My Little Secret....

My little secret is that today's my birthday.  Okay...  it's blasted all over Facebook and I'm getting birthday wishes from a bunch of my friends back in Ohio...  so... what's the secret?

 Blowing Out the Candles on my 9th Birthday...

It's no secret that  I'm celebrating my 72nd birthday... heck... I expect to celebrate my 100th (and I hope y'all are still reading my blog then.... ya hear?)  The surprise is that it came so soon.  Seems I was still in high school and dating my high school sweetheart.  Gee....  I wish I'd known then what I know now.  But then, I'd never have had my son and daughter if I'd changed things...  and I wouldn't change that for the world.

Bill & I met when we were 40.  Our kids were nearly grown...  sure, they've moved in and out a few times...  and even brought a grandchild with them at times....  but we were young and knew we could survive anything.  Heck, we even raised goats!  That's no secret.....  we could do whatever we wanted.

We both had crummy job situations....  that's no secret.  We both loved what we were doing but had jerks as bosses.  Bill endured much more job crap than me.... but we planned and planned some more.  We could retire at age 55 if we hung in there.  We did...  that's no secret.

Sure enough...  on Bill's 55th birthday he bid adieu to his job.... so long, farewell, adios.  The next year I did the same....  Totally out of the "rat race" and freedom at last!  We could live on the farm and live life at our own pace.

And we did...  for nearly 5 years before the travel bug bit us.

I was 59 years old when we became full time RVers.  Never been in an RV in my life.... not really fond of camping....  but sure as heck wanted to spend the summer in Alaska.  We planned for one year on the road.....  rented our house and everything.  Next month (January, 2014) we'll celebrate out 13th year on the road.  One year wasn't nearly long enough.

Our four kids now have 5 kids of their own and we have 2.5 great-grandkids. 

Celebrating my 15th Birthday...

Yes...  those are the same pink plastic candle holders that were  used on my 9th birthday... 

I don't know whatever happened to them, but they sure got used for a lot of years!  My parents were the original recyclers.

 We still have our health and our freedom.  Our kids and grandkids are all doing well.  We are still traveling....  we are living a life that I never even had the imagination to dream of. 

So....  What's the big secret?  Turning 72 isn't such a big deal...  I'm just wondering how the heck it all happened so quickly?  It seems like just yesterday that my kids were...  well, kids......  that Bill & I were planning where to plant "this year's" Christmas tree, that our kids moved away... one by one....  that our grandchildren were born.....  that our own lives changed from one phase to another.... now our kids are settled and are grandparents themselves....  Bill & I still are able to see the world.....

You know what?  Maybe I don't have any secrets....  I'm truly grateful for my life as it is.  

Hope y'all are, no matter how old you are or when your birthday is.

That's All For Today!