The last 40 years

Entering into a new decade brings lots of contemplation and I thought I would write down some of my favorite things from the last forty years as I look forward to what lies ahead.

1. I am a child of God and Jesus is my Savior
2. I would choose to marry my husband, Seth, again and again
3. Noah, my first son, is a great big brother to his siblings and so many other kids
4. Dakota, my second son, brings joy and laughter to our home
5. Karley, my sweet daughter, teaches me more about myself
6. We were foster parents to 16 children and it was the fulfillment of a dream
7. Ran 2 ½ marathons
8. Ran a marathon before I was 40
9. Got a masters degree in counseling once the kids were all in school
10. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday
11. Did a zip line El Salvador
12. Rode in a helicopter at the Dade County Youth Fair
13. Went on a 9 day camping trip with my college roommate
14. Have stayed in some of the most beautiful B&Bs across the USA
15. Went white water rafting in West Virginia
16. Rode a tandem bike across the Golden Gate Bridge on our 1^st anniversary
17. Prepared a chicken in West Africa from the time it was walking around to when we ate it
18. Was in a bed race in our church parking lot growing up
19. Went to youth group camp each year
20. Performed in the Miami Christmas pageant for 18 years
21. Have lived near the beaches of Florida, California, and Senegal
22. Sang the national anthem in the Yankee stadium with our youth choir
23. Was on the dance/high kick team in high school
24. Sold everything we owned twice to move overseas
25. Have lived on 3 different continents
26. I am a lifetime PTA member in Texas
27. We were living in the Ivory Coast when a war broke out in 2002
28. I rode on an elephant in Thailand
29. I helped to drill a well in El Salvador
30. I grew up in the same house for 18 years in Miami
31. I really enjoy cooking and making my family happy
32. I have a much greater appreciation for goldfish and Milano cookies after living in Delhi for 18 months
33. I enjoy my teenagers much more than I ever thought I would
34. Counseling with my husband brings me lots of joy
35. Our family would go to upstate New York to the “farm” every year for vacation
36. I like silver jewelry better than gold
37. My favorite vacation was in Los Cabos
38. I really liked having a big brother and thought it would great for my daughter to have two
39. I still remember my childhood phone number but have forgotten all the others
40. I got my nose pierced for my birthday, just one of the things I never thought I would do