Today is my 39th birthday.

I know.

Getting older is scary (although not quite as scary as the alternative to getting older) and I am not ashamed to admit that this past week I was a little bit pensive; I caught myself thinking about the things I haven’t done or don’t have, I felt a little resentful and unhappy.

Then I caught myself and had to snap out of it; I could make the choice to feel woe and fear at getting older, or I can just enjoy the ride- I choose the latter of the two, and the best way to celebrate that today is to tell you a few things that I’m very grateful for.

My family.

I have a super duper cool toddler; she is gorgeous and smart, and a total handful that I waited for and pined for and was in love with long before I ever got to be her Mommy. Every single day with her and her Daddy, my amazing, handsome husband, is a precious gift no matter how much stress and brouhaha goes into having this family that is my everything, and I wouldn’t trade either of them for anything.

The rest of my family;

My Mom, Dad, other Mom (that I call Nan), my brother and his wife and kiddos and so on and so forth. There are a great many people I call my own and I love them all; whether they are blood or have married into the family, they are all special to me and even if I don’t go out of my way to tell them how much they mean to me often enough it is very true. I’m a lucky girl to have all of them in my life.

My friends; whether we are friends in real life or only on Facebook, I absolutely love anybody who truly loves me. Period. We don’t have to see eye to eye on everything, nor do we have to see each other all the time in real life. If you want me in your life and want to be in mine and have made that choice, I love you and accept you as your are, the same way I assume you love and accept me. Even if that is only on social media, it counts- don’t ever let anybody tell you it doesn’t.

That I can, at 39, have dinner with my grandmother and grandfather every week; some people are reminded, often, as kids that their grandparents are a gift we don’t get to keep forever and some people don’t have to be reminded- some never get to know theirs at all. So to be at this point in my life and still spend time with them is an amazing blessing, and while I miss the grandparents of mine who were called home already I absolutely love getting to see my grandmother every day and watch her have this special relationship with the Chickadee.

It is overwhelming and cool and very, very precious.

Being able to start being serious about working out and getting healthy at this point in my life while I am still enjoying the miracle of good health; I was at the doctor a few days ago because I’ve been battling a sinus infection and general feelings of ickiness and the nurse was surprised by me- I have healthy blood pressure and am on no medications. She was very quick to tell me that this isn’t the case with many women my age and that I should be thankful, which I am because right after I had the Chickadee this was not the case for me either (due to some complications that people close to me have heard plenty about). I don’t take a second of feeling well for granted, and never will.

I’m grateful for my stinky dogs.

I just love them.

I had a whole other long list that had things on it like mojospa, and Nook books and Cheetos and macaroons (particularly the vanilla or pistachio ones) but I think some of the silly first world pleasure ones I will just keep to myself.

Just know that on the long list of blessings for which I am very grateful, anybody who stops by to read about me and The Chickadee is on that list as well and I am a happy, happy girl who is very fortunate.

Until next time!

Love,

The Chick and Her Chickadee