So. It's inevitable. I'm about to turn fifty. Five-Oh. Uh-Oh. I'm usually very laid back about birthdays. But this one, well....this one hurts. Not sure why. Well. Actually I think I do know why. It sounds old. Fifty. Many of my friends have already pushed that envelope, and in a really good way. I've got some dang good lookin' friends. Men and Women who make Fifty look like child's play. Physically fit, active, stylish, fun loving. They're setting a wonderful example for me as I approach my birthday.

It's really remarkable how quickly time seems to pass now. Especially from my 20's on. During my 20's I was having and raising my babies. Moved 11 times. In my 30's I was a "Stay at Home Mom", doing the classroom Mom, Sunday School teacher, PTA volunteer thing. In my 40's I've partnered with my husband and opened, operated, and sadly, closed the business. I've gone to work full time, leaving the "housewife" part of my life behind. My kids have completed their education, begun their careers and married the loves of their lives. I'm sure that one day they'll be startled to find that they too have watched the years stream by quickly.

I know enough now to know that I will never know it all. That as cliche as it sounds, we're never through learning. That there is ALWAYS something more to do, to learn. I KNOW that God has a plan for me, and that He's preparing a way for me to accomplish His plans. I know that I'm a poor sinner, but that my life experiences, good and bad, have all shaped me and helped make me who I am now and who I will be as I grow even older (hopefully).

I know that the best decision I ever made probably seemed like the most foolish, when I married John almost 30 years ago at the tender age of 20. He's the love of my life, more handsome at 50 than he was at 20. He's been the best husband, the best father, my anchor and my security. What a blessing.

This has been quite a ramble. But if you know me, you know that's just how I roll. I'm not ready for a rocking chair. I still want to drive my convertible Mustang (fast) with the top down and my hair blowing in the wind. I want to travel, but don't have the time. I want to spend MORE TIME with the ones I love, because I'm finding that really is the only thing that matters to me anymore. I don't have an actual bucket list, but there are things I hope to do: go to Hawaii, see a Packers game in Green Bay, take an Alaskan cruise, go to Italy. I hope one day to have an incredible relationship with my future grandchildren, and that they will KNOW me and love me. See, I've got a long way to go and a short time to get there, as the song goes. Happy Birthday to me, and thanks for reading...

Andy