What I know 30 years later...

There were many things that have stressed me out about this birthday.  And stressed probably isn't the correct word anyway because it is what it is and I'm OK with that.  I felt like I'd be wearing a banner around that announced my graduation to the next age bracket. Maybe because it's a huge leap from being a young adult to just an adult.  It could have to do with the fact that when I fill out surveys now, I'm no longer in the 20-29 range.  There is something about not being in my 20's anymore that makes me feel less youthful...and if I had any cool factor before I'm pretty sure it might be gone now.

I am by no means old (right?) but there are a few things I've noticed these past 30 years:

1. Some people don't make it to this mile-stone and I am ever so thankful that I have.  In my graduating class alone, sadly, there are too many that have not gotten to celebrate this day, or rather their day.

2.  This feels weird, but it is OK.  Sometimes when I hear people talk about college-agers or early 20-somethings I instantly think, "Oh, so they are about my age."  BUT, there is usually a big difference between someone who is 21 and 29+.  The difference is OK--it's just a difference, not good or bad.  I think so much can happen in those 10 years that can define and change each person.

3.  I am now just an adult.  Plain. Simple.  Adult.  Secretly, I hope and love when people call me a young lady, sweetheart, girl, or honey.  Some are offended by it but I see it as still being youthful.  When people start calling me ma'am--well, that is an entirely different mile-stone that shouldn't come for many, many, many years!

4.  I may be 30 (there I said it) but I will always be my Mom and Dad's little girl.  They text me often, check to see how I am, and after I drive to visit, well, they have my drive home timed...and my cell phone starts ringing the moment I pull off the highway ramp, "Just checking to make sure you made it home OK...."  It's good to be someones little girl.

5.  I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never be allowed to hold the communion tray at church by myself.  I'm not sure how it all started, probably people being helpful but it never fails--no matter who sits next to me, they hold on to it.  If I have a person on each side each one holds onto the tray until the person on my other side has a firm grip.  If I'm sitting by myself, the usher retains his grip.  I wonder if I  have the look that says, "yup, that girl is going to spill the grape juice everywhere."  For the record, I've never spilled any or dropped as much as one cracker.

6.  Drama--I didn't have time for it 10 years ago and I have even less now.  I'm not into drama, pot-stirring, digging things up or getting people going.  I just want everyone to be happy and loved.  Is that too much to ask?  Spending time with each other is just too important--it's important to encourage and lift-up, not tear down.

7.  This decade has brought on more personal confidence than I thought possible.  Some of this could be moving to an entirely different city and finding my way here but I'm doing things I wouldn't have pictured myself doing before, in high school, college or early adult.  A few months back I was on stage at our church talking...it was only 30 seconds but I still did it.  It took lots of prayer but not something I would have done 5 or even 10 years ago.  I've gone out of my way to talk to people I don't know, invite people for lunch to make new friends, and genuinely forge relationships with new people.  I think I've solidified more of who I am and who I want to be than any other time in my life.   I don't want to be scared of other people, meeting new friends or trying new things.   I don't want to have regrets and look back in 20 years and wish I wouldn't have been such a weenie about things.  Mostly, being moved out of my comfort zone was terrifying at first but I've learned once I'm out of "the safe zone"--well, it's kind of nice out here and I like it.

8.    The past couple years has brought on more confidence in mothering.  It's a hard job--and I feel like the first year, all people do is give you advice on what you should or should not do.  The only unsolicited advice I'll give new moms is, "People will give you all sorts of advice on what you should or should not do with your new baby, but God gave you this baby and he will also equip you to be a good mother.  Seek advice from only those you really trust."  I've honed in on my own mothering instinct and I follow that.  I've surrounded myself with Moms that have great advice and show what being a Godly mother looks like.  Whether you have 1 or 19 all mothers get stares and silent judgement but I've learned to ignore that.  I'm doing the job God trusted me to do and I'm doing the best I can.

9.  I'm certainly not where I thought I'd be--and thank God for that!!  If you had asked me as a senior in high school where I would be when I was 30 it would not be where I am at now.  I had big plans to move up the corporate ladder as an accountant, have an assistant, a nice little sports car with personalized tags, and a nice paycheck to go with it.  I envisioned myself traveling for my job and being "really important."  I was going to be that lady in the airport, catching a plane in a black suit and heels, carrying my designer bag and computer.  I'm really not any of that--I did graduate with a Bachelor's in Accounting and worked as an accountant for nearly 7 years but that is where the similarities end.  I push a stroller through the airport, wearing slip on crocs (they are very practical), carrying a book bag full of cheddar bunnies and fruit snacks.  I don't have an assistant, I am the assistant.   I drive a mini-van (which is a long story on its own).  I'm content with the paycheck I have.  I'm not important to hundreds of people at a corporation but I am important to a few people.  I'm important to God--and most importantly, I've learned to see my value and worth through Him.  He loves me no matter what I'm carrying at the airport, if have an assistant or I am the assistant.  He's not ashamed that I drive a mini-van.  He is proud of what I have accomplished, not of what I thought I could accomplish.  He values all 30 of my years and so do I.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way
That he loves us!

