The BIG 40

It's hard to believe in just a couple of days, I'll be 40. It seems like just yesterday, my whole family was moving from Rockford to Janesville, I was graduating from high school, then college--then college AGAIN-I met Ted and married him 2 years later (those years flew!), we cried through infertility and then celebrated 2 adoptions, lost my dad to cancer, celebrated a third adoption and then lost Ted's mom. Life is flying. Just yesterday, Ted carried baby Julia in the palm of his hand--today she stands next to me and she reaches my shoulder.

I remember my years at Edgewood and doing my clinical rotations--doing just about everything I could to avoid pediatrics(successfully I might add)--now I'm certified in pediatrics and really can't imagine doing anything else. 10 years ago Ted was planning a surprise party for my 30th birthday--now at 40 all I want to do is sit on my butt on a beach and watch the sun float overhead. I have 3 kids--all in elementary school. We've travelled all over the world--Ted finally flew in an airplane--just to prove we do nothing half way it was clear to the far east side of Russia!

These past 40 years have been a hell of an adventure--what will the next 40 bring? More sports, more graduations, marriages and births--meaning grandchildren some day, sadly more deaths, travel --and just LIFE!! JOY!!! TEARS!! LAUGHTER!! Every variety of emotion possible. I look forward to it.

The mantra of my life: I will not live my life with any regret