Four Days for Forty Years

Well, I've hit that "dreaded day"..."the 1/2 way mark"..."hump day"..."over the hill"...! Yes, I turned the BIG 4-0 yesterday. Do I feel it yet? I think I started feeling my age 5 years ago...my body felt "like 40" long before it should have. That may have something to do with raising four young kids that are still little, moving 3 times in the last 3 years, not getting enough sleep, and way too much stress for one person. But, again...I'm 40 now and there are no ways around it. Mentally, I don't feel "old", but the achy bones, hazy thoughts, and running out of steam half-way through the day make up for it.

One night last week, as I was laying in bed, the reality hit that the first "half" of my life was over...done...complete...no going back. The ominous thought that I was now in my "2nd half" was a little overwhelming. Literally, going "down-hill" was the direction I was heading. YIKES!

Then I realized that it was a mental game. No, we can't control the natural degeneration of the human body, although living a healthy lifestyle may help in prolonging our life span. But, we can control our attitudes, our mental "aging". More wisdom stems from more life experiences. More education leads to more knowledge. More joy comes from seeing your family grow and progress. And more love comes from growing old with your best friend. Suddenly, 40 doesn't seem so bad.

This birthday was an enjoyable one. I felt like the celebration lasted a long time...probably 'cuz it did. Because of my anticipation of becoming "over the hill", my birthday had been on my mind for months. When people asked my age, I had to catch myself a few times, because I was ready to blurt out "FORTY" (and proud of it). Last Tuesday, was Brooklyn's 10th birthday, so we had lots of family celebrations, some on the day of her birthday to include immediate family and neighbors, and some after to include extended family members. Then, it was my turn for celebration.

Day 1: Friday, my mom, who was in town, took local family all out to eat for both our birthdays. It was fun to be with family.

Day 2: Saturday, two of my friends, Rhonda and Tami, took me to dinner at Red Robin (yummy salmon and chips). Little did I know, it was to provide distraction for the surprise party Darin had planned. I came home to a cul-de-sac full of cars I recognized and a house full of my good friends (including those from my old "hoods"). It was fun and we stuffed our faces with a lot of sugary treats.

Day 3: Sunday, I made myself my favorite birthday dinner - Barbequed Spare Ribs, Baked Potatoes with sour cream, rolls, (and I forgot the Jell-o). Our family had to speak and sing in church that day, so all was a little crazy. We were also going to have keylime pie (my favorite treat) for dessert, but we had so many goodies left over from the night before, we left it alone.

Day 4: Monday, was the actual day of my birthday. Normal routine during the day and evening (including leftover birthday dinner) but my two sisters, Holly and Heidi, and Steve (Heidi's friend) came to visit a little later. We shared the keylime pie. And each of my girls made me b-day cards. They were so cute. I hung each one up on our magnet board in the kitchen. I have four little girls who love me very much! That's a gift in an of itself.

All in all, it has been a fun-filled week, including a 4-day celebration for 40 years of ME!

Here's to the next 40 (and then some)!

We didn't take any pics of any of my celebrations. How did that happen?
But, luckily, my sister Heidi took a quick shot of the
candles and cake on her cell phone camera.
Although it didn't turn out great, I love the warm glow from the candles.