I'm 36 for a moment....

I've been thinking a lot lately about life, the universe and everything. I'm now officially closer to 40 than 30, and, according to the media, the world is falling down around our ears. There are terrorists out to kill us all, our role models are untrustworthy, drug dealers and criminals are free to threaten our children, and the economy's going to heck in a handbasket.

Since I'm now indisputably an adult, this has all suddenly become my concern.

Well, I have to say, I'm content. At this moment I have food in the cupboards and clothes in the closets. The cars are both registered, running, and full of gas. I have family and friends who love me and there's even a little money in the bank.
My spacious home has a sound roof and unbroken windows. Each of my children has a comfortable bed. The furnace is working and has a new filter. The running water is hot or cold according to my desire and the toilets don't leak. Did I mention that three policemen live within a block of my house?
I have many talents and ample opportunity to develop them. There are people who find pleasure in my company. I've learned to be grateful for all I have and for who I am. My Father in Heaven loves me and has provided generously for me all my life.

The world is truly a beautiful place when fear is released and gratitude is its replacement.
Hopefully my emotional setbacks will become fewer and fewer and I will be able to consistently be grateful no matter what my circumstances. Now that I've discovered a life filled with joy, I don't want to go back. But really, tomorrow will take care of itself.

I'm thrilled to be 36 right now for a moment. Even as the world falls down around my head I look back and see love and look forward and see adventure. What a wonderful, unique life I've lived so far! I can't wait to see what the future brings!

Happy Birthday to Me! - Part Two

I had a really great birthday yesterday. Even though I had to do laundry, pay bills, take care of kids, shuttle kids here and there, etc., lots of people remembered me on my special day (with little to no prodding from me). Honestly, the older I get, the more I appreciate a simple "Happy Birthday" or a card. It's just nice to know that someone other than me is glad that I was born. :)

I did get to go out to dinner with Brian and the kids and Mom and Dad which was a lot of fun. I got to put on a big goofy sombrero while everyone sang "Happy Birthday" and I got a free dessert (fried ice cream). Yum! The best part was that the kids' dinners were free because it was Tuesday! Then, when we got home, we discovered that a couple of my friends had left a nice surprise for me:Let's face it, it's not a birthday without balloons and crepe paper! When Kai came into the kitchen this morning he looked at the decorations and said: "It's still Mommy's birthday!" I think I've about convinced him that it isn't actually still my birthday, but he's sure going to be confused when we pull out the ice cream cake that we didn't have time to eat yesterday!
All in all, I feel very loved. Thanks everybody!

Yard and garden.

Well our yard is starting to look like someone actually lives here. Of course now we need to get it ready for winter, but I can actually stand looking at it for five or ten minutes at a time. I took pictures for proof.

This is our front yard. That green stuff is actually grass. (mostly) And that sad little tree is a crabapple that hopefully won't die over the winter.

This is my sweet baby peach tree. It was a Mother's Day present two years ago. And yes, the green stuff around it is actually grass. (mostly) Now that you've seen how teeny the tree is, check out this:Yes, those are actually peaches and there are ten of them on that teeny tree. We kept going out in the spring and pulling peaches off the tree so it would grow but we finally gave up and let it grow some fruit. It's sure a determined little buggar!

This is our great big maple that we blew our tax refund on two years ago. Again, hopefully it won't die this winter. We're apparently the kiss of death when it comes to big trees.Here's our beans. For awhile the garden actually looked like a garden and not a rainforest but I didn't manage to get pictures at that point so just try to imagine healthy, green bean plants without the encroaching wilderness.

This is our very sad, world's shortest corn. We think the grasshoppers have eaten the tassels off a plant or two.

Okay, clearly these pictures aren't conveying the impression I was going for so let's finish with this one:

Ta da! What can I say? I'm a sucker for kid shots!

Look what we did!

That's right, folks. They're peaches! A whole bushel fresh from Brigham City and we canned them all by ourselves! I have to admit I feel like a kid learning how to ride a bike. It was scary but they turned out great. They even all sealed!

Aren't they beautiful? I did most of the peeling and cutting and Brian did the mixing of the syrup and the loading and unloading of the steamer and the wet bath. The canning world is our oyster. Who knows, maybe we'll tackle applesauce next! Anything could happen!