Broken Homes and Gardens - TLC Book Tour

Paperback: 268 pages

Publisher: Blank Slate Press (April 28, 2015)

A girl, a guy, a broken-down house. Not exactly on-again, off-again, Malcolm and Joanna are in-again, out-again: in love, out of each other’s arms, in an awkward co-living arrangement, out of the country. Their unconventional relationship is the only way, Joanna says, to protect herself from the specter of commitment, which inevitably leads to heartbreak.

When Harry Met Sally for the Millennial generation, set in the damp and drizzly neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon, Broken Homes and Gardens is an ode to friendship, lust, and the unrelenting pull of love.

***********************************



About Rebecca Kelley

Rebecca Kelley grew up in Carson City, Nevada, wandered for a few years, and eventually landed in Portland, where she teaches writing at Oregon College of Art and Craft. She is the co-author of The Eco-nomical Baby Guide. Broken Homes & Gardens is her first novel.

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My Thoughts:

Joanna has had enough of relationships, she feels like she always picks the wrong guy and all relationships lead to is heartbreak, so she's determined to not go there again and just be friends with everyone.

She buys a broken down home and begins the process of renovation, only thing is that Malcom comes into her life asking to be her roommate.

As things heat up between the two, Joanna decides that it's best to just stay friends and avoid the hassle of commitment, so they embark on an off-again and on-again relationship.  She keeps pushing him away while realizing that she may really like him more than she things, and as much as she says no, she can't help but feel jealous of any other woman around Malcom.

I enjoyed this story, but I have to say that at times I wanted to reach through the book and shake Joanna, she got a little tiring with the push and pull, but overall it was a sweet, lighthearted story that I truly enjoyed :)

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/31/2015

Good morning friends, sure hope you had a blessed weekend.

Mine was a little busy, Saturday especially as we had to make a quick trip to Dallas.....I say quick but 2 and half hours there and 2 and half hours back, and have I mentioned how absolutely appalling the Dallas traffic is?

I really avoid going there unless absolutely necessary, and unfortunately we had to go pick up Jasmine and her boyfriend's badges for the Anime Fest next weekend.  Goodness!!!

Anyway, let's get on with our Happy Homemaker Monday shall we?

On the weather front:
We had a rain shower the other day, just out of nowhere, but today we're looking at pretty clear skies and a high of 97.  Thankfully I have to stay inside the next few days because I have SO much going on.   
 

On my bedside table:
Two review books
Lotion
Motrin 800mg (might be TMI, but it's the week before that time of the month and my breasts just get so sore, have struggled with this for so many years)


On my TV:
Whatever is on the DVR, yes we got the Dish back after more than a year and so far we're enjoying it, but it may not last, we'll see how we feel in a month and decided whether to keep going or cancel it for good.



Favorite Youtube Video last week:
Discovered a new Vlog to watch by Britneyandbaby.  Enjoying watching this young mom go about her day.



News story that caught my attention:
The live killing of the two journalists.  What is going on in this world?  I am just so disgusted by the actions of some people and the worst thing for me is that they take innocent lives and then take the coward's way out by killing themselves. 


On the menu for this week:
I'm back on track, thank goodness.  I got my grocery shopping done yesterday, for the next two weeks and I'm happy to report that I'm still keeping under my $250 budget for two weeks worth of food.  I've managed to keep the same budget for the past 10 or so years, the key?  Menu planning and cooking from scratch.

For the most part it will be just us, on Thursday though I'm going to have another full house.  My daughter's boyfriend, brother and their mutual friends, 4 of them, are arriving at noon and spending the night, then they're all headed to Dallas for the Anime Fest. 

Monday - Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
Tuesday - Grilled Pork Chops, Grilled Zucchini and Salad
Wednesday - Chicken Quesadillas, Salsa, Sour Cream and Mexican Rice
Thursday - Pizza, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Cookies, S'mores, Chips and Drinks
Friday - Fettucine Alfredo
Saturday -Anime Fest will eat something there
Sunday - Braised Pork Chops, Bacon and Cheese Mashed potatoes


New Recipe I tried or want to try:
Made some Cheese stuffed sausages, will have the recipe up later.


