Here we are, about to enter another year. 2015! And I just celebrated by 29th birthday. I know right, the big 2-9! Last year of my twenties…and it’s going to be magical.
My baby girl just turned 15 months and I cannot believe it! She’s of course, as all parents guiltily think, is PERFECT! This has been the most incredible, liberating, confusing, scary, joyous, terrifying, blessed year of my life. And yet, I find that I want to do it better. Life. Sometimes, I feel lost from myself. Or question that I am not doing things as well as I could be – motherhood, marriage, the works. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you this in sadness. I'm an incredibly happy person. I am beyond blessed. But for any of my rants to make sense to you.....we must start at the beginning.....you need to know who I am.
I'm a small town kid. I grew up in a small town ...a smaaaaaalll town. About 1100 people to be exact. That's small. That's, there's a "Main Street" lined with quaint little businesses, two gas stations, and two bars and town radius of 3 miles.....and it's amazing. The kind of place people love and love living there. My family is from there. My mom grew up on a farm about 20 miles from there. A farm kid! How cool is that? She's the one that has taught me about farm life - about farming, about cows (LOVE cows! Totally obsessed) and bugs, and dirt roads.... and DIRT! She taught me about the sky - the moon, the stars, sunrises, and clouds. She is, quite literally, the one that taught me about the beauty of this planet. And how to find it anywhere...in anything! In life! She taught me how to be a mother. She is my best friend.
Mom was not alone on this farm. She had 3 sisters, her mom and dad. Which led to my uncles, cousins, and siblings...my family. And I'm talking get-together-every-holiday-reunions-birthdays-superbowls-and-talk-everyday-kinda-family......and you know what, it's special. It's the kind of special most people wish for and never get in a lifetime. Needless to say...I'm very loved. As are my husband and daughter.
I don't live in that little wonderful town. But I grew up there. My parents split when I was around 5 and after tiring of the city my mom moved us back home where she knew we'd ride our bikes to the pool every day, she'd walk across the street to work (a job she loved), and we would have her whole family right there to help raise us. My brother and I had the best of both worlds – small town with mom, and city life with dad.
I loved living in my small town. I still love it there! It'll always be home for me. I grew up riding my bike all over town, going to the County Fair, playing on my friends’ farms, swimming every single day over the summer, camping and playing at the lake. It was awesome. Because of my small town bliss, I did everything I possibly could in high school. I wasn't great at anything, but I just loved doing it all ......cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, track, competitive speech, fall musicals, spring plays. I was in Youth Group, and went to Sunday School, I volunteered each summer at Vacation Bible School for the little kids. I was a lifeguard. I was just happy and loved life. So as you can see, I had a pretty normal, over active childhood in a small town....it was great.
After graduating I moved about three hours away for college. My Dad was then just an hour away and my brother was up the street - I followed him out here. When I lived in the dorms, we did Sundays and Monday night together…without exception. We did laundry on Sunday and watched football. On Monday night, he made dinner and we watched football. Those are some of my most wonderful memories. And although we’re both grown with families of our own…we’re still best buds.
It was in college that I met my husband. We met my freshman year working at a retail store. I had a crush on him immediately. He finally noticed me and asked me to play tennis one afternoon (I'm sure at my prompting and hinting) and we've been together ever since. Please make note here that I in no way whatsoever had any idea what I was doing when it came to tennis. I had never played, or ever been interested. But I knew he enjoyed it, so I winged it!
Our relationship is magical. It's the kind of stuff movies are made of. Gag, I know. But it's also hilarious, and immature. It's totally easy, but we work to keep it that way...and it can be hard at times, but so worth it. He is my best friend and love of my life. We dated for a few years while I lived with roommates - the three of which are still my best friends in the world. We grew up together - college, weddings, houses, babies. You name it!
So to catch you up quickly....got engaged, graduated, got jobs, moved into a house just the two of us, graduated Grad school, got another job, got a second dog, bought a house, got another job, had a baby. And there my friends, is where this is all starting. My life as a mother...
My life is so good! But it’s also crazy, annoying, hilarious, and just down right nuts sometimes. So maybe some of the lessons I learn along the way I can pass along to other mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, and friends. Because if we can’t laugh and learn from a random internet blogger….who can we??
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