Paris

 Sometime last year while in the states, I decided I was going to Paris for my 40th birthday (yes, I know the previous post says I got a rose garden for my birthday but I also got a trip to Paris) and I decided that Rebekah would come with me.

First stop, was of course the Eiffel Tower!

We arrived Monday (the day before my birthday) and stayed until Friday! We walked, and ate, and talked, we also did a little shopping. Found some yarn stores and bought some French yarn...funny thing, half the yarn in the store was made in Romania...I wanted something made in France though!!  We had a wonderful time. I really liked Paris and would go again some time.

Fierce, Fabulous, and Forty...so they say!

I will admit, I was facing 40 with a bit of fear and trepidation! After Christmas I started thinking about the fact that I was turning 40...it sounds so old and ancient. I started thinking about it a lot. I tried to tell myself with age comes wisdom. I tried to tell myself I was just one step closer to heaven. I still did not look forward to turning 40. Ever since we moved to Romania almost 12 years ago, I had this little area of our yard picked out for a rose garden. I never had a fence to block it off so I didn't do any work in it because the kids and dogs just mess things up. There were two rose bushes planted in the shade when we moved here. I knew one was a climbing bush. Last fall we finally gave it something to climb up and look at it this spring...

Then, Baron started realizing he needed to get my mind off of turning 40. He got me a picket fence for my garden, with a gate (I'd always wanted one of those), then when the spring weather finally turned warm we were able to paint it white. He had me a pergola made and fixed me a little brick patio to go under it. He bought mulch and I started planting rose bushes. If it took me turning 40 to finally get my rose garden then I'd say turning 40 wasn't so bad. I water my flowers morning and evening. I can sit and enjoy hearing the kids play (and fight) as they play badminton or basketball or jump on the trampoline.

I think of all the young lives that have been lost and think of how grateful I am to have lived for 40 years. To see my children play and fight and grow. To grow closer to my Savior, my Redeemer, my Friend and think of how very blessed I am to be called a child of God. To have 17 years with a man who pampers me still and treats me with love and respect even on my bad days. God's been good to me and I cannot complain. I will say this, the older I get, the faster time seems to go. When you are the mother of babies and toddlers you feel as if that is life and there will be no life after that. Then you wake up one day longing to hold your 14 year old in your arms just one more time and remember that sweet baby smell. The older you get you realize you need to take time each day to enjoy that day, that moment because it will be gone in the blink of an eye. Today I choose a heart of thankfulness. Instead of looking at the negative things, I will like at the blessings God has showered on me and praise him. As long as I have breath I will praise the Lord and I'm so thankful I have my little garden to praise him in.