On my To Do List:
School
Kitchen....my kitchen sink is not draining and I've already called the landlord but still waiting.  Meanwhile, I have to hand wash all the dishes.  Sweep and mop!
Bedrooms....make beds, change kid's bed linens.
Bathrooms....clean toilets and sinks.
Work on Cosplay:
- Polyurethane coat on chest and bracers then they're done
- Cut out, paint and attach detailing to boots
- Paint gold designs on fabric, let dry and hot glue to armor pieces
- Finish painting gold design on fabric pieces
- Finish painting staff
- Add gold detail to Nick's (Jasmine's boyfriend) glove


 
In the craft basket:
Crochet blanket, Cosplay Armor
 

Looking forward to:
Being finished with all this armor and putting the anime convention behind us.  I'm tired folks, like really tired and I just want a break.


What I plan on doing for myself this week:
Last week I wanted to watch Far from the Madding Crowd and guess what?  I never got around to it, dangit.  I am hoping to do that this week while I work on the cosplay.  Also want to go back into my Feedly account and check out some old blogs I used to follow, been wondering how everyone is doing.


Favorite photo:

Lesson learned the past few days:
That my life seems to go through certain phases.  I tend to really enjoying doing something and will do it for months or a year, then I'll forget about that and get into something else for a while, but I always come back to the things I love.

 
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Friday's Letters - 08/28/2015

Dear weather......I was so happy to see some rain this week, it didn't last long and it wasn't for many days, but it was enough to quench the thirst for you.

Dear butterflies.....you are one of God's most beautiful creations and I'm so blessed to see you fluttering around my yards.

Dear pecan trees.....goodness, do you know that you're one of my favorite nuts?  Do you also know that I'm so happy to have 5 of you on my property?

Dear America.....what is happening with you?  Where has this amazing, beautiful, power country gone?  All I see lately is political correctness, attacks, sadness, fighting, violence and disregard for fellow human beings.  I'm so sadness by these events and I can only pray that things change, and they change fast.

Dear body.....I think the last few months have finally caught up with you.  I'm sorry for waking up crying my eyes out, that ugly uncontrollable gut wrenching cry brought on by months of physical exhaustion and mental drainage.  It felt good to let it out though and I feel much better now.

Dear finances.....we are in a power struggle at the moment, and you're winning, I'll give you that.  Thing is, I'm not a quitter and I plan on not only catching up but overcoming, just you wait and see.

Dear school.....it's been two days since the online servers have gone down and I know that you're technicians are working diligently on it, but it's a little frustrating when I realize how much work we're getting behind on, nevertheless, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just wait it out.

Dear God......thank you for always being there, for seeing me through everything and for continuing to light my way, I could never make it without you. 

A day in the life - Tuesday, August 25 2015

Hi ladies, welcome to another Day in the Life.

My days are pretty consistent, I tend to keep the same routines, but once in a while, depending on what is going on in my life at the moment, things are added or removed. Lately, my life has seen an increased surge in sewing, painting and armor making, as if I didn't already have enough on my plate, right?

Anyway, come along with me and let me show my yesterday.

5:30 AM....I am up with hubby to make him coffee before he heads off to work. Most days I get right on with computer work, but sometimes, if I'm not feeling well or my Sciatica is kicking up, I lay on the couch with Miss Lola and try to get back to sleep until about 7AM.

7:00 AM....up and at 'em. Get dressed, make myself some breakfast, clean up the kitchen.  You know I always walk into my kitchen in the morning and find remnants of my children's late nights.  Ramen noodles wrappers, Nerf guns, bowls and glasses etc.  Annoying, but I also know that one day I'll miss waking up to these things.


8:00 AM.....let the girls out to go potty.


8:05 AM....start laundry, yesterday I pulled all the bed linens out to wash.  I usually do it on Mondays but didn't get around to it this week, so yesterday it was.


