On Turning 33...

As a tribute to myself (it's my blog I can make a tribute to myself if I want) after 33 years, here are 33 things that I love about my life right now:

1. I am healthy.
2. My family is healthy.
3. My house is full of love and happiness (and super heros, match box cars, and chaos).
4. I can count more things that I am grateful for than things I wish I could change.
5. I am learning to recognize the things I have control over changing and the things I just need to let go of (I'll work on actually learning to let go of said things in the next 33 years).
6. After nearly 7 years, my husband is still my best friend - for real life (as Brody would say).
7. My children still smile when I walk into the room.
8. I get to talk to my parents almost every day and see them almost every week.
9. I have survived (and for the most part enjoyed) the first 8 months of being a mom to two little boys.
10. When I put Jameson to bed at night he rests his head on my shoulder and tickles the loose strands of hair at the back of my neck that have fallen out of my pony tail.
11. Sleep deprivation has not completely stifled my creativity.
12. Every once in a while I still find time to play the guitar.
13. When I play the guitar, my family gathers around to listen.
14. We often have impromptu dance parties after dinner.
15. My children are happy.
16. I enjoy spending time with my family - good thing because those guys are always all up in my space!
17. We live in a place where the ocean, the mountains, and the lakes are all within an hour drive of home.
18. Brody is a smart inquisitive little boy who loves to learn about geeky science stuff - he can name every kind of whale, all of the planets in the solar system, different kinds of dinosaurs, penguins, turtles...the list goes on and on.
19. Brody calls the wetland near our house a "wetland" despite his father's insistence that it's called a "swamp"! (that's my boy!)
20. I have a good job that makes a difference in the quality of people's lives (even if most people don't realize and appreciate it).
21. I have found amazing, loving, kind people to care for my children when I am not able.
22. I have a kick-ass relationship with my sister.
23. I am able to make useful things with my hands, like blankets and lovies, to wrap my family in and make them feel loved.
24. I have a piece of land with good, dark soil to grow vegetables and blueberries and am able to share the skill of growing food with my family.
25. Pretty much any home improvement project that I can dream up, my husband can make happen with scrap wood and leftovers from his jobs (note to self: stop making fun of Ryan for being a scrap wood pack rat).
26. Our front porch faces the setting sun so someday when I have time to sit on the porch in the evenings I'll be able to watch the sunset light the sky on fire.
27. I have small children in my life that constantly remind me of the simple wonders of the world, the clouds in the sky, the full moon at night, Christmas lights, the chipmunk who lives in the stone wall.
28. There are two sets of little boy hands and one set of grown-up hands that meet mine every single time I extend them.
29. I have a family who loves me and makes me feel loved.
30. When the world is quiet (you know, like for 38 seconds every couple of months) I can still hear myself, my true, real, honest, simplest self inside my mind and am comforted that I am still here beneath the layers of life and mommyness that have accumulated over the years.
31. I am not afraid to speak my mind (much to my husband's dismay).
32. I am able to write my thoughts and fears and hopes and humilities on paper (or type them on silly blogs) to get them out of my mind and help me process my world.
33. I am aware of the previous 32 items on my list and at least a hundred more and I have the sense to be grateful for them.