Mid-forties? What?!

How did I wind up here?  Yes, I just had a birthday...number 44...Yikes!  Another year older, and hopefully, a bit wiser.


I often say I don't feel a day over 25, but that's not entirely true.  For much of my 25th year I was pregnant, and weeks before 26, I suddenly found myself the mother and primary caregiver to three children under the age of 3 - I actually feel BETTER many days now than I did back then!  That was an exhausting time in my life...wonderful in its own way, but exhausting, indeed!

And, of course, there are the days, lately, that my physical body reminds me that my twenties are looong gone, lol.  All-in-all, I think I'm holding up fairly well, though.








If you asked me in my mid-twenties what I'd be doing in my mid-forties, what my life would be like now....definitely a far cry from what my life ACTUALLY looks like today.

I had no clue.

No clue of the twists and turns my path would take.  

I just assumed, back then, that I would return to teaching other people's children once mine were school-aged.  I didn't even know what home schooling was! Farmer's wife?  No idea I'd become that! Run a horse-boarding stable?  Doubt it.  Move out of PA? Nah.  Become a cosmetologist at the age of 42?  Yeah, right.  

Crazy!

The Pagoda

No regrets, though.  Sure, there are situations...times that I look back upon with my wiser, more experienced eyes and wish I'd handled them differently, but I know in my heart that God's plan is much bigger than little ole me, and He knew what my path would look like before it happened; the choices Don and I would make, the circumstances we would face...


Each of my birthdays since my fortieth, has been uniquely special in its own way, thanks to my beloved.  Years ago, Grace dubbed Don, "Jelly Bean" - tough and crunchy on the outside, soft and squishy inside!  Believe it or not, he has a romantic streak!

This year, he took me to Olive Garden on Saturday evening, then Sunday morning, we made the hour drive down to our former church in Strasburg, PA so we could worship with our friends.  Sunday afternoon, the weather cooperated with us for a leisurely motorcycle ride up to the Reading Pagoda and along Antietam Creek near our new home.  And, finally, an evening of pizza, my favorite red wine, and hanging out with the family!

Amazing view of the Reading Skyline!

Zoomed in view

While I was at work on Saturday morning, Don and Nate began the process of tree removal, ultimately making space for the excavation and preparation of our home site.  They took down 5 trees, so far, and we decided two more must go, as well as a couple of overgrown, leggy bushes.



Don drove up to New York, recently, to retrieve his sawmill.  Our good friends have been storing it for us up there!  We plan to mill the trees we chop down, using the wood for run-in sheds and some barn improvements.

Worst case scenario?  We settle on our construction loan the second week of September.  The house arrives mid-November, and we move in a few days before Thanksgiving.

I'm praying the bank can move this process along more quickly, though...The sooner we have our house here, the better!


I'm greatly enjoying my role as a hair stylist at Holiday Hair right now, and I am looking forward to beginning our homeschool year in just a couple of weeks, including teaching a literature class for our new co-op!

These things keep me occupied while I wait.  Soon, I'll be choosing cabinetry, flooring and lighting from the options provided by the builder.  Sure looking forward to that!


Have a great week, Friends!