On Turning 38.

Last month, on December 17th I turned 38, and last week I got the invitation to my 20th High School Reunion. Not my 10 year y'all ...(please forgive the southern accent I have been reading Sweet Potato Queens book again and I just can't help myself) And To Clarify... I am not 38 going on 18, and 40's are not the new 20's. Sorry if I just bursted your little age defying bubble there. But These are all just things that we tell ourselves so that we don't have to hear or even think of THE word. You know the word I'm talking about... Don't act like you don't know THE word...

OLD!! I could say I feel 38 years young, but you know what? That simply isn't true. Now, that's not to say that I feel so Old all the time, and I have everything all figured out, oh no, no, no... I have A LOT of learning left to do! And I feel quite young and naive still to many ways of this world. But I will say, I'm grateful for the years I have underneath my lifetime belt. Each one has taught me something different. And as that number keeps going up one thing I have learned that I didn't know as well when I was only 18 is that LIFE is PRECIOUS. In fact IT IS A  GIFT. Now, granted I am not yet in the 40's club but believe you me, beloved when I get there in two years, Lord willing, I am going to shout it from the roof tops!! I'm 40 and I don't care who knows it!! (Picture Buddy the Elf coming into his dad's office at a very important meeting and shouting, "I'm in Love and I don't care who knows it!" Yep that will be me.)  This is what I would like to say; To the Whole Wide World or at least the World Wide Web Being or Getting Old is really OK. It's better than ok, it's a gift. And no I don't say that first thing in the morning when my body is achey and still tired after a full 8 hours of sleep, but once I have woken up and become aware of my surroundings that is exactly what I say. I thank God for each new day. Not to be cliche or a total cheese ball...  (okay well maybe a lil chedda is in this next statement) The present really is a gift. And for as long as I'm living I hope I will always have this heart of gratitude.
As I have gotten older I have realized the true gifts in this life are not ones that you can put a price tag on. They are not a certain brand name something or other. They are not a place you get to go. They are not a big fancy sparkling something.  They are YOU. They are ME. And they are This Moment.

 There were of course material gifts given for my birthday this year, but none, no not even one is more valuable to me than this. The realization that my life is but a breath, and my story thus far has been a good one, and as long as I have air left in my lungs I can make it a GREAT one!

Don't you know it's true beloved reader?

That as long as we have air left in our lungs we can make our story a GREAT one!

That would be my favorite gift this year, but don't cha know I am gonna share some of my other favorites with you because well... I'm a blogger. I blog. It's kinda what I like to do with my free time, have you noticed?

  Not only did I receive that dress up there from My Momma Nash, that dress that is so spectacular it needs it's own event to wear it IN  it's honor, but I was with some of the people I love and certainly with all of the people I love in Spirit or FB, or on Skype, maybe even by IG, or Twitter,  and certainly by phone. 

Thank God for technology. 

That is a Gift.

I received countless reminders of God's goodness and grace on my life by way of old friends notes and phone calls. I shared a glass of wine with My Mom, sister Gina, and brother Jeremy via Skype. I drank from the cup that is 

This Beautiful Life and I was filled to overflowing.

That is a Gift.

I had 4 healthy children in my house.

One of the things I miss most about having lils in my house, (by lils I mean ages 2-6) is the constant barrage of funny things that lils say, but every now and then one of my kids who are still young but on the tail end of childhood, they will say something really funny. 

So when

my boys set out to make a Gingerbread man they finished and Isaiah my youngest looked up at Solomon and said, "I'm going to eat this WHOLE thing so Don't Judge Me." 

Bah ha ha ... quotes from my 8 year old boy like 

THAT is a Gift.

Around my birthday I might not have had my own birthday party but in a sense this Elf party that we have been having the past two years has become my very own birthday party. Who else gets to have Olive Penguins at their birthday party I ask you? And not only that but my friend Tasha was here for a visit to help me make those cute little treats. And my friend Emily brought me salted caramel chocolate cookies that I'm telling you make my mouth water every time I think about them.

That is A Gift.

Oh and this. 

This is A Gift.

Oh my, my, my is this ever a gift. 

Wanna know why?

Well in the words of My Giants grandmother Louis, who used to call him a Shit Ass when he was naughty... this lil dog right here... she can be quite the little  Shit Ass sometimes. 

Sorry for the cuss but...

Truly, y'all  have no idea!

But when I bought this outfit I bought it for the express purpose of payback in good Doggy Owner fashion. Bella hates wearing clothes. Girlfriend,(there goes that accent again) just doesn't even know how cute she looks in clothes I guess?! So when she is put in any type of clothing she refuses to move. Seriously, she stands there frozen or will sit in any position I put her in. I can prop her up real nice for pictures and of course, this therefore frees me up from having to worry about if she is in the trash, toilet, kids backpacks, etc... 

Are you tracking what I'm laying down?

That picture and countless others are payback to me for all the things Bella girl puts me through all year long.

That is A Gift.

And then of course

Sushi

Comfy Slippers

Bowls that make my heart skip a beat

This and so much more evokes only one response

38 is Great and  This  Life Is  Beautiful. Thanks for sharing a part of it here with me.