-John Mark McMillan

So today I did what any normal 30 year old would do--took my son to Chuck-e-Cheese!  Ha!  Rory could not understand why in the world we would not go there for my birthday.  He had a blast--and I've realized (we will make this #10) as a Mom I have more fun watching my family and others have fun than doing something just for me.  We had a blast and I wouldn't change one minute of it!

Menu Plan thru March 2, 2014

Our first week of menu planning for ALL meals went very well!  I discovered though, by the end of the week our fridge was packed with leftovers--some I'll have to freeze for later.  So, I need to space out some of my larger meals so we have enough time to eat everything up in between.  I hate wasting or throwing food away--I feel like I'm throwing my time and money right into the trash can.  And no one has time for that!

Monday B: Pancakes
              L:  Bagel pizzas
              S:  Grapes
              D: Blueberry waffles with turkey sausage

Tuesday  B: Cinnamon toast & bananas
                L: Grilled cheese sandwiches, apple slices & broccoli
                S: Green peppers & ranch
                D: Jet's Pizza

Wednesday B: Bagels with cream cheese
                    L: TBD
                    S: Graham crackers with peanut butter
                    D: TBD

Thursday B: Cinnamon Toast & bananas
                L: leftovers from Wednesday
                S: yogurt
                D: Lone Star Burgers, green peppers

Friday B: Cereal & Milk
           L: leftover burgers, pretzels
           S: apple slices
           D: Alfredo pasta with marinated chicken breasts and shredded zucchini

Saturday B: Blueberry muffins
               Rest of the day will be with family

Sunday B: Granola bars
             L: Country fried steak, green beans, corn muffins
             S & D: snacks or leftovers


I'm linking up to Organizational Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Happy Cooking!

He is a bit like his Mama....

Oh my son---his imagination can get him into trouble.  He is always turning a chair, box, kitchen stool or bench into some sort of adventure.  Typically, it's an airplane, train or wagon to drive horses.  This particular time it was a rocket ship.  We were getting ready to walk out the door when I hear, "I'm stuck!"  

I'm flashing back 27 years ago to Sawyer Point in Cincinnati.  Our extended family was looking at the Ohio river and I couldn't see over the railing--so I did what any 3 year old would do.  I forced my head through the rails and voila--I had a great view of the river!  I can still remember the view but I don't remember much after that, other than crying.  I must have blocked out the traumatic event.  Somehow, my parents pushed my head back through the rails.  I lived another day to tell and I'm sure got into more shenanigans.

I have no idea how Rory got his head stuck in this chair.  Logically, it looks like there is no way for his head to fit through.   I didn't really even try pushing it back through.  Above, I'm just cupping his little face trying to get him calmed down because he was going into a full on panic.   I had Josh take a few pictures because 1-I knew he wasn't in grave danger so it was a little but comical and 2-someday when his son or daughter sticks his head through something and gets stuck he will have this little memory to look back on.  I'm a good Mom like that...

In the end, I pulled his body up through the chair--he had to suck his little tummy in and curve his legs but he made it out unscathed.  He will live another day and I'm sure will get into many more shenanigans.

Menu Plan thru February 24, 2014

We've had a bit of life change that is going to alter how I menu plan.  Last week, I started part-time at my job--it is something I've been wanting for awhile now and I'm really excited about it!  This will be Rory and Josh's first week at home together every morning and afternoon so the boys are in charge of breakfast and lunch--which really means I need to plan for it.

I'm hoping to get the hang of it a little better because this first try at it took me a very long time.  The boys will probably change things around as we get the hang of this and that is fine.  Sometimes you just aren't in the mood for what is planned and that is OK.  I'm banking quite a bit on leftovers so this week will be a good test of how many leftovers we will actually have.

