Thursday, September 12, 2013

The BIG One!

Today is the big day. 

I'm forty!

Honestly, I cannot believe that I have lived four decades already.  It really has NOT gone by very fast at all. Well, I take that back.  I feel like my childhood and most of my 20's went by really fast.  I had a decent childhood growing up on a farm in rural Minnesota.  The most memorable event that shaped my life was when my mother passed away from cancer in the late 80's.  I was eleven years old.  Nothing was the same after that.  It did however contribute to who I am today.  I am strong and independent.  I have a great personal drive to be the best that I can be.  Though it was tragic, it shaped me into the person I am today and I like her! 

I spent my early twenties in college.  I got a degree and it has served me well though I do not particularly use much of the particulars of it.  However, the rigor of an engineering degree helped shape my work ethic. I learned how to buckle down and study.  That it's better to do things in little chunks leading up to an event rather than cram for it the night before.  I also paid for my undergraduate degree with cash (with a little bit of help from my Dad).  I worked 2-3 jobs during the summer and saved almost every single penny of it.  It wasn't fun but it taught me the value of the dollar. I was not going to flunk out or drop a class because that would mean more hours slinging chicken (at KFC) or working the factory line (at Hoffman Manufacturing) to retake it.  All of this taught me that hard work can pay off.  It doesn't matter what score you get on standardized tests or assessments as long as you are willing to put in the time and have persistence.  You will always come out on top.

My mid-twenties I found myself navigating the professional arena. I got my first job, survived the dot com fiasco, and found out what I was meant to do.  I pretty much boss people around for a living, which for those who know me, would find this very fitting!  I spent a lot of time doing crafts, working out, and pretty much doing what I wanted to do all of the time.  I also started exploring my spirituality and began to wonder if there was more out there than what I was taught growing up. In my late twenties, I thought it might be cool to get married, so the hunt was on.  Finally, I met my fabulous husband that I fondly call Thew (or Thewber or Thewbie Du).  Before him I was a serial dater.  Online dating was just starting out - heck the internet was just starting out - and I went on a lot of dates with random people I met online.  None of it was good and the majority of them resulted in one measly date.  When I finally met Thew, he came to my door and the heavens opened shining down on him rays of enlightenment.  I knew right away that he was special.  In less than a year we were engaged (on "the" September 11th no less) and seven months later we were officially hitched.  It's been marital bliss from there.

My 30's on the other hand probably was like an equivalent of two decades to me.  So much happened during my 30's like growing and having two children, whom I'll fondly call #1 and #2.  They came with all sorts of fun and challenges that I'm sure will find their way to the pages of this blog including premature birth, acid reflux, infertility, food allergies, failure to thrive, hearing loss, ear tubes, tonsil/adenoid removal, feeding therapy, and developmental delays (just to name a few). We sold our home that we had lived in for nine long years (accumulating crap) and built a new home. Our oldest started grade school which brought along all the challenges of learning how to navigate the public school system and balancing homework with activities.  We went gluten free 100% at home for everyone because #2 and I needed to for our health.  I became a girl scout leader of ten lively girls, took up some new crafts and hobbies until I realized that my free time was not really my own anymore.  This is completely ok.  I love our family and wouldn't trade a thing so far. 

Now that I've reached another pivotal decade, I hope time starts to slow down even more.  I want to spend as much time as I can with my kids before they grow up and decide to move away.  I want to become a published author, a blogger (check!), an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and so much more.  I want to travel the world and finish visiting the 50 beautiful states of the U.S.A.  I want to reach my goal weight, love to work out, and eat healthy meals all of the time! I want to grow deeper in my faith and grow more as a person so I can help others in need or those who just need an ear.  I want to fall in love with my husband, my partner in life over and over again.  I want to meet new people, learn new things, and teach those things that I know to others willing to listen.  Finally, I want this to be the best decade yet to come.

The time is now or it will be never.

Until next time,
J.K. Sasse
The "Sasse" Lady

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