I've been upping my water intake again, the past few months with the moving I haven't been very good at drinking water and have overdone the soda.  Time to get back on track.


10:00 AM....went to check the mail and took a little walk around the front yard, we figured out that we have 5 Pecan trees in our property, so excited.  These little guys were on the ground.


We had one of our trees break and the realtors sent out someone to take care of it.  They were kind enough to chop it all down for fire wood and left us two piles, one in the back and one in the front.  This weekend, Curt and I will move them to a designated spot, I know it may seem a bit early to be doing this, but I think if we start now we'll have plenty of wood for the upcoming winter.



One thing I've also noticed is that we have a huge amount of butterflies in our property, beautiful, big bunches of butterflies fluttering around all over the place.



12:30 PM....lunch time. Usually it consists of sandwiches or leftovers, but yesterday I was craving something sweet and something different, so I went for this instead...




3:00 PM....bread rising for homemade hotdog rolls.


In between all these homemaking chores, I also have my daughter's cosplay armor going which is taking up a lot of my time.  One nice thing about it is that it's enabled me to get my sewing machine back out and some much needed sewing therapy going, right in front of the big living room window.



And that my friends, is basically how my day went.  It was a busy flurry of tasks going on, I feel like the moment my feet hit the ground it's non stop until bed time, unless you count the time I sit down to compose this post.


I'm still loving where I'm at, I know I've said that so many times but I truly haven't felt this way in many years.

I've tried to be happy where our lives have taken us, and sometimes I felt successful in that and other times I didn't.  True contentment wasn't always found in my life, but I must say that right now, this is pretty close to being absolutely and 100% content.  I'll take it!!!


The Lord always knows exactly what we need and where we need to be, and I believe he places us in those places throughout out lives, so that we may learn some valuable lessons.

I thank Him every single morning and night, for blessing us and for where we are right now.

Is life perfect at the moment, do I have a good financial stability, are there stresses and outside factors affecting us?  No life is not perfect, no we do not have financial stability right now, and yes there are many stresses and outside factors affecting us, but it's all part of the journey we're on, and though not always welcomed, they are to be embraced and learned from.

So, I'm off to make some pizza dough for tonight's dinner, then I believe I have more painting and sewing ahead, life is fast paced lately and I'm counting down the minutes until it all slows down.  For now though, I'll just knock back another cup of coffee and roll with the punches.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/24/2015

Good morning everyone, how was your weekend?

I sure hope you were able to rest and recharge and that you're ready for this week of work and school.  I know that by now most kids have returned to school so a lot of mommies are getting a break and I'm sure enjoying it :)

We are going on our second week of schooling here and so far the kids seem to be doing well, Jasmine is a little behind, just by a day but that is due to the fact that she had horrible toothache, which resulted in a tooth extraction on Friday, so hopefully today she can catch up.

Right, let's get going with our HHM, I'm adding in a few new categories just to change it up a little so it doesn't get too boring.

On the weather front:
We are awaiting a cold front which seems to have stalled just above us but is doing nothing, really.  I wouldn't mind cooler temps to be honest.  It's a little cloudy out this morning, yesterday we had an afternoon rain shower but don't think there is any rain on the forecast for today or the rest of the week.    
 

On my bedside table:
Two review books
Lotion
Anti Itch cream (chiggers got me)


On my TV:
Watched the first episode of Fear the Walking Dead (it was ok, a little slow but I'm hoping it will pick up)
Vlogs


Favorite Youtube Video last week:
I love discovering new vlogs to watch, the latest channel I am loving is The Life I'm Living.



News story that caught my attention:
I have to say without a doubt that the one that really caught my attention, was the 3 American Heroes who foiled that terrorist attack in Paris.  Things could have gone horribly wrong and so many people would have died or been injured, so I'm extremely proud of these 3 young men and their quick thinking. 


On the menu for this week:
I am so completely off on menu planning and grocery shopping, I swear that since the move I haven't been able to get back on a regular schedule and it's starting to really irritate me.  I ended up going grocery shopping yesterday for just this week, which is something I never do because as you know I shop every two weeks.  Yeah, completely off and it's making me mess things up and not plan properly, run out of things etc.  Need to get back on track and hopefully now that all our social commitments are done, I can do just that.

