These Thirty-Four Years

Another year has come and gone.  Don't ask me where it went, but it has been a good one.  For my birthday, I was oh-so-smart and had all of the fun appointments with my doctors: a teeth cleaning, my annual, and a yearly appointment with the general physician.  Dumb, I know.  I won't do that next year.  But, the weekend before made up for it!  Friday night we were at my parents' house and while I was out running an errand, Mom and the boys made my favorite strawberry cake.  She also let them decorate it...

Sophie even got to help!

The kids had party blowers and were so excited for me.  They wanted to help open my presents, and they sang a great rendition of "Happy Birthday."

Little Genevieve stayed safely in Papa's arms the entire time.  She got her clothes dirty, so Mom had a little blue outfit handy...she could pass for a boy!

I really have so, so much to be thankful for!

Saturday we got to baptize our precious Genevieve.  Then, on Sunday, Jeremy played chef and we had a hot dog spread from Chicago's Portillo's!  Yum yum yum.

I cannot believe I'm 34.  Really, I feel like I did in my 20s.  There are so many moments I wish I could hold on to forever.  But, in thinking of those moments, I'm forgetting about the present moment to be made, so I'm trying to shift my focus.  I'm trying to make the very most of the now and treasure every opportunity to love a little more.  

In thirty four years, I've been loved by two of the most amazing people on the planet who raised me to know and love God.  I've been given an incredible man to share my life with and to mold me into a better person.  I've known heartache and loss but have been given the grace to move forward.  I've been entrusted with five tiny miracles who leave me in awe of the Lord's love daily.  I've gone to school, worked outside the home, become a stay-at-home-mom, lived in the city, made a home in the country and have met beautiful souls every step of the way.  I've been given a vocation to love, most specifically those within these walls, and every single day, my heart grows through the rawness and beauty of the joys and sufferings of this life and calling.  I don't deserve everything these thirty-four years have brought, but I pray some day to be worthy of it.