FIFTY!!

So I am officially half a century old today!!  FIFTY!!! 

It seems crazy!  I don't feel fifty.  

It's been a great fifty years so far!  

In honor of my fiftieth, here's fifty things that have I've done, things about me, and things I have learned these last 50 years.

1. Been married 31 years to the same guy!!  haha! 

2. Most stuff doesn't matter, but the things that do matter-really matter.

3. Lived in lots of places. I think we've moved 15 (lost track!) times! 

4. Raised 3 kids and now have 4 grandkids!!

5. Dance (or hoop) like no one is watching.  It's so liberating.

6. It's never too old to learn new things.

7. I've been to 36 countries in the world!  That's 14.3% of the world!

8. I love going to places that aren't your typical "touristy" places.

9. I'm an accomplisher..but I'm learning to relax and chill.

10. Reading God's Word is life changing.  Especially reading the whole thing through quickly.  

11. Make a decision.  It's ok if you make another decision later.  Just move, go, do something.

12. Friendships only thrive if you water them. A text, card or call goes a long way.

13. Take the picture.  Be in the picture.

14. Enjoy the moment.  Even if you don't post it on social media, just enjoy the moment you are in, don't be in a rush to go to the "next thing".

15. You'll make mistakes.  Learn from them.  Be humble.  Accept correction.

16.  I've been keto now over 5 years.  It's a lifestyle that I love.  It's helped erase my heartburn, made me think clearer, and kept my weight down.

17. Love grows where you water it.

18. I love traveling.  I'll be glad when I can go overseas again. (dumb covid)

19. What you put into your body is important. Physically, spiriturally, mentally.

20. Who knows how many books I've read.  I wish I had a list! Sometimes I'll start a new book and think...this sounds familiar!  (because I've already read it!)

21. I've sold all our stuff so many times.  (because of all the moving) Stuff is stuff and you'll always have a lot of it.

22. I usually struggle with exercise but I love hiking and walking and really enjoy yoga and aerial yoga!

23. When someone asks you to do something new or go somewhere new.  Give it a chance.

24. I didn't think I could do aerial yoga at all, but my sister is a great encourager!  I actually surprise myself with the things I do!

25. I rarely wear makeup but I love jewelry.

26. The need to impress others wanes as you get older, and get more confident in who you are.

27. Give someone that compliment!  

28. I'm a natural blonde.  Never colored my hair.

29. My hair is fine and thin...makes it hard to curl, but super easy to get up and go.

30. Skirts are my thing.  Been wearing them now over 20 years.  I love how they make me feel feminine and they are good for twirling and dancing.

31. Being best friends with your spouse is awesome.

32. Looking forward to the next 50 years!  I wanna be that funky, hooping, crazy grandma.

33. I love hats!!!!!

34. Coffee, coffee, coffee...and tea.  Yes!

35. One of my favorite things to do is go listen to live music on the weekends with Larry.  Hoop and dancing!!  

36. When meeting someone new, ask them about themselves.  And listen.

37. I'm loving this stage of my life.  Being a grandma, retired, rv living.  ummmm yes.

38. Take the love language test.  It's how you show love to others and how you feel loved.  I'm service and gifts.

39. If I'm cleaning, I'm either showing service or really upset.  ha!

40. I like music of all kinds.  Bluegrass, classical, rock.. pretty much anything!  But I love the 50s music a lot!

41. It's ok to be in pajamas at 6pm.

42. I want to learn to embroidery.

43.  Love playing backgammon with Larry.  I'm so glad my dad taught me how.

44. It's so exciting to see your kids as adults!  To see them grow and learn and thrive!

45. When someone presents to you a new theory or idea.  Don't immediately dismiss it.  It's a great opportunity to research what your own beliefs are.

46. You become the thoughts you feed yourself.

47. You are never too old to change! 

48. I started learning the ukulele last year.  I've been practicing every day.  It's so hard to strum and sing at the same time!

49. I don't like to cook.  Larry's does all the meal making...thankfully!

50.  Turning fifty sounds old, but old is only a state of mind. :)

49 of my favorite things on my 49th birthday

49 of my favorite things (in no particular order of course...)

