Being 35...

On Friday I turned 35. There was a time that 35 seemed like it would be so old. Now it just seems like another year. I actually took some time to reflect on the last 5 years. 30 - 35 was the time of the most dramatic changes in my life. I want to write down my thoughts so that in 5 years I can look back and remember where I was at in 2006.

I have moved twice...given birth to 3 babies...worked for 3 different swimming organizations...started my own business again...left childhood friends at home to make new friends as an adult...I have been back to BC only 3 times...started a blog :-)...I would rather be at home with my family than out running around...I love my children more than I ever thought possible...I am so far behind in all my scrapbooks...I am a child person not a pet person...I love having pictures of my family all around me in my home...I enjoyed renovating rooms in my house...I love my husband more than I ever thought possible...I want to be more involved in my community...I want to take more time to travel to new places as the kids get older...I am proud of what I have accomplished and how I have handled the difficult times...I would not go back to my 20's :-)

The last 5 years have gone by so quickly in some respects. Amid all the chaos of life with children - diapers, nursing, not enough sleep, picking up the same toys 5 times in one day - and working part time I feel like I may have missed so much. Yet, as I watch Bryden learn to print her name and color beautiful pictures...and Hayden learn his ABC's and count to 10...and sweet little Landen starting to walk along the furniture and learn to sign "more" so he can ask for more food....I think that I have done the best job that I can to be there for my children in each moment.

Jim has flourished in his career as an attorney. Maybe one day he will be in a position to want to start his own law firm. I think that in the past 5 years I have been instrumental in encouraging his success. I thank Jim often for working as hard as he does to support our family and so that I do not have to work full time. I can focus on maintaining our household and caring for the kids. For that and for him I am so grateful and blessed.

Leaving BC and the business that I worked to hard to create was very difficult for me. I started to teach swimming lessons again (on a very small scale) when we moved 3 years ago. Now, I have a business that is as successful as it was back in BC. I am teaching about 100 children every 6 weeks. I am so fortunate that I get to do a job that I love to do.

So, what will the next 5 years have in store for me? What exciting times will be waiting for me from 35 - 40? Some things will never happen again -like giving birth to 3 babies in 5 years and starting up another swimming lesson business. Other things may repeat itself - like moving and keeping my business successful. Still other things will happen for the first time - the kids entering school, taking all 3 kids on an airplane to come back to BC, cutting back how much I work as my children get older. Some things will remain a constant in my life - loving my husband and children, looking to challenge myself in the business arena, making new friends and keeping up with old ones, taking time to be proud of what I have accomplished and looking forward to all the moments yet to come.

So, what do I want to accomplish in the next 5 years? That is such a tough question to answer as I feel that my goals are all over the map.

I want to be the kind of wife who is supportive and encouraging but who also can challenge Jim to make decisions that may be out of his comfort zone because I know that together we can accomplish anything. I want to date my husband since we kinda missed out on that aspect of our relationship :-) I want to make sure that I say "I love you" on a daily basis but I want my actions to support those words.

I want to be a loving mother who is attentive and caring but yet a mother who encourages my children to set goals for themselves and strive to reach them. My children will know that I would rather that they try something and fail than not try at all. I will be there to help pick them up, dust them off and set them on their way again. My children will know that I am proud of them. I want to make sure that the kids are given opportunities to try sports (not just swimming :-) and musical instruments. I never want my children to be spoiled. I want my children to always feel comfortable in coming to talk to me.

I want to take a bit more time for me. I will get all my scrapbooks caught up because it is theraputic for me :-) and they will be treasures for my family. I will start to wear clothes other than sweats..right now I am a great candidate for "What Not to Wear". I will start training again as I would like to compete in another natural body building competition in 2009. I want to get involved in our community - maybe with Special Olympics. I want to take some classes at the college....like photography and cooking. I want to meet a girlfriend for coffee once a week and have an adult conversation. I want to start swimming again because I know how theraputic that can be for me.

So much to do in the next 5 years. I can wish it to go by slowly but I know that the reality is that it won't so I need to make the most of each day with Jim and the kids and with myself. I am truly blessed to have so much and only be 35. I would not change a thing...OK, maybe I would want a few more hours in each day so that 8 hours of sleep would be attainable...

Being 35 is going to be great!! Wine gets better with age...so, why can't I? :-)

Ahhh...the summer of relaxing...

I have always loved summer...there is so much time to just sit around and relax and do a whole bunch of fun things. OK, maybe that was true when I was 8!! Not so much now. I feel like life gets busier as the summer goes on. The Palmer family has accomplished so much just since the beginning of June!!

First we went to St. Augustine, Florida which was heaven on earth for a week. No computers, no cell phone and no work!!

When we got home I started a 2 week swimming lesson set. I had almost 50 children registered to swim Monday - Friday for 2 weeks. I was in the water 6 hours a day!! I have not taught that much since...well, EVER!! What was I thinking?????

In the middle of all that was a birthday party that Bryden and Hayden were invited to. We have this neat place in town called "Pump it Up". It is a whole warehouse filled with "jumpy toys". You know...those big balloon type things that the kids can climb into and jump around in. The
cool thing is that the parents can join in too. The party was fun and the kids were worn out which in turn means that it was fun for me!!



Father's Day also fell in that time...which we celebrated in grand style. OK, not really grand style but I made dinner (which is an event in and of itself) and we had a picnic outside (which the kids love). We filled up our oversized plastic pool and set out the "Slip-n-Slide". Jim had a good time playing with the kids.

Jim's mom and dad arrived on June 29th for a 2 week visit. It was great to have them here. The kids adore Grandma and Poppa. Every time we hear an airplane Hayden says "Poppa come here?" We took them to Charlotte, North Carolina which is about 3 hours south of us. There was a HUGE outlet mall that we did some shopping in. Good thing I have the excuse of needing to buy school clothes!! Then came July 4th and the fireworks show on the street in front of our house :-) The kids hate the fireworks because they are too loud but we do it for the tradition.

Poor Bryden has a December birthday which means no party with friends year after year. So, this year we decided that she would have a 4 1/2 birthday. We had a beautifully sunny day with about 12 kids here. We rented one of those "Jumpy Toys" for the day and the kids had a ball. The really funny thing is that all of Bryden's friends from school have become swimming students of mine :-)

Then came the FAIR. What an exciting (and expensive) outing that turned out to be. Pony rides, funnel cakes, roller coasters, petting zoos and silly fair games...but it was all worth it!! The kids had so much fun. At the very end of the day the kids wanted to go and see a magic/kids show. So, off we went. The very last act called for someone to JUMP and someone to DANCE. Bryden went up on stage to do the JUMPING and Hayden went to do the DANCING. At the end of the "act" the audience cheered for the person they felt did the best. Our sweet Hayden won the gold medal :-) After a bit of talking about second place and how everyone can't win at the same time...Bryden was OK with Hayden being the star. Someone said that her behavior reminded them of ME!! I was offended :-)



Well, there is a month's worth of updates. Now ya'll can stop bugging me to update pictures f the kids. I have lots to tell you all still....the trials of potty training Hayden....Landen's obsession with food...Bryden swimming the length of the pool "freestyle" and "backstroke".

So, all is well in the Virginia Palmer's house...would love to get some updates from our friends and family who are all over the place....except Virginia :-(