So… today is my 40th birthday.
In case you didn’t quite catch that, I said FORTIETH birthday.
Should I feel old now?

Fourty isn’t old, is it?

I guess it depends on who you ask. My kids? Most likely although they say I’ll live to 100, so I guess I’m not even half way through my life  yet.
In either case, I don’t feel any older today then I did  yesterday.
I don’t really feel any older today then I did 5 years ago.
And despite the fact that I’ve raised 5 children, who were all born within an 8 year span, 3 of which were born within a 22 month period, amazingly, all if feel ‘more’ now is BUSY!
You would think the busy part would be over now that the youngest, our twins, are 11 years old?

All five kids

I think things will FEEL slower once the older two get their license this spring. I’m hoping anyways. I find when I’m TOO busy, THAT does make me feel old. Old, and scatter brained. I don’t care to feel old and scatter brained.
So for my 40th Birthday, I’ve made a list of 40 things I’d like to do while I’m 40.
I thought I’d share that list here on the blog.
There’s no particular order to it. No real rhyme or reason to any of it. Just a list of personal things I’d like to accomplish this year. So much time has been put into the business the past few years so I thought if I made a list of things I’ve been wanting to do, and gave myself a  year to complete them all, maybe there’d be more opportunity to succeed! So here we go!
40 Things to do While I’m 40
  1. learn to knit a sweater
  2. learn to knit socks
  3. knit a shawl I’m happy with
  4. learn how to use my flash properly for better product photos using a light box, or other
  5. get over my riding fears
  6. make a waldorf doll with a crochet cap for the hair, preferably two (one for Shaylah and one for Julia)
  7. plant a garden
  8. grow sprouts regularly
  9. plant 100 tulips before spring
  10. do a photo shoot with each child individually, in the spot of their choosing, in the clothing of their choosing starting with:-Alesia
  11. -a photo shoot with Joshua
  12. -a photo shoot with Elsa
  13. -a photo shoot with Shaylah
  14. -a photo shoot with Julia
  15. -and a self portrait I can present proudly to my husband and convince him to let me do a photo shoot of him as well
  16. take a pottery class with the kids
  17. have the younger girls go to riding camp
  18. volunteer regularly
  19. make cards with the children once a month- March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February
  20. send those cards to people we care about
  21. scrapbook once a month using my own photos PRINTED professionally, every month, starting in- March- scrapbook a page pertaining to spring/animals
  22. -April, scrapbook a page pertaining to Graydon
  23. -May,scrapbook a page pertaining to mothering/fathering
  24. -June, scrapbook a page pertaining to enjoy the great outdoors/nature
  25. -July, scrapbook a page pertaining to summer time fun
  26. -August, scrapbook a page pertaining to Alesia
  27. -September, scrapbook a page pertaining to school
  28. -October, scrapbook a page pertaining to Joshua
  29. -November, scrapbook a page pertaining to Shaylah
  30. -December, scrapbook a page pertaining to Julia
  31. -January, scrapbook a page pertaining to Christmas
  32. -February, scrapbook a page pertaining to Elsa
  33. -learn to spin my Selah fiber with my drop spindle
  34. -sew Elsa 3 pairs of pants
  35. -sew the 3 youngest some bean bag chairs but stuff them with their teddies instead
  36. make laundry soap
  37. teach the kids how to paint landscapes with watercolors
  38. do a pencil drawing
  39. get to know my camera better
  40. loose 40 pounds
My goal is to mark each thing off as I complete it and see where I end up by the time my 41st birthday rolls around!
Happy Birthday to me!

I’ve never had qualms about celebrating my birthday. Even now that I’m turning 40, I’m not going to start having qualms about celebrating my birthday. One year, I even threw myself a birthday party. Yep, I did! I think that was the year I turned 35? I feel we SHOULD celebrate things. This life I have, it hasn’t come easy! It’s worth celebrating!


I’ll be celebrating with the children today, and then with my husband when he FINALLY comes home on Thursday night! It’s been almost SIX weeks since he left!