1. my kindle
2. my hula hoop
3. dancing with my hoop and hubby every weekend
4.  the trips I take
5. my ever optimistic hubby
6. watching and listening to my kids
7. playing and loving on my grandkids
8. the moon
9. my mini essential oil bag for my purse
10.  just mini and tiny things in general
11. a big old glass of unsweet tea in the summertime
12.  my swinging chair on my balcony
13. doing yoga trapeze
14. the sunset
15. my rosemary growing on my balcony
16. my cool steampunk top hat
17. all things Charlie Brown
18. walking, hiking, exploring new trails
19. Chaffles
20. my big funky earrings and bracelets
21. coffee...just coffee
22. puzzles
23. daisies
24. hummingbirds
25. It's a Wonderful life
26. reading books
27. sitting on the floor
28. dark dark chocolate
29. my yellow pointy toe flats
30. having my mani/pedis every 6 weeks
31. my chiropractor (and all the past ones I've had!) love chiropractic
32. maps and studying maps
33. musicals and watching plays
34. old black and white movies (especially mysteries)
35. fringe
36. yarn and knitting (I haven't in a while though!) but yarn! all the yarn!
37. Runny Babbit book
38. thunderstorms and lightening
39. kites
40. scarves
41. Haikus
42. tea cups with saucers
43. Eating keto
44. Starry night painting
45. all the skirts!
46. natural healing and wellness
47. unschooling
48. succulents
49. Puns!  ...ok here's one.. Bad puns are how eye roll! 😂😜😹

Happy Birthday Larry!

Fifty five!

Sakes alive!!

How did you survive?

You’ve managed all kinds of breaks and stitches

Surgeries and other glitches

Yet here you are still going strong!

Always happy as the day is long

You’ve been here and there 

and everywhere

You’ve had adventures galore!

And I’m sure there will be more!

You’ve managed a lot in your 55 years

All very successfully with only a few tears

So here’s to many many more!

May we grow old together forevermore !

Have a wonderful Birthday My Larry!!

Blast from the past

Me (on the right) and my little sis

Me as a little baby

My mom and me and my mother in law at my wedding shower

Monday I'll turn 48!  I thought I'd just tell y'all a few memories from my childhood..because you know that's what old people do-talk about the past 🤣🤣🤣🤣

One time my sister and I heard the snow cone truck coming down our street.  We ran out and got our snow cones and we were walking back to the house just salivating on that yummy snow cone when all of a sudden the newspaper guy drove by and threw a paper in our direction.  It hit my sister square on the head (he must have been aiming!) and her snow cone fell in the grass! She was so sad!

I was a straight laced, nerdy, bookworm kid in school.  In second grade, we had bathrooms in our classroom.  They had a big problem with people writing on the walls in the bathroom.  Well, I went in there one day and suddenly realized I had taken my pencil in there with me!  I didn't want to get in trouble so bad!  So I tried to hide my pencil on the side of my leg as I was walking out but got caught!  I think I had to go to the principal's office and write sentences.  First and only time that ever happened!

I can remember when I was about 5, we lived in a trailer home.  The whole park was owned by circus performers!  The had a big practice tent in the back of the lot and we'd go back there and watch the trapeze artists, the horse acrobats, see the tigers and elephants!  It was so cool!

Some of my greatest memories are going to my grandparent's house. We would go at least one weekend a month, 2 weeks at Christmas break, and at least 2 weeks during the summer. My grandpa (we called him Pop) would save up all his dimes all year and put them in a big big jar.  The first thing we did when we got there for summer break was pour out that jar and roll every single dime!  Whatever we rolled and counted was our spending money for the time we were there!  We went to Braums, bought Barbie stuff, and splurged at Walmart!  It was so much fun!  My grandparents were self employed and didn't have a lot, but that little bit was just perfect for us!

My grandparents and me and my sister. We called them mamaw and pop.

Our dachshund had pups!

me and my sister getting all dolled up for church

I used to keep my bedroom door like a huge scrapbook.  I taped it with paper and put all kinds of momentos on it!  

My bedroom door as a teen.

My grandma was an amazing gardner.  She had at least 3 big vegetable gardens.  And the landscaping around her house was so beautiful!  She planted a tree one time and tied two branches together at the top and bottom to make a circle in the middle.  As that tree grew, we used to climb through that hole so many times!  We went and saw it a few years ago and it was completely grown together into one big trunk. 

My grandma made a circle in a tree!

my dad and me

my sister and me

my mom and me and sister standing on a frozen Lake Ray Hubbard!

Well, time keeps on ticking.  I hope you've enjoyed these little blasts from the past.  I'm making new memories now with my grown kids and now grandkids!  

Here's to another 48 years!

🎂🎂🎂🎂💓😉🙏🎈🎉🌈🌞