I'm Officially Old Now. Phooey.

Yesterday was my thirtieth birthday. Yikes. I used to look at thirty-year-olds and think, "Ugh. It must really stink to be THAT old." And now I'm THAT old. Goodbye, carefree days of being an irresponsible 20-something. See ya later, youth. So long, soft, supple skin. Hello eye creams, laugh lines, and checking the box that now says "30-49". Great. I don't feel any different today, though. And I don't look any different, either. I'm not dumb enough to think that I would wake up this morning and suddenly have grey hair and age spots. Just give it time, though...

So my wonderful husband bought me a birthday cake and had a lovely sentiment written on it, "Happy 30th Birthday Jennifer", except that the genius at the grocery store misspelled my name and forgot to cross the T and dot the I in Birthday. No biggie, I think my hubby was more upset about it than I was. We gladly shared the cake with our neighbors, because I certainly don't need to eat it all by myself. Add "weight gain" to the list of anticipated ailments listed above.

God still loves me, though; an older gentleman with a landscape company just rang the doorbell (twice, while Meghan's napping, of course) and asked if my parents were home. If he wasn't so sweaty and gross, I would have kissed him. Well, probably not, but it made me smile inside.

As I reflect back on my youth, I want to pass on a little bit of advice to anyone under 30 who might be reading this: Enjoy it! You'll never be 20-something again! Live life, but be responsible. Quit smoking and and getting sloshed every weekend...it's not cool or attractive. Value each friendship, too many are lost for lack of trying. THANK your parents. You'll need to hear it when you're a parent someday. And buy stock in anti-aging cream because you'll need that someday, too!

The Beach Bums Are Back!

Well, we're back from our beach trip, all tanned and tired! It really was a relaxing week. Meghan actually slept this year (naps, too!), so neither of us had to go sleep in the car like last year. The food was awesome, we even managed to get one date night, too!

As I was sitting on the beach one day, I was thinking about vacations, how they cleanse the body, soul and spirit. I dug my toes deeper into the sand, and scrubbed off the winter-ness like a snake sheds its skin. Cleansed. I watched Meghan and a hundred other kids dig holes and build sand castles, marring the perfect flatness of the sand. And remembered that in a few hours, the sea would reclaim it all, cleansing the beach for the next round of visitors. It's amazing how fast the day-to-day chaos is washed away. Ok, that's my philosophy for the day.

So now it's back to the daily grind. Which isn't all that bad, really. : )

Whew! Can I Hit the Pause Button Now?

Is life ever going to slow down, or is this what it is? I can't take this much excitement! The past couple of weeks have been super busy, but the best part was I had a friend in town for the week after Memorial Day and we had a most enjoyable time! The crop went well at www.memorybookinspirations.com, I got some recent photos scrapped, and I'm learning how to use my supercool new fandangled machine, a Craft Robo. Ever heard of it? Well, I've done two things so far. Yeah, I know.

So this week I have some time to breathe and get ready for vacation the week after that. I love vacation. It's not because I get time off "work", it's just that my work location has changed to somewhere way better. I still get to do laundry and cook and clean and take care of Meghan, but somehow being at the beach makes it OK. Besides, we're going with family, so it's totally cool. DH and I might actually get a date night in there somewhere!

This week we're having a patio poured in the back yard. This has been three weeks in the making. Our yard was graded on Tuesday (it's now Sunday), the framing should be done tomorrow, and the concrete won't be poured until Friday. Then we leave for vacation. Should be good and cured by the time we get back. Sigh...delayed gratification stinks.

May I digress? I just have to give props to my mom. She's always helping out people in need, whether it's giving them a ride to the grocery store, picking up a package of diapers, working at the food pantry at her church, or looking after my Aunt. My mom's not rich, but often helped out her neighbor with groceries or other errands. And when she came over on Memorial Day with her newborn, I could see the joy in my mom's eyes and you can't put a value on that. It's a little late for Mother's Day, but I just have to say, Mom, you have touched so many people's lives in ways that they'll never be able to express. It might get old, hearing my Aunt's ranting and raving, or driving people around town, or feeling like you're being too nice, but trust me, people appreciate the little things you do for them!

They always say "You become your Mother". Most of us roll our eyes and groan. Well, ok, maybe I've done that once or twice. But I don't think being a little bit like my mom is such a bad thing...