Years, Days, Minutes Tag

So as I'm catching up on everyone's blogs after being gone all week, I discover that I have been tagged! Actually, thank you Kelly, because as I was reading everyone else's I thought, "Oh, I want to do that!" I feel so "in" now! Anyhow here goes it......................

20 years ago I was

9 and lovin every minute of summer! I played outside with all of the neighborhood kids as much as I could and I remember that it was SO cool to get to play outside when it was almost dark, especially when the neighbor kids' cute cousin was over! I was getting ready to start 4th grade and was glad to be done with the previous year - my 3rd grade teacher wan't the greatest. We did all the usual summer things for our family, camping, skiing and a trip to the ocean.

10 years ago I was

19 and home for the summer between my freshman and sophmore years at WSU. I didn't want to go back to working at the grocery store, and I can't believe I'm going to admit this, so I spent the first part of summer selling Cutco knives! Not the greatest job for a 19 year old, but I ended up with some great knives. Anyhow I landed a way better job soon, working at a Physical Therapy Clinic. I had moved out of the dorms and was planning to move into an apartment with 3 other girlfriends as soon as school started again. Emotionally it was a really rough summer for me, I remember not being overly happy at that time. However things looked up as the year went on and few monthes later I met Mike!

5 years ago I was

24 and living in North Bend because it was Mike's first station after graduating from the police academy. We moved there in May and it was the most beautiful summer, the warmest and driest on record I believe - for the west side. We lived about 3 miles from town, kind of back in the trees in the tiniest little mobile home you've ever seen! It was OK though, it was so good for us to be in a town by ourselves and just focus on us for a while after living apart for almost a year. (The only bummer was I had to drive 30 minutes each way to get to a decent gym, which for those of you who know me, know I did it everyday anyway!) That summer I hiked all over with Boggs, picked tons of blackberries, went fishing with Mike, BBQed on the deck and spent lots of time at Rattlesnake lake. Thinking back on it now, it was one of my favorite summers ever!

3 years ago I was

26 and a new mommy! We had just had Wyatt in May and were still (are still) getting the hang of everything. I remember that I was late for EVERYTHING that summer due to having to wait on a nap, nurse, change a diaper, etc. (how easy that would all seem now!). We had been in Eburg for a little over a year, but I still didn't really know anyone so we either went to the store or stayed home a lot. We took him camping in August when he was only 3 mo old, and he did great - so happy to look at the trees in his pack n play. He just went wherever we did, out to dinner, on road trips, even to a movie once (he slept through it, but I was terrified I'd damaged his hearing!).

So far this past year

I have learned that while I want to do everything and be involved in everything, I need to realise my limits and that I can only stretch myself so thin. I've started to look at being a wife/ mother in a different light. These are roles that God put me in, and wants me to be in, and by doing each of these roles, with His help and to the best of my abilities, I am serving Him. Of course I still try to do more, but am careful not to let it ever compromise the first 2. I feel like I don't remember the first part of the year so well because I was so busy, but in the past few monthes I have been able to take some things off my plate and just be Mike's wife and Wyatt and Cora's mommy.

Yesterday I

Did about 10 loads of laundry! Not kidding - camping for 5 days with kids makes a crazy amount of dirty clothes, everything from bedding to shoes had to be washed. I unpacked all the camping stuff that went in the house, which put me in the cleaning mood, so I cleaned out and organized the pantry and kitchen cabinets. Thanks to Mike working at home and the kids sleeping for 3 hours in the aftenoon, I actually got a lot done. I will admit though that I didn't get the illusive shower until after the kids went to bed and we had take out for dinner.

Tomorrow I will

Get up early to set up the nurseries, check in on everyone and hopefully get to one of the services myself. The goal is the 8am so that afterwards I'll have time to go grocery shopping before lunch. Then in the afternoon we have a birthday party to go to, and tomorrow evening I have some baking and puree`-ing to do (love that Deceptively Delicious) for the week. Busy but fun!

Next Year I will

Be 30, and hopefully have a great 30th birthday story! I rarely think about what things will be like a year from now. I really want to focus on being a better (more supportive) wife, and to make sure I take a little time each day to spend with each of the kids individually. I also want to grow and nurture my relationship with God and try to be more committed in the time I spend with Him.
Wyatt will be 4 and Cora 2. I'm sure she'll be rattling off entire monologues (the girl can talk) and Wyatt will be hitting his T ball into the next neighborhood. I can't say there is much that I "want", I'm so happy with what God has given us. The only one thing that I will say is that I hope we have a boat!

I tag Steph and Amy!