, would really like to have a garden someday, and love going to the library. Oh how I love books even though I hardly make the time to read them. The truth is more sit on my nightstand or get the minivan shuttle back and forth to the library than get read.

Also...I dislike lots of noise, whining, being absent minded (which I seem to be more and more), feeling or looking disorganized or uninformed, and mess. I don't like to share, my family time, my alone time, and my bowl of bran flakes in the morning. I even think about someday that I will be eating my bran flakes all alone praying for company and I still do not want to share them.

It is not uncommon for me to order chocolate milk at a restaurant, rely heavily on someone else for spell checks and directions, or want a change every spring. I am more of a cat person and wish that the mess didn't bother me so they could be indoor too. I love to travel and am always trying to think about how we can do it as a family, this hasn't panned out since the reality is that it is complicated to travel with small ones and I have to wonder if it is more work than fun. But I have not given up hope and I do look forward to family weekends and trips.

In a nut shell, I really am pretty happy with where I am at this 33 year mark, good thing too, there's no going back now.