Monday - Chicago Style Dogs, Cheesy Fries
Tuesday - Fried Chicken, Homemade Fries
Wednesday - Homemade Pepperoni and Olives Pizza
Thursday -Ham Steaks, Mashed Potatoes
Friday -*Payday, have to get groceries*
Saturday -
Sunday -

New Recipe I tried or want to try:
*sigh* nothing here, again I'm so off and have been so busy that I haven't been able to really work on anything new.


On my To Do List:
School
Vacuum
Menu Planning
Work on Cosplay:
- Put a thin layer of black paint on chest piece, figure out how to wear, either velcro sides or laces.
- Paint bracers and attach laces to the back
- Finish painting boots and attach detailing
- Finish painting gold design on fabric pieces
- Make staff
- Finish Ezreal Glove for daughter's boyfriend

 
In the craft basket:
Crochet blanket, Cosplay Armor
 

Looking forward to:
Breathing, and slowing down, and not having any commitments to go anywhere or host anything.  Really need a break already.


What I plan on doing for myself this week:
I really want to watch the new version of Far from the Madding Crowd, and if I get some time to myself this week, that is exactly what I'm doing.


Favorite photo:

Lesson learned the past few days:
That I really despise Chiggers.  Darnit, they got me good.  I had forgotten about these annoying things, and now I'm realizing they were one of the things I didn't like about Texas.  I'm suffering through major itching on both legs, just below the knees.  Ugh!!!! 

 
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

What is that smell?????

 
Oh man, oh man, ohhhh man!!!!

So here I am, it's 5:30am, I'm just sitting down on the couch with a cup of coffee and waiting for hubby to leave for work.

The air conditioner kicks in and this horrid stench permeates the air.  It was so gross and I knew exactly what it meant.....a dead something or other.

I can still smell it, it is one of those smells that seems to stick to your nose and just remain, and it's gross, and it makes me randomly shiver with disgust.

Curt walked around the house and didn't see anything, then decided to check the garage because that's where the air conditioning unit is.

A dead snake, in our storm shelter!!!!

As if the smell isn't bad enough, the word snake makes me cringe.  Guess this is what country life has to offer and I better get used to creepy crawlies and weird smells.

Anyway, snake disposed off and now to air out the house and hope it clears this stench around me.  *shiver*

I'm still trying to catch up from the reunion, which was a success by the way, we did end up with almost 20 people sleeping in my house, there were blow up mattresses and pillows and blankets everywhere.

Overall, everyone had a blast and there have been plans for another next year May.  Probably at my house....again.....hahaha  This time though, we're opting for a camp out kinda reunion, tents and campers etc out in the front yard which is huge.  I think that will be a lot of fun!

A lot of photos were taken and I'm not going to post them all because that would be crazy, but here are a few favorites.

Now that the reunion is over with, I'm tasked with getting my house back to normal and also preparing for the Anime Con coming up the beginning of September.

Oh my goodness, the amount of work I give myself, I have to finish all of Jasmine's armor and costume and am also making a bracer for her boyfriend, I'm really just looking forward to some rest and relaxation which will only happy starting the middle of September. 

So yeah, my life has been non stop for a few months now and I'm quite ready for it to slow down.

I'm sorry I haven't blogged much, I just wish I had more hours in my day, but by the time I actually sit down to relax, I have to get ready for bed. 

Hope you're all doing well and having a blessed week, can you believe that we're almost at the end of August?  Before we know it Christmas will be here, oh boy.

The Ones we Trust - TLC Book Tour

ISBN: 9780778317869

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Publication Date: 7/28/2015

Format: Paperback

A moving and evocative exploration of grief and guilt in the wake of one family's devastating loss

When former DC journalist Abigail Wolff attempts to rehabilitate her career, she finds herself at the heart of a US army cover-up involving the death of a soldier in Afghanistan—with unspeakable emotional consequences for one family. As the story of what happened comes to light, Abigail will do anything to write it.