So, here is my first week of planning every meal:

Monday: Breakfast-cereal with milk and bananas

               Lunch-out at CFA after music class

               Snack-graham crackers with peanut butter

               Dinner-Spaghetti & garlic bread

Tuesday: Breakfast-cinnamon toast and apple slices

               Lunch-Annie's mac-n-cheese with orange slices

               Snack-yogurt

               Dinner-Mexican Beef and Bean Casserole

Wednesday: Breakfast-Pancakes, turkey sausage and oranges

               Lunch-Homemade chicken nuggets, baked fries and apple slices

               Snack-raisins

               Dinner-Ham, green bean and potato soup with corn muffins

Thursday: Breakfast-French Toast Muffins

               Lunch-leftover ham & green bean soup

               Snack-green peppers with ranch dressing

               Dinner-Lone Star Burgers

Friday: Breakfast-bagels

            Lunch-leftover burgers

            Snack-granola bar

            Dinner-leftover buffet

Saturday: Breakfast-Cinnamon Caramel Monkey Bread (it's a mix)

            Lunch-leftover buffet

            Snack-yogurt

            Dinner-egg & cheese on toasted bagels with turkey sausage

Sunday: Breakfast-granola bar or muffin

            Lunch-out

            Snack & dinner--cereal, crackers, leftovers

I'm linking up to Organizational Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

Happy Cooking!

February: Disney on Ice

It's been one of my goals this year to be more purposeful about doing things as a family.  We so easily get caught up in the day-to-day hum-drum of life and all things that must be accomplished that we forget to have fun!

I hadn't planned this one really and it wasn't on my idea list but....driving home from work Disney on Ice "Princesses and Heroes" was advertised on a Billboard.  My first thought was the tickets were probably outrageously high and Rory might be too young.  BUT....I do love Disney and all of the magicalness so I contact my friend Stephanie to get the scoop.  She is also a lover of Disney and had just taken her son who is a few years older than Rory.  She assured me we would have a blast--and we did!!  

I didn't tell Rory what we were doing until that day--I thought he might ask a million questions but shockingly he seemed very reserved about the entire thing.  Most likely, he just didn't understand what we were doing.

I had prepaid for parking when I ordered our tickets (which weren't that bad for a family of 3)-this was our first time in the Arena District and we had ended up at at 2 other parking garages before we finally found the right one.  Secretly, in that moment, I was aching for Cincinnati--I always know where to park down there.  Nonetheless, now I know a little more about Columbus--and that I need to budget extra time to find the right garage!

Our pics aren't that great--all we had was our cell phones.  After packing all sorts of goodies in my bag I didn't have room for the camera.

Since Josh isn't into Disney and Rory didn't know what was going on, I was easily the most excited in our little group!!  The show started with Mickey and Minnie coming out--I didn't expect them to be there--Rory was so happy!  It was so wonderful to see his face and hear how excited everyone was that I cried.  I couldn't help it--I'm probably the only Mom that cries at Disney on Ice but I was so happy that everyone else was happy!

It was all done up in true Disney magic and was a wonderful evening!   Next year, Broadway's The Lion King is coming to Cincinnati and we will be checking that out.  Now that I know Rory can sit through 90 minutes of ice skating I think he would LOVE to see an onstage production!

DONE with Winter!

I'd like to say that winter has gotten the better of us.  We, along with thousands of others in the Mid-West, are just D.O.N.E with the nonsense of snow upon snow, accompanied by the bitter cold. I cannot remember a more harsh winter.  Typically, we hover in the 30's and occasionally drop as low as the teens but this year we've seen temps hit -30 and have stayed almost constantly in the low teens.  One day last week it warmed up in the mid 30's and it honestly felt warm enough to break out the flip flops!

One the few rare days that is has been "warm" enough to go outside without your eyebrows freezing, we've bundled up and headed out.  My Dad brought up a couple old plastic sleds that I used when I was little, so we carted Rory to the park.

There is one hill on the farthest end of the park and it's just the right size for young kids to sled.  It was the first time Rory has gone sled riding and it was hilarious!  I thought he might be scared or nervous but he would giggle and laugh going down the hill--I couldn't help but laugh myself and at how much fun he was having.

How can you not have fun being pulled back up the hill like this?

We had so much fun that Rory and I took Daddy and Jessie back on Thursday.  I found out at work I had some personal time that was either use it or lose it, and I'm a use it kind of gal.   Hooray for 4 day weekends and having the hill at the park all to ourselves!!  It was a bit harder this time because it had snowed again and there was a layer of ice on the very top of the snow.  It was VERY hard to walk in but excellent for sled riding because the layer of ice made the sled go that much faster.  A couple times, if I ran fast enough pulling Rory and gave him a good fling with the rope he could slide on the flat ground--all because of the ice!  

The dog seemed a little less than impressed but did I mention how hard it was to walk in the snow/ice mixture?  My legs are still a little sore and my arms are sore from pulling the sled!  An hour out meant good naps for EVERYONE that afternoon!  : )

Although we had a blast, spring feels like light years away.  It can't come soon enough for us!