Today is Caryn's birthday...

happy birthday to her, she's a big girl!

Today is Caryn's birthday...

happy birthday!

happy birthday, to you!

To you!  To you!!

Yes, I know I just typed that song out for myself, but when I was little, and it was my birthday, my momma would sing this little birthday song to me.  This morning, it only seemed fitting that I wake up and hum it to myself.

That is right y'all!  I am 36 today, it is my BIG day!  I wish I could say I spent the day lounging about and relaxing, but I woke up a little late, went to work, and have spent the evening on the couch with my people watching American Ninja Warrior!

I know, big stuff here.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I would spend my birthday (or really, the week of my birthday) celebrating with some of my most favorite girlfriends and boyfriends (not boys I was dating, don't want to seem like a floozy, but my guy friends that I love like brothers)!  It was always such a fun week, but I am afraid if I celebrated like that these days, I may have to take a week off from work to re-coop!  (ain't nobody got time for that)!

Anyways, things have changed!  Here I am at 36, sitting on the couch surrounded by the people I love most and that love me best!  This seems just as good as my week long birthday celebrations!

My birthday weekend was so nice.  Saturday morning, I went to breakfast with my girlfriend Regan.  This is something that I never get to do.  Breakfast with a girlfriend?  Breakfast with Regan?   Nope, unheard of!  She has children, I have children, and we were able to get out, alone, no children!!  Then, I took the kiddos to a birthday swimming party.  The rest of the day was spent hanging out at the house until we went to dinner at my Moss' house (FYI, if you are new here, a Moss is my grandmother).  Dinner was delicious, and the company was family, so this was a happy time.  Sunday we woke up and made it to church.  I was so glad that we were able to go, it seems like forever since we had attended, and I was so happy to be back.  Nothing better that starting your week off with Jesus (I have been missing this).  Sunday afternoon, it was about a bajillion degrees out (really 97ish) so I just wanted to stay inside and hang out.  I really lounged around watching Aron paint the wood trim in our bedroom and rented a movie on VUDU,  Far From the Madding Crowd.... loved it!!  That night for supper my parents hosted my people for a birthday celebration.  It was good to be with my family and friends that I consider family, I do not know how many times I looked around the room and just grinned from ear to ear thinking how lucky I am to have all of these people in my life.  I am a lucky girl for sure, and loved so well.

Even though my day was spent at the office, it was still good.  I was greeted with happy faces of friends, and was able to have a yummy birthday lunch with my Suzie (if you don't have a Suzie, you should get one), and was sent so many sweet messages and texts from others who I do not see on the reg!  After work I was able to come home and spend a few minutes alone, PTL for my Aron who took the kids to gymnastics, by himself.  I may have said that I would start dinner (and I may have lied) instead I just sat in the chair looking at the fireplace, thinking, "I am 36, this is 36".  It was not a sad revelation, just a revelation.

35 is over, and the year was good, but I am ready for what 36 has to bring.  The kids start school in a few weeks, Sophia will begin kindergarten and she is turning 6 (insert sniffle, sniffle, sob), Brayden will move up to big boy gymnastics next week and he will soon turn 5 (what??!  sniffle, sniffle, sob).  Me and my lov-a will be celebrating 9 years of marriage (that is crazy).  I am approaching my 2 year mark of returning back to the workforce, and it has really been a good thing.  The man friend has been working like crazy to get our house back in order (I guess he does not like the unfinished painting of trim and walls all throughout the house, so he is finishing it up for me... since my clickity clack back has still been out of whack).  We have even been discussing moving.

There are just so many big things for our future.  I know the last few months had been so unexpected, but I truly feel that we are coming out of the storm and things are going to be BIG!  I am really ready to just relax and enjoy things.  I feel like I have always been such a planner, always in a rush, rushing to get up in the morning, rushing to get out of the door, rushing to get meals eaten and cleaned up, rushing to get people bathed and in bed, rushing all around to I can hurry and get to bed.  I am constantly thinking, I cannot wait until bedtime, I cannot wait until Friday, and then Monday comes and I am thinking I cannot wait until it is the weekend.  Rushing all of these moments, and I need to take a chill pill. Time is just flying by, and I do not want to miss it or have my children think that I was always in a hurry!!  I am ready to enjoy my moments.

Stop rushing so much, and enjoy 36!!