The more evidence she stumbles upon in the case, the fewer people it seems she can trust, including her own father, a retired army general. And she certainly never expected to fall in love with the slain soldier's brother, Gabe, a bitter man struggling to hold his family together. The investigation eventually leads her to an impossible choice, one of unrelenting sacrifice to protect those she loves.

Beyond the buried truths and betrayals, questions of family loyalty and redemption, Abigail's search is, most of all, a desperate grasp at carrying on and coping—and seeking hope in the impossible.

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My Thoughts:

This story had everything you could ask for in a book, intrigue, suspense, action, love and everything in between.  I think what first drew me to it was the fact that it deals with military, or Army specifically and you know that as a former Air Force Wife I love anything to do with that.

Abigail is a former journalist who decided to leave her career when one of the targets she talked about in an investigative report, meets his demise.  Obviously she feels guilty and swears that she will never write again.  That is until she receives some classified documents about the death of a soldier and how it is being looked at as suspicious.

Much as she does not want to go back into the field, she can't help but feel pulled in, especially when realizing that her own father, a retired Army general seems to be have played a part in the story.

That is the moment when the story really took off for me.  Like I said above, there is a tad bit of everything to keep you hooked.  I wanted to know just as much as Abigail did, what was going on, what happened, why her father's name was involved and what were the answers to so many questions.

Loved every minute of this book and definitely recommend it.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/17/2015

Good morning, welcome to another Happy Homemaker Monday.

Hope you all had a good, rested weekend and were able to recharge for the week ahead.  My weekend was extremely busy, full of people and I'm exhausted to be quite honest, but it's a good kind of tired.  I have a lot going on this week, school and other stuff, not to mention getting the house back to normal after the reunion, so I better get to it.

Before that.....let's see what's going on this Monday.

On the weather front:
Beautiful morning, a bit cloudy but the sun is peeking through and only supposed to reach a high of 98.  Some rain on Wednesday which will be quite nice. 

 
On my bedside table:
A Pattern of Lies by Charles Todd
The Ones we Trust by Kimberly Belle
Broken Homes and Gardens by Rebecca Kelley


On my TV:
Here's what is on my watch list at the moment:

Vlogs - The Witt family, The Michalaks, Mrs Meldrum
Period Drama - Life in Squares
TV - The Whispers, Beyond Scared Straight, Ghost Adventures


On the menu for tonight:
Crockpot Sloppy Joes


On the menu for this week:

I need to go through my fridge and work with what I have, I still have quite a bit of food left over from the reunion so I should be able to get by for at least a week without having to go grocery shopping.  I know what I'll be making today and tomorrow, but will have to come back and update the rest of the menu once I go through the refrigerator.

Monday - Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Tuesday - Chicken Korma, Rice
Wednesday -
Thursday -
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday -


On my To Do List:
School
Vacuum and carpet clean
Get the whole house back in shape after reunion
Pay bills
Menu Plan

 
New Recipe I tried last week:
None, didn't have time to try anything

In the craft basket:
Still working on the blanket
Have to really kick the Cosplay into gear, only have 2 weeks to finish it all
 

Looking forward to:
The anime convention coming up next month, but also the fact that we are going to finally be able to catch up financially because after that outing, we have nothing else major going on.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
When having a big get together, make sure that you set a time for meals so guests know when to be ready.  For this family reunion we used my chalkboard wall to write up the menus for the 4 days, plus what time each meal was etc.  Everyone found it helpful not only knowing what was going to be served but at what time.


Favorite photo from last week:

Lesson learned the past few days:
Not to get so worked up over big get togethers, the truth is that when it's family, it's FAMILY.  Things don't have to perfect, everyone understands, everyone feels welcome and you just have fun.


On my Prayer List:
Family and friends

 
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed(Proverbs 11:25 NIV

{ Yard work }

Country life!!!

There is something so beautiful and relaxing about living out in the country, maybe because everything seems to move at a slower pace and you're not surrounded by noise and cars, just nature and the chirping of birds.


