It’s that time of year again, the night before my birthday… and today like most years I have spent some of the day reflecting… I’m not sure what it is about birthdays, but they always a good time to take stock of the year that was, the things that I have learnt and the ways I have grown. So just like the last couple of years, I’ve popped it into a little list… a list of 31 things to be thankful for, to acknowledge or just remember before I turn 32 tomorrow.

1. So far my 30s are great… tough and exciting, but somehow much more satisfying.
2. The coffee thing was just the sleep deprivation… I am back on full time tea.
3. I really like being outside… I often forget this though… I should make a point to remember because it is good for my body and my soul.
4. When I listen to my own dietetic advice… it works…
5. Finding the balance between working and being a good mum and wife is hard, it’s hard on my brain and hard on my heart, but the more I do it, the more I get used to it… but it’s not really easier.
6. I really enjoy music… listening to it and being part of it.
7. Watching kids learn things we take for granted is the best… how the world works, what things do and how to use their muscles and brains.. I could watch Isaac work out life forever…
8. It’s important to be deliberate about including people in your life… if you aren’t they will disappear. Make time for the ones you love.
9. Birds are actually pretty amazing… I still don’t want to touch them, but I like to know what they are.
10. Making time for reading is also really good for my heart and my soul
11. Stats, facts and competitions, even if they are just with myself make me achieve more in a moment than I do without the push.
12. Being deliberate about family time has to be a priority… Dave and Isaac are my most important people and making memories with them is the best way to spend my free time.
13. Exercise and learning are addictive
14. Play centres are dirty… and they set off all my germ phobias, but they are fun and Isaac loves them so we will keep going.
15. Swimming laps can clear the mind and bring clarity… but it does come with an epic google eye ring.
16. I am much handier with a needle and thread than I ever thought I could or would be.
17. Cuddles from Isaac are the greatest gift.
18. I am so thankful for those who have gone before me who have fought for justice so that I don’t have to.
19. Time passes quickly, writing things down as they happen is the best way to remember and savour them.
20. I still love the Langham and everything about it.
21. Traveling with a baby is both easier and harder… I am much less stressed about having the things I need and much more stressed about everything else.
22. Grandparents are lifesavers that make the world spin.
23. Sometimes it is impossible to say thank you enough.
24. I will never stop listing.
25. I am still surprised by how strong my body is and the more I push it, the stronger it gets.
26. I value quiet time more than I ever thought I would… silence is magic to my ears
27. Distance is nothing between besties, but it doesn’t make it any less exciting when you find out she will be home soon enough
28. I am still more attached to my phone than I would like… but I think I am getting better with it slowly
29. If I just exercise in the morning, it will be over and done with and I won’t have to think about it again for the rest of the day… I should do this
30. I have more than I need, I always have… I need to take time to remember this often.
31. The hard bits of life make you appreciate the sweet bits all the more.

Here we go 32… lets do this.