I'm 32 Years Old! (At Least I Feel That Way Most Days)

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" ~ Satchel Paige

 I read that question in a magazine article the other day.  Made me start thinking.  Sometimes I make too much of the fact I'm 52 and feeling "old"!  But actually, when I'm away from the mirror and just going about my business from day to day at work, home, church, with family, etc., I feel like I've always felt. I am young and happy and life is wonderful and seemingly will go on for years just like this. 

Kind of like I felt when I was around 32 years old.  I had a 6 year old and a 4 year old and plenty of energy and looked toward the future with much anticipation and joy.  I honestly still feel that way except for the fact that I'm now a grandmother.  My parents still seem the same as they have for years, my siblings also.  Days pass quickly, good ones, bad ones.  Holidays come around year after year and everything seems the same.  UNTIL I see photos.  Wow! That's when it hits me. Age is creeping up on me. I look in the mirror and there is silver (not gray) in my hair...just as if it had highlights, HA! I look at the photos and see wrinkles, saggy skin, and eyes that look like I never slept the night before!  I look at my children and see my 26 year old son with the beard and not the little blonde boy who talked incessantly in a high-pitched voice, delighted with the world.  I see my 24 year old beautiful daughter, 9 months pregnant, her little girl perched on her hip...not the little mischievous brown-eyed blonde who loved to play outside with her brother and carried around a stuffed pink kitty (her "dink ditty dat").

I wouldn't go back though.  I love my life now as I did then. I love this "season" I'm in.  I'll be in this one for a while I think.  But deep inside I'm still a 32 year old redhead, slimmer, a young mother in my "prime", walking with the Lord.

Not Wishing My Life Away But...

I love green but I want to see beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows!!

I am so ready for this!

And this!! Can't you feel the cool, crisp breeze?

And the best gift of all this fall....come on, baby boy!!  Just a few more weeks til we meet you!

Neon Green

Our boy has been to visit us several times since he moved back from Denver. But we haven't gone to see him ourselves.  What a surprise when we got there late Sunday afternoon.  We knew it was inevitable.  We thought it wouldn't be so soon but we just had to accept it. He is now the proud owner of this...

He never told us that he got it. He "didn't want to worry me" he said.  I'm actually happy about that except now I guess my prayer life will improve greatly.  He took the responsibility of taking the motorcycle safety course so I'm also glad about that.  He saves lots of money on gas and at least still has his car when it's raining.

I think he looks rather handsome in his beard, helmet and jacket.  (I'm trying to make the best of this, okay?)

Getting Ready

Fridays are spent with both my girls...the big one and the little one.  The big one is beautiful these days.  Well, she's always been beautiful but right now she's just glowing even though she doesn't feel like it. Almost 36 weeks pregnant and looking great...just a big tummy!  Which is as she should be!  I've been very proud of her this pregnancy. She's stayed healthy and active...has to be chasing the baby around.

 Anyway, she's been having some contractions...probably Braxton-Hicks...and feeling the need to get ready for this sweet baby boy.  We went to our favorite store today, "Babies 'R Us".  It's always very hard NOT to spend much in there.  Crib bumper pads, mattress pad, burp clothes, receiving blankets, changing table pad, baby wipes, and even a sleeper for Maddie went into the buggy! It was fun and made me feel like things are going to really happen fast now.  She's got her hospital bag packed for the most part and but still has plenty to do. She's young though and has plenty of energy!
  
Maddie was the sweetest today.  She loves riding around in the buggy and saying "Hi" to people. She drinks her juice, eats her cookies, hugs on the stuffed animals, and is always fixated on any balls or baby dolls in sight.  I'm sure she's going to consider her baby brother as her own "baba" as she calls her dolls.  We'll have to watch her closely!
 
Work has been extremely busy for me lately.  I don't think I've ever been so busy as I have in the past month.  My boss, who is absolutely the best boss I've ever had (except for my daddy), has been on quite a kick lately of changing things up and adding new music groups, and just a lot of new and different things. Maybe he's going through a mid-life crisis! Now we're getting ready for our "Christmas in August" bash next week. The music is gorgeous as usual and our choir will be quite challenged with the difficulty. But we have 4 months to learn it. I believe this concert will be unforgettable.

Singing the National Anthem & Having a Big Baby Shower All in the Same Week!

My usual somewhat boring life was a little more interesting this past week.  My choir at church went to the Braves games on Tuesday night and sang the National Anthem.  There were 84 of us singing in the 95 degree heat.  One of our younger members actually passed out from heat exhaustion before we even went onto the field.  She ended up staying overnight in the hospital. Another member almost passed out afterward. Despite the heat however we had a wonderful time singing and got a lot of compliments and applause.  It was a fun experience to walk out on the first base line and sing in front of 20,000 plus people.  One of our very special choir members had her cute, fat baby strapped onto her in the front...they both had on sunglasses...that was a hit...the cameramen loved it! You can see her in the group picture on the field!

Lining up to head out onto the field

Singing the National Anthem

Tired and hot but enjoying ourselves!

Our music boss was having a great time!

My co-workers and I...soaked but happy about the successful night!

After we got back to our seats, it began to rain and we just sat and got soaked. That cool rain felt wonderful.  We didn't even care what we looked like by that time.  We sat up in the stands and watched baseball and people and ate pizza and frozen lemonades.  Then we headed back to our air-conditioned buses and got home at 11:30 pm.   A wonderful time was had by all!

 Then on Saturday, three of my cousins and I had a big baby shower at my mother's house.  We four cousins are expecting 5 grandsons due from September to December.  Such a funny thing! What are the odds!? We just knew there'd be a girl among those babies but not so!  Our family used to be quite lopsided with an abundance of girls years ago. Now it is the reverse.  We feel very blessed no matter what!

There was a big cake and crab dip, spinach dip, cheese ball, sausage balls, fruit, rice krispie treats, mock turtle candy, and delicious pineapple and orange juice and ginger ale punch that tasted so good on this 95 degree day.  Despite this heat wave we are trying to enjoy ourselves!  The babies all got sleepers and blankets and bedtime CDs and pacifiers, etc. Just lots of cute things.  We enjoyed seeing all the females in the family. We seem to only see each other at wedding showers, weddings, and baby showers.  I loved seeing the great-grandmothers together also.  We are so very blessed to have such a healthy family at this time.
And, again, a great time was had by all!

Publix had fun making the cake!

Lots of family...such a fun occasion

My baby granddaughter and her cousin...she's learning to share :)

The Pregnant Ones with their ultrasound pics and due dates!

The three sisters/great-grandmothers!