Once Upon a Time... I had TIME!

I had time to WRITE!

The past couple days I have been unpacking a big box of things - mostly journals of mine. Many times I got sucked in as I "flipped" through some. And I've been kind of in and out of the past in my mind. Some things really made me cringe to remember how I was, and did I really write  that? And think that? Did I SAY it too???? But other things surprised me in a good way.

And there's really too much there to get into, but one thing I did like were some poems I found that I had written back in the day. I usually wrote poems when I was either really upset about something (or sometimes happy), or I simply had lots of time to think about what was going on in my life, and it would flow out.

When I was younger, I wrote in my journal all-the-time. It really got me through some rough times. I still journal, but it's sporadic. It is more consistent than it has been in the past couple years, but really I find my outlet in talking to Coach about everything in my head and on my heart - and sharing with my friends. I didn't always have that - but I always had a notebook.

Anyway, I lament a bit that I don't have the time for creative juices to bubble out like they use to. (If they do it is usually at 10 pm when I am trying to fall asleep and am too tired to get up... and I forget it all in the morning!) BUT... I am going to be brave and daring for my dear readers! I am going to do a series (left un-named because I can't think of anything clever) of sharing one of my poems once a week, until I run out of poems I am willing to share. I have no idea how many there will be and they are going to be in random order. Tryin' to keep it simple folks because it's the only way it's gonna happen. Anyway... I'll start next week or the next...

Stay tuned. :)

Sweet Thoughts on Valentine's Day

Although this week has had its share of "unsweet" moments, I'm trying hard to see all the "sweetness" in life because there really is a lot! Here are some "sweet" snapshots of joy shining into my day. 

Hope you have a sweet Valentine's Day!

Mia with  May May and May May's sister, whom she had just finished "nursing."

My smiley boy!

A sweet touch added to the living room this morning.

30

Guess what! Today I am 30!

After I woke up, I had this thought, "30 is the new 20." Well, that's debatable, but it's my new reality. And unlike many people (including me last year), I am really excited about it. The 20s were great, but I'm looking forward to this decade of being 30.

A lot happened in the past 10 years. I took on some new and major roles - aunt, wife, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother, and mother of two. That is a lot of adjustment and growth. Oh and I moved 22 times!

I don't know what these next ten years will bring, but I'm hoping for a deeper kind of growth - a maturity in these new roles I acquired in my 20s.

And on the fun side, here are a few "roles" I'd like to acquire while in my thirties:

• skilled fermenter
• soap maker
• pasta maker
• cheese maker
• canner
• candle maker
• home owner
• photographer
• seemstress
• woodworker

One a year and maybe I can do it! :)

I'm gaining a new outlook when it comes to my birthday and holidays. One that doesn't expect the day to be "perfect", but just another day with an extra reason to be grateful. Because all days have reasons to be grateful.

And today, I am simply grateful to God for giving me life - for creating ME - as unique and flawed, yet perfect in His design, as I am. I have to trust that He knew what he was doing and he didn't just allow my creation, but willed it - chose it - and that He loved be even before I was.