I've been enjoying some glorious sunrises, the type that take your breath away and make you really appreciate the world you live in.

Yesterday was quite a busy one for me, obviously with the reunion starting tomorrow I've been on turbo speed trying to get things done.

My mother and father in law came by to bring some things for the reunion and spent the day with us, it's always a good day when they're over, we do so love visiting with them and chatting and enjoying a meal.  I wasn't sure how long they would be over so had to throw something together real quick, for lunch I roasted some chicken thighs and then made chicken salad sandwiches which were delicious.

For dinner, I made a pork roast with some rice and a salad, filling and yummy, made me feel good that they were able to leave on a full tummy for the 2 hour drive back home.  They should be back tonight for the reunion and will be here until Sunday, can't wait.


Once they were on their way, Curt and I started yard work.  Good thing about summer time is that even though it was 7pm the sun was still shining brightly and it was warm enough for us to get in a few hours of work.



Mowing 3 acres is not easy feat, it's quite challenging to do but hubby enjoys riding around, he finds it quite calming.

It's also a huge blessing for us, it's a lot of land but we are thankful for that.


Truthfully, Curt and I would love to live off the land and become self sufficient, and it's a dream we hold close to our hearts and hopefully with the Lord's blessing we will be able to buy this house and really start living that dream.


I would love nothing more than to live in this home for many many years.


As the sun started setting, we put the yard work aside and came in.  The thing about the sun sets is that they are just as gorgeous as the sun rises and truly one of my favorite times of the day.


The yard work is not complete, we will be finishing it all up today, but that is just one of the things on my humungous list of to do's today, which are going to include laundry, getting bedrooms ready for visitors, cleaning bathrooms, food shopping for the reunion, coloring my hair and baking desserts.


I was going to say that I didn't know if I would get everything done, but there's no way around it, it HAS to be done, so I better get dressed for the day and start in on my work.....oh and school starts today too, so we have that to look forward to as well.


I'm sure by the time my head hits the pillow tonight I'll be completely drained and I'm only hoping that I have the energy to make it the next 4 days through this reunion, the good thing about it is that it's family and if I need to go hide in my room for a few minutes, I can do that without anyone taking it to heart.

Well friends, I hope you have yourselves a fantastic Wednesday and I hope it's not as busy as mine is going to be.  I'll be sure to keep you update throughout the reunion, I'm going to be taking a lot of pictures and I do plan on making a post afterwards about food for reunions, ideas, decorations etc.

See you all tomorrow, blessings,
Sandra

Hello 41!!!

First and foremost I thank the Lord above for allowing me to live one more year and to make it to this milestone.  Milestone yes because now I'm really in the 40's.

Like most women at first it's a little overwhelming, but over the years I kind of worked myself up to it and when I turned 40 last year I thought, this is something I can do, I'm ready for it.

Turning 41 today is yet another one of those I can check off my list.  Truly, to be able to wake up and celebrate another birthday is monumental and a blessing, a very big blessing.

So why am I so OK with turning a year older?  I think because to me the 40's are going to be pivotal in the woman I am.  There are a lot of things about being this age that I have to admire and embrace, and others I've learned......so with that in mind I thought I would list a few.



1.  I know who my true and real friends are. 
In my 20's and even 30's I struggled with trying to be liked by everyone, and would take it very personally when I tried so hard and the person didn't reciprocate.  There seemed to be a line that was never crossed by some and continually crossed by others, and I just sat through it, not quite wanting to say anything for fear of hurting someone's feelings while my own went unnoticed.
By 40 I can tell you that the weeding out of those that are not true, users, posers, convenience friends, has been firmly drawn by me and it feels good.  I know who I can count on, I know who I can't, and I'm no longer just ok with having people in my life that do not contribute in a positive way.

2.  Just do what I love
The need for acceptance that seems to permeate every fiber of your being in your twenties, is a thing of the past.  I do what I love, and if that makes me old fashioned or a bore at times, or even weird at others, I'm fine with it.  I no longer feel the need for acceptance from everyone, I no longer feel I need to please all those around me.  I'm going to write a list of things I want to do, goals I want to accomplish and I'm going to try my hardest to do them all.

