A major goal this year is to engage this wonderful blogging community consistently. What better way than to link up with blog friends! Together, the three of us came up with Three Things Thursday. Just three things to talk or write about. Five seemed like too many and "one thing" was like we weren't even trying! So any three things that are on your mind. Any three pictures from Instagram. Three complaints about your day/week. Three of your favorite treats. Seriously. Any three things!
So write it. Publish it. Yell it from the mountain tops!
So write it. Publish it. Yell it from the mountain tops!
Just be sure you come back and link it up here!
For some extra fun follow us on Instagram for some three things posts!
For some extra fun follow us on Instagram for some three things posts!
Use the #threethingsthursday, and let's start talking!
I turned 38 last month. Thirty eight. I just need to keep typing that out in words because it's still sinking in. I've celebrated five birthdays on this blog, and I'm always surprised to find that I've aged another year. I don't feel any older since I've started this blog. Maybe my bones are a little stiffer, maybe I have a few more wrinkles. Still most days I'm surprised that I'm no longer in my mid thirties.
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| #selfies at 38 |
I learned three things over the weekend when I turned thirty eight. Good solid lessons about life and family. Lessons on motherhood and friendship. I learned that life is the ultimate gift giver, always giving me exactly what I need on my birthday.
Lesson 1: Life happens. Deal with it anyway.
My birthday fell over spring break. This meant the kiddos were home... And sick. Fevers. Sinus infections. I was really upset by this because it was my birthday and while I knew I wasn't going to be partying, I did want to go out and shop, have dinner, not have to play nurse. It was pretty tame by sickness standards, but I knew that my birthday plans may be scrapped. Caitlin was well enough on Friday for mani-pedis with my mom, which was great. By Friday afternoon I was pretty sure we could all do lunch the next day and hang out with friends and family at our house. Then on Friday night, just hours before I was to turn thirty eight, Mac started running a fever. Great. I scrapped all birthday plans. Threw myself a pity party and watched old Grey's Anatomy reruns until I fell asleep, with both kids in bed with me. As if there is any other way (sarcasm). The next morning Mac was fever free, Caitlin was feeling like a human again, and I was nervous about planning anything. As luck would have it, the birthday God's prevailed and we were able to have a late lunch at one of my favorite restaurants.
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| Me and my peeps at my birthday lunch/dinner. |
The lesson here was this: Life happens. Life is always happening. Sometimes in this family it feels like every chaotic or effed up situation imaginable will happen. Like, if you worry about it, it will come. Even though I threw a fit like a small child, (it was my birthday) it all worked itself out in the end. I'm not a very optimistic person, but I should remind myself that it usually does work out in the end. I'm not so bold as to say always, but usually. Friday night I thought all celebrating would cease to exist. Saturday night I went to bed having celebrated my birthday in the best way I know how. Unplanned. Unexpected. And sort of perfect.
Lesson 2: Family shows up always.
I expect my parents to be excited for my birthday. Duh, I'm their only child. I expect The Hubbs to be excited for my birthday because, again duh, I'm his lovely wife. I didn't expect my in-laws to inquire about my birthday. They came over anyway, even after scrapping plans for sick kids, and even when we made plans last minute they joined us too. Dinner with what has become my entire immediate family was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday. For years it was just the three of us, my parents and I, celebrating here in Fresno when we first put down roots. Now we have to make reservations for nine. I loved that even though it was completely unplanned, I had a fantastic time, surrounded by the best people.
The lesson: Family doesn't care. They are going to show up anyway.
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| Ran to the store for some ice cream, took a detour. |
Lesson 3: Some of the best gifts are free.
I woke up to 35 messages on Facebook the morning of my birthday. My phone dinged with text after text. By the time I went to bed that night over 100 people had posted to my Facebook wall. I know social media can be a drag on most days. Especially now that we are in an election season, but birthday wishes on Facebook are some of my favorite gifts. Sometimes a memory will be attached. Sometimes it's a quick "HBD" from a friend from high school. It doesn't matter to me. I read them all and tried to reply to all of them. I especially liked the one from a friend that said, "Happy birthday you little burrito". That one made me laugh out loud literally.
My two neighbors bought me a gift, surprised me with it really. I expected nothing but their company, but here they came with a gift card to the Motherland, Target. Insert emoji hands for days. They gave it to me in the middle of my tantrum about having to cancel my birthday (see lesson 1 about life giving you what you need). I love them, and they love me, which is really saying something. I'm a hard person to love sometimes, and I'm so thankful they continue to do it.
Lesson: Like the menu at McDonald's used to say "Smiles are Free". Smiles and little messages from friends near and far. They cost nothing but can make some one's day. They sure made mine!
I realize that birthdays are a blessing. They mean you are alive and living, quite possibly thriving. I still find myself wondering how I am this age. Wasn't I just eighteen ten years ago? No. Actually it was twenty years ago. That piece of information blows my mind daily. These days when I hear a song, one that I loved when I was seventeen, twenty one, thirty one, they take me back and make me wonder how on earth I got here. How did I get so old?
By living and learning, one birthday at a time.
