39 years..

On Tuesday I will be 39. I am all about my birthday. I blame my father, who for as long as I can remember has declared the entire week of his birthday..BIRTHDAY WEEK. I am a huge fan of the birthday week. I am sure I have been mocked by several people over the years , ahem, Jeff, but to those people I say..IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! This year I have to work which kind of stinks but I love my job so much that I am really not all that bummed about it. I have plans to have drinks and dinner with some girlfriends, and a date night with Jeff  planned as well. It is shaping up to be a great week. Things are going so much better for me since December. I feel hopeful and centered and back on track. The things that distracted me so towards the end of last year seem downright ridiculous to me now. Jeff and I are in a great place in our marriage. We've been connecting on so many levels and I am realizing with each passing day what a blessing he is to me. With 40 looming around the corner, I feel like some goals for this 39th year would be appropriate. What better accountability of achieving these goals than to post them here!? I am picking 4 for the big 40..

By March 25, 2015..I would like to:


1. Be a better parent. While I feel I have come a long way in my marriage, my parenting skills still could use some work! More patience, more grace, more fun.

2. Continue to be the best medical social worker I can be. To continue to learn how to best serve my patients and their families and my wonderful colleagues.

3. Continue to be intentional with my faith. These past two years have been some of the most challenging in many areas of reconciling what exactly I believe and getting right with God.

4. Be intentional in working on my marriage everyday. God has blessed me richly with a wonderful, loving, supportive husband. I undoubtedly have spent too much time taking him for granted and thinking the grass is greener in others pastures. I realized at the beginning of the year this could not be farther from the truth. But, I realize without daily work and devotion, it could all get messy again.

And I guess there is a fifth one..start eating better and working out. Because  really what set of goals would be complete without that?!

Oh yeah, I have kids..

Lately all my posts have been about me and my issues. Today, I am shifting the focus back to what began this blog in the first place, the three kidlets that call me mom. I love that I have nine years of stories and updates on here. I spent sometime last week reading old posts and laughing and nearly crying at how far we've come. So..Matthew, almost nine!! Still loving hockey, about to start baseball, just began piano(loves it!), has become an avid reader!(Mommy is so happy about this!). Just got an expander in his mouth as the beginning of braces begins. Still going to OT, and not being great about doing his OT homework. Good student, loyal friend, desperate to have a dog. The older Matthew gets the more I realize that there really is a light at the end of the parenting tunnel. If you would have told me when this boy was three that one day he would be a quiet, sweet, friendly, polite nine year old, I would have flat out called you a big fat LIAR. I never could imagine him maturing. Alas, he has and although he has his moments of being a typical kid, he is mostly a joy.
Caroline! Age 7.5 still loves drawing, soccer, play dates, Daisy scouts. Is the most independent girl and can almost always be found ready for school before her siblings and fast asleep at night without complaint. Caroline is still learning how to wait her turn at school (and that she can't answer every question, every time) although it's not because she doesn't know the answers, smarty pants that she is! Loves going to church and learning about God. Loves family dinner time and telling us her high and lows for the day. Great big sister to Ellie! Has the best smile and her hugs melt you because she doesn't give them out easily! Life is spunkier with our sweet Caroline.
Ellie, oh Ellie. Dramatic, expressive, sometimes a stinker face! She never has a problem keeping up with her older siblings. Loves to pretend that she's the mom, or the teenager or someone BOSSY. Great friend and loves taking the new kid under her wing. Very excited to play tee ball this year! Getting ready for Young fives or Kindergarten next fall, we're not sure yet. Screening at the end of this month will soon tell this four year old's fate. Loves to snuggle and rub your face, hand or anything else she can grab onto! Night owl like her big brother and daddy. If this little girl naps for even ten minutes, forget about her falling asleep before eleven that night. Loves to draw like her sister and is desperate for real homework.. We can't imagine life without the spunk Ellie brings.
We've had a long, cold and very snowy winter around here. We're desperate for Spring and Summer. Trips to the park, Lake Michigan, and sitting on the deck enjoying warmer weather are all things we are desperately looking forward to. The kids have asked that we look into getting a nanny for the summer rather than going to daycare. We are beginning the process of exploring what that would look like for our family. So, I think that about covers what the Simpson three have been up to these past months!