31 Years and Counting

As I write this, the day of my 31st birthday is coming to a close.  It was a pretty ordinary day, much like most others during this time of year.  Except of course for the tremendous outpouring of love via facebook :-) and text messaging!  I rode a few horses, loaded up some hay, worked on summer games, and fed the animals.  After work consisted of Gavin's baseball game (they lost :-( ) and, being the birthday girl, I got to pick where we were going to eat.  Being that it was Delphi and later in the evening, options were limited so I went with Dairy Queen where I could get my famously unhealthy indulgence food.....chili cheese dog!!!  I do love those things and I don't know why.  A reeses blizzard, The Office, and Grey's Anatomy pretty much ended my evening.  Nothing too spectacular but I'm fairly content.  My parents sent me a beautiful arrangement of flowers that I was not expecting and, of course, no birthday is complete without a singing of the happy birthday song by David and family.  Those little voices wishing me a happy birthday never fails to bring a smile to my face.  Tomorrow's the 20th, much like the day after Christmas.  All week leads up to your birthday as you start to get greetings both via facebook and in person and then, after your big day, much like after Christmas, it all stops.  Not being dramatic, just an observation that makes me laugh.  :-)  Am I where I thought I'd be at 31?  In a word....no.  Am I okay with where I am at 31 years of age.....yes.  Sure, I thought that I'd have at least a couple of kids, a husband, and all that jazz.  I also thought I'd just have a job that made me some money and only hoped it'd make me happy.  Instead, I'm in a ministry, serving God, impacting kids lives and, by the world's standards, alone intimately.  I'm far from that.  I have a wonderful and loving family and great friends right by my side.  Yeah, I do come home to a mostly empty house but, for the most part, I'm okay with that.  I couldn't do what I do with a family waiting for me at home.  So, no, I'm not where I wanted to be but I sure am where I am supposed to be and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Just want to say thanks, on my birthday, to those who shaped me, brought me into this world, and support me in all I do.....Mom and Dad.  My mom always jokes that on my birthday, she should get presents for spending 6 weeks on her back to keep her pregnancy going.  She's probably not too far off.  So my present to them is to make them proud, to do what God wants me to do, and put them in a good retirement home......and no joke, my mom says that last part to me ALL THE TIME!!  So don't think I came up with that.  :-)  I say goodnight and goodbye to the last 30 years and here's hoping I'm not where I think I'll be in 30 more.....if you get my drift.  His plan is so much better than ours.....