Cheers to 38, ain't it great?

Well, my birthday has come and gone and I am now officially 38 years old. I'm another year older, hopefully another year wiser and still in Size 5 jeans! But it's kind of surreal! When my Mom turned 38, I was already living on my own in Phoenix and she had her whole adult life ahead of her to do whatever she pleased! I, on the other hand, still have a babe in diapers! Does this bother me? No. I wouldn't have it any other way. I would have never had the patience for motherhood in my 20's and I'm glad I waited until my 30's to embark on this journey, even if it was an unexpected journey. Which hopefully means I'll have even more patience to deal with teenagers in my 40's! I'll have to let you know about that when the time comes!

Now am I thrilled about being nearly 40? Not particularly, but then again, I'm not really too worried about it either. The passing of time is inevitable, so what could I do to prevent it? And since it can't be prevented, why should I worry so much? I am having a good time. I am loving my kids. I am still married to the same great guy. I have one helluva good 'ol dog. I have a nice house and a good car. I have a pretty damn good life. So I have a few gray hairs, well who am kidding, I have ALOT of gray hairs (that I dye any chance I get) and a few wrinkles I'd like to have lasered out of existence, and boobs that aren't as perky as I'd like, but other than that, I can't really complain.

Sometimes I feel a little twinge, when I think of the things I haven't done yet and I start to worry. I've never been to Europe or Australia, I've never zip-lined through the Costa Rican rainforest, I've never seen the east coast, I've yet to finish one of my children's books, I've never won the lotto. But then I try to take a deep breath and look at what I HAVE done in the past 38 years. I spent LOADS of time with grandparents who are now gone and I treasure every single moment I had with them. Luckily I still have one left and although I don't see her as much as I'd like, I talk to her at least twice a week! I have shared my life with countless little critters, mice, rats, snakes, ferrets, fish, cats and dogs and I loved everyone of them deeply and did my best to make sure they had good lives and I cried when they left this world. I have always been my mom's best friend, especially after the divorce, it was just me and her against the world. I met, loved and married my soulmate! How many people can say that? And in doing so, I was welcomed into his family, where I proved that a girl CAN love her in-laws! I have met, lost, and re-discovered great friends. I have given birth to 2 beautiful babies which are now the foundation of my whole life and although I would have never pictured myself as "mama material" it for some crazy reason worked. So, I haven't yet traveled to exotic islands or seen an elephant on the savannah, or walked on the Great Wall of China, but I have tried to fill my life with love. And maybe, just maybe, that's what it's all about.

So cheers to 38! I want to make every single day count. I want to make sure I write everything down. I want to make the memories that I can fondly look back on when I'm 92 and tell them to my great-grandchildren, just like my grandmother does today! I want to look back and know that although I may not have been rich with money, I was rich with love and it doesn't matter how old you are, when you've got the love, age is irrelevant, because love is forever!