Age Doesn't Matter....

Yesterday I celebrated my 50th birthday.  Yup, 50 YEARS I've been hanging around. :) Some have asked me if I am depressed about turning 50. 

Depressed?  About what, I wonder? 

Depressed that I've spent more than half that time married to my best friend? 

Depressed that I have 6 great kids who have shaped me as much, if not more, than Tim and I have shaped them?  

Depressed that we've seen our own miracle with Tim's recovery from cancer?  

Depressed that I get to be 50? 

Not a chance! 

How I can be depressed when I have seen so many blessings in my life? 

I've had 50 years to love, to learn, to grow, to laugh, to cry, and to see the hand of God in my life.   I have lived and that is what life is all about!

Sometimes we are tempted to think that if we could turn back the hands of time we might change things that we experienced. My 50 years have taught me that I wouldn't change a thing because each experience, good or bad, has shaped me. 
To change my experiences would be to change who I am and who I am continuing to become. 
 

And as Annah so wonderfully reminded me on my birthday,

"Age doesn't matter....unless you are cheese!" :)

Partly Sunny With a Chance of Tears

We rang in the New Year in our traditional Valenta style with pizza rolls, soda, chips, dips and games.  Mingled in the celebration was Jordan packing for his next adventure, going to BYU Idaho for school.  It has only been a short few months since Jordan got back from serving a mission in Brazil and now he is packed and ready to go once again.  As we made packing lists and to do lists over the past week or so it has felt like we were getting him ready for his mission all over again.  And perhaps we are.  Two years ago his mission was to go and teach people in Brazil the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Now, his mission is to go and learn so he is prepared to meet his future.  

The mom in me wishes his future kept him closer to home but I know it is his time to spread his wings and go make his way in the world.  The thing that I have learned about being a mother over the past 25 years of raising kids is that our job as parents is to teach and prepare them and then let them go.  From the time our children come to us we are preparing to let them go. 

So early tomorrow morning (3:30 a.m.!) we will bring Jordan to the airport to send him west to the land of colder cold and the potential for more snow than his eyes have ever seen. (I hear that is not the case right now but I promised him in the months ahead he will see snow!)  We chuckle that Jordan can't really comprehend an Idaho winter and he doesn't even know it yet. :)  

As we talked about what he needed for Idaho I suggested boots.

"BOOTS???" he replied in a tone that let me know that he thought I was off my rocker. 

He continued, "I don't need BOOTS! My sneakers are just fine.  I don't need BOOTS!" 

I smiled as I knew there was no convincing him so I simply said,

"Jordan, Idaho gives winter a whole new meaning. I think you will just have to get out there and see for yourself.  I think you will decide that you *will* need boots but you can get them out there if you decide you need something more than your sneakers." :)

We haven't discussed boots again. 

We did get him a coat that I am sure is *not* up to Idaho standards as far as winter garb goes but it was the best we could do with our mild Kentucky winter selection.  I think he will get good at layering his clothes very quickly. :) 

I did find him a thick hat that I hope will help keep his noggin warm in light of his extremely short haircut.  Jordan gives himself haircuts so a few days ago when it was time for a haircut he went to work.  I waited for my cue to trim his neckline when he said he was ready. When he called I went to add my contribution but found it hard to hide my shock when I saw how short his hair was.  The first words out of my mouth was, 

"WHOA!  What happened?"  

He grinned and explained that he likes the top a little longer than the sides so he cut the top and then changed the clipper gauge to a shorter one to do the sides.  He thought the top needed to be shorter and began cutting the top again without thinking to change back to a longer gauge!  The result was an over all *very* short haircut....like short, short, as in "I can see your scalp" short!  We both agreed that he would probably be wearing his new thick hat a lot in Idaho, including to bed, until his hair grows out some. BWHAHAHAHAHA! :) 

This is before the haircut :)

So the boy is on his way to his future without us really knowing when he will be back home again.  That is the part that tugs at my hearts strings. I thought I would feel better knowing he was in the states but I don't.  Gone is gone whether in Brazil or Idaho.  

As we make our way to the airport with him in the wee hours of tomorrow morning I know the forecast for the day.....

Partly sunny with a chance of tears.