A great outlook on life

     I got a forward from my in-laws that I thought would be great to share. It's the way I hope I can look at myself as I get older. I don't know who wrote it or I would give them credit here. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
    
     I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.


     I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.


     Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.


     I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.



     They, too, will get old.


     I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.


     Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.


     I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.



     So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.


     As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.



     I've even earned the right to be wrong.


     So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

Announcing...

     I know it probably seems like we've dropped off the map but I promise you we are still here. I haven't been blogging much lately because...we are expecting baby #3!!! I've been so impatient to tell everyone but we were waiting until we were pretty much through the first trimester. It's been a doozy this time so I haven't felt much like getting on the computer at all. Also the reason why the slacking off on the blog. I am (finally!) starting to feel more like myself and since week 12 is official tomorrow we wanted to let everyone in on our joyful secret! Due date is Feb. 11, 2011. We are so excited to meet this final "installment" to our family!

Of Weddings and Wonderlands, part 2

I just don't get on here as much as I mean to these days...

Catching up where we left off! We took the kids to Dutch Wonderland on the second day of our weekend whirlwind. Chase was so excited when we pulled up to the castle entrance and we told him that this was our surprise. We ate lunch first at the picnic area. The whole time we were eating the big kid roller coaster was running next to us. Chase could hardly eat, he just kept saying he wanted to ride that ride.

For whatever reason he's been talking about wanting to ride a carousel for the longest time. We were so excited for him when the first ride we came to was...a carousel! He thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Chase just kept surprising us. He was ready and willing to try everything at least once. He enjoyed just about everything he tried too!

We had been on a ride earlier where you had to steer the car so that it wouldn't keep bumping the guide rail running between the wheels. Chase was so cute because he was concentrating so hard on "steering" this ride not realizing this time it wasn't needed. Alexa rode it with daddy and Chase but wasn't too thrilled with it.

The kids both enjoyed this slide. Alexa watched people going down and kept giggling at them.

When we left at 5pm the thermometer read 93! The real feel was warmer than that and our little princess is not a fan of heat and humidity! She spent most of her time in the stroller sucking down water. I kept dousing her head which left her with an adorable mohawk the next morning!

Finding out that he could control the up and down motion of the bulldozer totally made his day!

Our trooper took a two hour nap through the park.

He got to ride the little kid version of the roller coaster he had seen at lunch. His arms were up on the way up but he wasn't so sure on the way down. He still came out smiling so we're pretty sure he liked it.

We got a chance to talk about the park and check out all the overhead views. Listened in on a Thomas the Tank Engine skit as we went by. Love my time with him...

Alexa woke up in time for us to ride the train that circles the park. It's so cute. They put down crossing guards over the walking path complete with clanging and flashing lights. The kids get to wave from the train like celebrities. We didn't even get to the entire park but the kids were so wiped (and us too!) that we knew it was time to head home.

Whew! It was an exhausting weekend but so much fun. The kids were so good about traveling and we were really proud of them. The family time was good for all of us.