33

Today, I am 33! And while the majority of the day is pretty normal with school and daily routines, I did get to celebrate this past weekend and had a wonderful time! Plus, I get to go out with my sweet man tonight as well.

I went to dinner on Friday night with some of my best friends to celebrate my 33rd birthday, and while I had an amazing time, (truly, amazing friends right here) a question was asked that has kept me thinking.

I was asked how I am feeling about turning 33.

And my answer was somewhat jumbled as I couldn’t quite articulate what I was thinking or wanted to say. I’m not even certain I knew what I wanted to say.

It’s hard not to compare myself to others; specifically, to others in the same field that I am in.

This little blog of mine started out as a baking blog. Did you know that?  I simply shared recipes, my baking creations, etc. It was called Lady’s Makes and Bakes.

But as we had children and life became busier, I found myself baking less and wanting to talk about and document our family life more and more as a somewhat ongoing memory book.

Fast-forward a bit and my little side hobby has turned into more than just an occasional thing to do, but something I am working on toward a larger goal.

I don’t exactly know what that goal is and wasn’t able to explain it very well to my friends, but it’s something I was hoping would be a little more than it is at this point.

What exactly?

I’m not sure.

Blogging takes a lot of time.

A lot!

And it costs money to keep it running, too. So it’s definitely an investment.

But I do think it is worth it!

I love this little space and all that it is, the people I have met because of it, and the memories I can look back on.

But if I want it to be more and take it to the next level, I would need to dedicate more time to it.

Time I am not sure I want to commit to at this point in my life.

My priority right now is my family. I have young children and a home to maintain. And you know what?

That’s great.

And they’re great. And I need to remember that more. They truly are my greatest accomplishment.

So I think when I am feeling down about my little side gig, I just need to look around (or probably in my lap) and remember why God has put me here and led me down this path.

Because it is the path I would choose over and over again.

For now, I will continue to do as I do here, and I want to thank those of you who continually stop by. I appreciate it very much!

And just for fun, 33 random things you might not have known about me.

1. I do not like pickles. I think they are an overpowering, selfish food.
2. I once could not think of the name for a phone charger and therefore called it a plugger, which is what our family now calls them.
3. I cherish my friendships deeply and have learned over the years it is the quality of those friendships and not the quantity.
4. I don’t actually enjoy cooking. Like not really at all.
5. I LOVE french fries. With ranch.
6.  I am double-jointed and my fingers can bend backward to just about touch my wrist.
7. I don’t wear a ton of jewelry. I have my staple pieces and will wear them on repeat.
8. I don’t like the word “sure.” To me, it means, “ehhhhhh, I don’t really want to.” Or, “if I have to.” So, I rarely ever use it!
9. I met my husband at 20, we started dating when I was 21, married when I was 24, had our daughter when I was 25, our first son at 27, and our last son when I was 30.
10. I love sweets, but am kind-of a sweets snob. I prefer homemade cookies any day over storebought.
11. I take that back. I will eat just about any cheap or fancy candy containing chocolate.
12. I wear contacts and am legally blind without them or my glasses. Like, I can’t see the big letter “E” on the eye chart.
13. I love to play Bingo! In fact, I got my sorority going in college and my friends have taken me for my birthday the last two years.
14. I used to be in a sorority. Kappa Alpha Theta.
15. My high school mascot was the senator. Yep. Like a state senator.
16. My last name used to be “Gross” until the 8th grade.
17. I love Lifetime movies. And musicals. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, anyone?!
18. I don’t particularly like dressing up for themed events. I’m actually getting a little better as I get older.
19. Before having kids, I was a high school English teacher.
20. I’ve never broken a bone or had a cavity.
21. I have one sister who I love very much.
22. I am really good at free throws.
23. I am horrible at trivia.
24. I have a slight form of dyslexia. I will often mix words up; like “Cats and Dogs” will become “Dats and Cogs.”  And I actually struggled with math as a child as I would switch the numbers around and couldn’t figure out why the answer wasn’t coming out correctly.
25. My middle name is Marie and it is a tradition in our family to give that name to the first-born daughter. Can you guess what Gwyn’s middle name is?!
26. I am a pretty decent whistler. I often catch myself whistling popular songs on the radio. My husband tries to compete with me, and just because he is louder doesn’t mean he is better.
27. I feel like I am an introverted extrovert. I like being around people, but at the same time, I will often hide when I see someone I know at the grocery store.
28. I am a creature of habit and routine. I can eat the same thing for breakfast every day and be just fine. It used to be oatmeal for about a year, and I am now currently on cheesy scrambled eggs. It’s been somewhere around a year eating those now as well.
29. In the second grade I cut my hair SO short I was often mistaken for a boy.
30. I am horrible at drinking enough water.
31. My favorite sport to play is volleyball.
32. I am a one purse kind of gal. I will use it until it falls apart before getting a new one. The same thing goes with shoes, too. I really only wear a few pairs on repeat.
33. I love to decorate our home and am into all things having to do with home decor.

And that’s it!

A huge thank you to my amazing husband, super sweet friends, and their wonderful spouses for taking me out for my birthday and making me feel so special! I appreciate you all very much!!

Here’s to a great year!