Thirty-One

Today is my 31st birthday.

Last year I had a really hard time with the whole turning 30 thing, but this year, the whole "getting older" thing feels ok. Maybe I just have had less time to think about it, or maybe I finally have friends that are more my age- and that makes it easier.

Noah organized a family birthday party for me last night and made me a cake (which was in fact chocolate, had nothing weird in it, and was very good). I spent the day today at the zoo and amusement park with my mom, sister and the kids. We had a good time. This evening Noah grilled steak for supper with onions, mushrooms and parmeson cheese. Yum.

This evening I have actually had a chance to do some cleaning and sorting in our office. That is very exciting, to be sure. Ahh...life as a mother of 4- choosing to spend my birthday evening cleaning out my office.

The older I get though, the more I want to streamline my life. Get rid of the extra fat, get rid of the extra junk, get rid of the bad attitudes, unhelpful relationships, the irritation over little things.

Enjoy the good things, the helpful things, the simple things.

Poor Deacon was crying today because some of the neighbor kids were lying to him and were being mean. He does not like it when kids lie to him or tell him "things that are false". Through his tears he said, "I don't tell them lies,why do they lie to me and try to trick me?"

I wanted to tell him to forget them, that there are other people to be friends with and that it is not worth it. But it is such a quandry, because he has to learn to get along with all kinds of people. To spot the lies, the falsehoods and to become a man who tells the truth.

We are always learning, always growing, always changing.

Both at 31.
And at 7.