Thirty-five

Today is my birthday. I'm 35 years old.

And I'm trying to figure out how that actually happened?

On Sunday after church we had some people over for pulled pork sandwiches and warm Coca-cola (forgot to put it in the fridge, it's the Ukrainian in me...everyone drinks warm beverages there). I was sitting next to a fairly new guy at church who joined the worship group. We were having a nice conversation about music and church; what we like, what could change, why music is important in a service. I really enjoyed myself until I realized this guy was 19 which meant I was sixteen years older than him.

16 years!

In so many ways I can't believe I'm thirty-five but in other ways with all that we've already experienced sometimes I think my soul is even older.

This morning I woke up to sing songy 'happy birthdays' from the girls, giggles from Polly and Evie. Sergei taped the obligatory 'happy birthday' sign up in the dinning room, I bought myself a dress at Target with birthday money from my folks and ate three tag-along Girl Scout Cookies after lunch.

Sergei is taking me to dinner tonight, some place new, a surprise.

I have hope for this next year. I hope nothing major happens (but then again, I know better). I hope that Evie falls more in love with us and starts to open her heart to those around her. I hope Polly stays healthy, I count on her jokes and happiness every day. I hope Elaina and Zoya feel loved by God and their parents; I hope for many opportunities to play Clue and Wii tennis and to learn how to french braid their hair. I hope Sergei continues to stay close to Jesus and finds strength in God to do all that he's been asked to do. I hope I can put others before myself this year, that I can get serious about the story I'm writing, that I'll exercise and appreciate friends on my street and in my church. And then there's that pesky fear of the dentist chair I need to get over. I hope that I pray and read scripture and be open enough to let God change me.

I'm thankful today.

35's not going to be so bad.