"Mommy, today's your birthday"

After I finally got the last rug-rat buckled in this morning, I pushed the backdoor of my car shut, and heard, "Happy Birthday Mommy".  Since I realized that I so rudely slammed the door as Kayden was trying to talk to me (and I kinda just wanted to hear him say it again) I said, "What did you say Kayden?".  With a little grin he said, as I climbed in the front seat, out of breath, "Mommy, today's your birthday".  

It is.  Today I am 28.  I used to think that 28 was kinda old.  But now that I'm here, I look at it a little differently.   People ask if we'll have any more kids. I always say, "Not any time soon". (Although, that's what I said after Tyler was born too).  I tell them that I feel like I'm young to be done having kids.  But, on the other hand, I do have 3 of them.

When I think about the past year---the time while I was 27---it's kind of a blur.  So much happened really.  

Just after I turned 27, I found out I was pregnant with Tyson.  Not only was I pregnant, but I was 17 weeks and 2 days pregnant.  (Picture my face, as I sat alone in the ultrasound room with the tech, expecting to hear somewhere between 5 and 8 weeks, which was what I had been told based on my blood work). 

While I was 27, my biggest baby turned 3.  My middle turned 1, and my littlest baby came into the world.  

While I was 27, we lost Mike's grandma, my Godmother, and my uncle.

While I was 27, I started my 3rd (and most likely final) year of teaching in a school where I am just starting to really get comfortable.

While I was 27, I decided to go back to working my Thursday night shift at the bowling alley.  I have been an employee there for about 6 years.  When I was pregnant with Tyler, I decided to just be a sub.  This fall, I decided to go back.  Working every-other Thursday night.  I decided to go back for a couple reasons.  One, we could use the extra money.  Two, it's time out of the house, with some adult interaction.  Three, I missed my job there.  I like the people, and it's usually kind of fun.  

Things have changed.  Good things have happened, scary things have happened, sad things have happened, but it all happened.  We can't change any of it.  All we can do is go forward and look forward to a year of being 28.