Wrapping Up the Year

This morning, the last day of 2014, Nick and I woke up in some strange hotel bed to four kids who were already awake, dressed in swimsuits, and begging to head back over to the indoor water park.  No, we didn't up and skip town six days after Christmas; rather, we booked a hotel approximately 5 miles from our house, and took advantage of the kids being out of school so we could claim one more night of fun before the year wrapped itself up.  It was kind of a spur of the moment decision, but Madison begged for an extra special birthday outing since she was turning the "big" age of 10, and we decided to acquiesce to her request.  Though we don't do sleep-overs, the deal we struck with her and the other kids was to rent a hotel room for their tenth birthday outing, and to invite a few friends to eat, swim, and watch movies until late into the night.  Then we would take friends home and sleep in the hotel room with just the members of our family.  It turned out to be a pretty good evening, with Maddi, Kate, and Abbie all feeling pretty grown up.  

The rest of us had fun too, and the whole experience made me stop and think.  Last year on this day we were having a sleep-over in the construction zone that was soon to be our new house!  It was a crazy night, one that none of us will ever forget.  This year; however, we will be bringing in the New Year in the comfort of our newly bought and furnished "shelter from the storm."  Well, we'll be sleeping there at least.  We've got a New Year's Eve party at the Stake President's house, and then we're going to go and toast in the New Year at the hospital with Nick, but after that we'll all pile into my bed and dream the night and past year away into the archives of time.

 I know I say it often, but time just keeps on rolling on, faster and faster until I can hardly believe we're all so old and established.  I think I've finally reached the point that I no longer consider myself a newlywed, or even a young mom; but, I still don't really see myself as a grown-up.  It's nonsensical really, but it's true.  It's like I'm still playing house in someone else's space with someone else's money and someone else's children.  Maybe that is part of the secret of life: Though others might see you in certain ways, YOU never consider yourself as "arrived".  I haven't lived long enough to know if it is always this way, but I'm guessing it will be the status quo for at least a few more years.  Maybe in six years when I hit the "big" 4-0 I will feel more like an adult that a kid, but judging from past milestones, I doubt it.  In the meantime; however, life just keeps passing, whether we admit it to ourselves or not.  And so, we close out another crazy, busy, wonderful, blessed year of life and start tomorrow anew, looking forward to whatever the New Year will bring.  Hello 2015!  Good-night 2000-gone!