3.  The lines, the wrinkles and the grey hairs
All of those that seem to make so many women cringe?  I'm starting to love them, and the reason is that I've earned every single one of those.  The crows feet, the random lines here and there, the grey hairs, all brought on by life, by living, by feeling and surviving.   I've gone through worries, I've shed many tears, I've had two miscarriages, watched family members pass away, watched my husband deploy and missed him so much it hurt, am raising two children and I've laughed so hard my stomach hurts. It's life, just happening on your face.

4.  Exercising is no longer optional but a necessity
Listen folks, the things that stood at attention before are now struggling to stand up right.  I can't put it anymore bluntly.  The little stomach pooch and feeling healthy in general.  Exercising used to be optional for me but as I turned 35 it just seemed to come to a complete stop, the body seems to say "I've done it alone all these years, it's YOUR turn to make the effort".  And so I do, I zumba, I try to drink and eat healthy and I'm struggling through it, but going on.

5.  Getting older means everyone else is getting older too
As I celebrate another year, I realize that so do my children, and my parents and grandparents, and suddenly the reality of how short life is comes at you full strength.  Those little hugs and kisses from my children throughout the day, I treasure those and I try to hold on to them with every fiber of my being, because time is flying by and I know I really don't have much time left with them in the household.  In the blink of an eye they will be out, going to college.

6.  Pains and random aches seem to hurt more and last longer
Oh goodness.  So many times I've told my husband that I kind of miss the days of being a kid where even with a fever we would run around and play and act like nothing was wrong.  Now???  A headache drives me crazy, sciatica keeps me from walking properly, and every little pain and ache seems to last so much longer and hurt so much more.

7.  I'm more woman than ever before
That may seem to be a strange thing to say, but I hope you'll understand what I'm trying to say.  I am so much more confident in who I am, in my abilities as a wife and mother, as a friend and a person in general.  I look at myself as proof that storms can be weathered, heartbreaks heal, time does make things easier.  I have myself to answer to, I can go as I please, I don't need permission from anyone and I really don't care anymore what people think of me, it doesn't affect me like it used to.

8.  It's ok to be a little selfish
I have to, I need to.  I've lived my whole life for others and have stood by and put my needs and wants aside for the sake of the family.  I supported my husband through his military career and lived for him and our children.  I've been raising and continue to raise our children, though they're now teens and not needing as much attention as before.  I've always put others needs above mine, always, and I'm now finding that I am no longer allowing that to happen.  My needs and my wants matter, and it's ok to be a little selfish and say "Hey, I really want to do this and I'm going to do it".

9.  Marriage is not easy, but it's amazing
I no longer live in the idea that marriage is this easy relationship and that you live in perpetual happiness and romance every single day of your life.  Marriage is hard, extremely hard, but it's also one of the most amazing things you will ever go through when you are with the person you truly love.  We put in 100%, each of us, not one or the other, but individually we try, and we are still as in love today as we were when we first got married.  Things happen, jobs, kids, moves, health issues, family drama, pets, good things and bad things and it all either brings you closer or tears you apart.  We've worked so hard in our marriage and we continue to, every day is work, but it's so rewarding and I'm glad that our children are being witnesses to love and understanding and communication and hopefully using us as an example for themselves.

10.  I can give advice
Yep, I can give advice because chances are I've lived it, been through it, felt it and can tell you first hand what I think.  Do I know it all?  Gosh no, I will never know it all, but I can at least confidently say that when I understand.....I really do.


So here I am 41, ready for what is in my path and willing to go through it with my head held high and faith in the Lord.

I don't think the forties are something to be scared about, I think if anything, they are to be celebrated and loved and enjoyed to the fullest.  Life is short, life is to be lived and I've spent too much time in my 20's and 30's worrying about the small things, it's time to live life to the fullest, smile as much as I can, love with all my heart and be who I am right to the very end.

Jumping for joy, that is what I'm planning on doing.