When I was 30-years-old, I…
…gave birth to our son, Eric William…
…finished my first quilt…
…completed a cross-stitch sampler with my daughter Katie…
…took Katie to Disneyland for the first time in the spring…
…stayed overnight at Disneyland with Bill, Katie, Eric, and my mom and dad for Katie’s October birthday…
…officiated at my brother’s wedding…
….finished the coursework for my real estate license, and took and passed the exam…
…took Katie to her first swimming lessons while 8 months pregnant…
…said goodbye to the last of my three grandfathers…
…learned how to sew ballet skirts for my daughter…
…gave my daughter my childhood bed…
…earned my Competent Communicator award (completed ten speeches) at Toastmasters…
…gained my first freelance editing client…
…had fun at the Wild Animal Park with Katie…
…saw a blue moon on the New Year and the harvest moon in Autumn…
…spent many cozy moments with my daughter in the kitchen…
…danced and laughed in the rain…
…nursed Katie through her first significant bout of illness with her first high fever…
…shared time and lunches and love with Nana…
…took Katie to the zoo with Bill…
…had a big Clint Eastwood movie phase…
…went with Bill to take Katie to the snow for the first time in Idyllwild, and made snow angels, and loved that my romantic husband drew a heart with all of our handprints in it…
…saw friends from my CSUSM teaching cohort for the first time in many years…
…took Katie to ballet, music, gymnastics, and art classes…
…went to a bluegrass festival…
…transitioned Katie out of her daytime diapers…
…planned and enjoyed many, many arts and crafts projects for my daughter…
…celebrated my 4th marriage anniversary with my Bill, my loved and loving husband, in Idyllwild with an “Anniversarymoon” stay at our special inn…
…spent many warm days in the yard with Katie by the wading pool…
…picked blueberries off the bush…
…celebrated our 2nd annual Midsummer’s Eve…
….took Katie to see Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, The Nutcracker, and A Christmas Carol performed at the local theater…
…started McGaugh Family Movie Night…
…became closer with some of my cousins…
…did well at nourishing some friendships and less well at nourishing others…
…Re-read Jane Eyre…
…made hooded towels for my children…
…planted a vegetable, fruit, and herb garden…
…went apple picking in Julian…
…was at times hopeful and at times disappointed…but mostly hopeful…
…watched Katie fall in love with her brother at first sight…
…looked for the goodness…
…wondered about meaning…
…trusted in Love…
…fed the ducks…
…stumbled upon a Greek festival…
…sang loudly and with joy in my heart…
…examined myself for my flaws…
…tried my best…
….colored and drew pictures, built castles, made forts…
…savored days at the beach…
…discovered cinnamon frozen yogurt…
…stopped drinking coffee and tea for nine months…
…started coffee and tea back up again with more fervor than ever…
…sang my children to sleep at the same time…
…pressed the 3 AM moon into my heart as I held my newborn son…
…rubbed my nose in the beautiful scent of my daughter’s hair…
…realized that to hold Bill, Katie, and Eric is to hold the Universe…
…knew that I have only just begun to learn…
Today I turned 31. Life is going too fast... There is so much for which to be thankful, and so much yet still to do. These years with my children and husband are the best of life, and I wish I could keep them forever!
We began the day with breakfast at The Swing Inn Cafe in Old Town Temecula. After breakfast, all four of us went to one of our favorite parks and played. Bill played with Eric on the grass while Katie and I ran around and played Hide-n-Seek, Follow the Leader, and more. Yay for sunshine and slides!
In the afternoon and evening my parents came over. My mom, even though she has much on her mind and heart, still made the birthday dinner we had planned. It was delicious: French onion soup (my favorite soup), sausage and black bean calzones, and a citrus salad. For dessert: German chocolate cake. Yum! My mom was really loving to that...I know how tired she is and how hard this week has been for her.
My parents and husband blessed me with more than I could ever dream of...a beautiful milk glass bowl from Julian, new linens for the bed and table from Bill, clothes, movies, and more... And from Bill, a coupon for an iPad 2.0 when they are released in spring (well, maybe spring). I think I officially have enough gifts to last all year, especially when we add Christmas, too! Now I will spend the rest of the year thinking about how to return the kindnesses to my family...
A few images from today:
