Those three words are beginning to be my life’s slogan. It has been a roller-coaster year thus far. Starting 08 with a nasty infection and being bound to machines and PICC lines doesn’t give you a great outlook. But then I switched jobs at work to something I love and that is more manageable for me. Then, we bought a nice house and we sold our old house. We celebrated our son’s 6th birthday with family and friends, and I was here to enjoy it. There is a lot to say about health and happiness. It certainly cannot be bought.

I was not particularly excited about my approaching 31st birthday last Sunday. Once you hit that 30 mark there really isn’t anything exciting to look for. Now you’re 30 and your life is measured by how many years you’ll have left.

My day started with an early church service and meeting to follow. By the afternoon we were fishing with our neighbors at the lake behind our house. That evening my husband and son cooked BBQ chicken and we ate outside on our new patio enjoying the sunset and the breeze. They even made a chocolate cake and to me that was all I expected.

Imagine my surprise to open a present and find a book called “Nikon D80.” My first thought was, “You idiot! This isn’t the kind of camera we have! We have a Fuji!”

But that was just the intro to what came next. A Nikon D80! An actual Nikon D80 camera. I was shocked and excited! I love taking pictures. I was reluctant to get our first Fuji camera right after Ethan was born. It seemed like a lot of money to spend on a camera, but it has been such a great way to document his first years and our family.

Thanks to a husband who purchased a camera for me weeks ago and made sure it was well hidden, turning 31 was quite memorable. He had watched me salivate over my parent’s new camera and said nothing. (He is much better at keeping secrets than I am.)

Now I have been reading and practicing taking pictures with the camera all week. I am beyond blessed by a family who gives more than it takes. My 31st birthday produced a lot of smiles and laughter. I captured them all and tucked them away, for the days when I forget how blessed I truly am.