Yikes!! I'm 40!!!!

How did this happen? Where did 40 years go? How is it possible that I have been here that long? It doesn't feel like it's been 40 years, but the numbers add up. How depressing. I know, I should look at my 40th birthday as an opportunity to reflect upon my life, to take stock of where I've been and what I've accomplished, to chart a course for my future so that I might do all that I wish to do in this vapor of a life. I don't wanna do it. I don't even wanna think about it. Who has time? I never stop going or doing or moving. I'm tired. I just want to give it a rest, give ME a rest. But alas, there's no rest for the weary. Just to prove my point, let me give you a rundown of the last week and a half:

Sunday, April 20 - Following the conclusion of our annual meeting at church, we left town at around 1 p.m. for what should be a 12-hour drive to Maryland to see our first grandchild, little Anna Laura. We got to Richmond around midnight and God blessed us with an absolutely wonderful hotel room.

Monday, April 21 - We drove some more and arrived at our destination (Chickfila in Bel Air) at 1 p.m. We got to see our oldest son, Ace, who took us to his house where we got to see dil Karla and their precious little girl. She is adorable!! I've got pictures on my computer, but haven't figured out yet how to get them posted onto my blog. Stay tuned. Liz gets home Friday and I'm hoping she'll help me out this weekend. She's a blogging pro!

Tuesday, April 22 through Wednesday, April 23 - We visited with our family in Maryland. Thank you to our dil's family, the Humes, for not just giving us a place to stay, and feeding us, and putting up with our weirdness, but for giving US THEIR bedroom with a beautiful master bath and everything. We are so undeserving, but so grateful!! We spent most of our time arguing over who held Laura the longest, and who should get to hold her next, and why the aunts and uncles felt shortchanged. I called it "Grandpa's Perogative." Frankly, he just wouldn't give her up!

Thursday, April 24 - We began our trip home to Georgia on what should have been a 12 hour drive. We left at 6 a.m. and arrived home just before 9 p.m. I will say that we make lots of stops to stretch our legs (and our backs) and we stopped and ate lunch and ate a nice supper at a Mexican restarant close to our home (like 10 minutes) because there was NO WAY I was cooking!

Friday, April 25 - I got up at 6:45 a.m. in order to get to our homeschooling group's annual Used Book Sale. It was a successful sale, I think, and I had LOADS of fun hanging out with the other moms and just yakking!

Saturday, April 26 - We got going early because Em and Rache both had soccer games. I love watching my kids play sports. Unfortunately, I'm a little BOSSY and feel I must help the coaches by coaching from the sidelines. I don't think my children particularly appreciate this tendency of mine. The rolling eyes and "Awwww, Mom" are a dead giveaway! By the way, my oldest son, Matt and I were privileged to eat Varsity hot dogs and onion rings for lunch because they were catering a car show there at the church where the soccer games are. YUUUUMMMMM! I really feel like it was about time for an "oil change" for me!! After the games, we went back to the house where I "got to" do laundry! Then we took the kids to meet their Dad and my dear hubby took me to dinner at Red Lobster (my place)!

Sunday, April 27 - We went to church, and then had lunch at church followed by communion. We left the church at 2:30, got home just after 3, took a quick nap, and my hubby left to get the kids while I fixed dinner. Then to bed!!!! How wonderful!!

Monday, April 28 - We actually had a slow day. We were at home most of the day getting our school work done, followed by Rache's soccer practice from 6:00 until 7:00, a "quick" drive across the county, and the boys' softball practice from 7:30 until 8:30. Home by 9:30 and in the bed!! How wonderful!!

Tuesday, April 29 - MY 40TH BIRTHDAY!!!!! I planned to sleep a little late, but I got a phone call from Bets, my bestest friend since junior high, who told me to go out on my front porch. Huh? Okay. There were 2 gifts on my front porch, a bag containing some wonderfully luscious bath stuff and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood dvd from my friend Mary. And a green flower pot with red polka dots (from Bets) that says, "Well-behaved women rarely make history," which explains why nobody knows my name. When I went out on my front porch, I got the full view of Betsy's handiwork: she had decorated my yard with 40 doodads!! Windsocks, twirly thingies, butterflies, and all sorts of stuff, including a decorated poster that referred to my advanced years. What a busy bee she had been. She had left Atlanta at 5:30 a.m. JUST TO DECORATE THE TREES IN HER BEST FRIEND'S FRONT YARD!! I really need to get her married! Needless to say, we took the day off (from homeschooling) and I spent it gabbing with Betsy. Thanks Bets!! And thank you to her accomplices, two of my other bestest friends since junior high, Mary and Carla. Thanks gals, you're the BEST!! Let's do supper soon!! My husband also did his part to make my day, sweet man that he is! He put balloons on the mailbox and a sign on the front door. He left me a card on the kitchen counter with a sign that said, "Caution: 40-year-old having senior moment!" ANd when he got home from work, before he took me to dinner, he helped me get dressed by decking me out in red beads, blue "40" beads that proclaimed "Behold the ageless wonder," a purple hat, and a purple cane that has the following attached to it: an "Old lady xing" sign, a pink "get outta my way" horn, some "dirty old man repellent (which, btw, I DO NOT intend to use; I like dirty old men, if I'm married to them), a string with A support hose tied to it(in case only ONE of mine gets a run in it, I suppose), and a rearview mirror that says "Hello Beautiful." Needless to say, I drew some attention my way at O'Charley's, especially since my cane has a springy thingy at the bottom that makes a springy thingy sound EVERY TIME I put the cane down. What really got me, though, was the number of people who asked me, "Ohhh, is it your birthday." No, I dress like this all of the time. Thank you for all of the birthday cards and wishes. I love you all.

Now, as for taking time to "take stock" of my life, that's not for me. I guess I'm just too busy living it. May God bless my next 40 years as he has my first. To God be all the glory.
Love,
Donna