How did THAT happen???

Officially, all my children are adults... and yet I don't feel like I am old enough myself to have an adult family. One day you just wake up and realize that everyone is "grown up". It's a little bit surreal.

When I was a little girl I remember thinking that I would never be old enough to drive... Even as a teenager the time to go to college, find someone to spend my life with and have kids, seemed a long way from my realities at times... Then as a young married I thought... it's forever till I will be as old as my parents... and here it is... I blinked and I arrived (well not quite as old as my parents... but I am old enough that I no longer wonder what it feels like to get old...) One thing I will say is that it's been a really nice journey...

The getting old part must happen while you sleep, because I don't feel all that different from the way I did as a 20 year old college student... I am wiser and hopefully less ready to hurt myself and others... But I don't FEEL old... at least inside my emotional self... I'll admit that I physically feel some of the creaking of old age and the effects of mortality. But even with those effect I don't "feel" old~!

Hubby and I will be going on a cruise later this month to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, one of those milestones that seemed like it was SO far away 25 years ago when we got married... except now that it is here I realize that spending those years together was the fun part, and more than ever I believe that you DO need to celebrate the milestones as a couple!

As a member of the LDS faith we believe that family and marriage are eternal and that the relationships we build here will last into the eternities, that we can be together forever if we are obedient to the commandments and covenants we make... We also need to accept the Savior's atonement, by repenting when we make mistakes... which we all do, that even though it IS through His grace that we are "saved"... we still have to have faith AND work at our salvation, believing isn't enough by itself.

The church is a source of tremendous comfort and strength for me... and I am not sure how people that do not have the gospel in their lives... (or a basic faith in God at the very least) manage to weather the storms of life. Nevertheless for me, the Gospel and my family is my source of happiness and strength... It feels so good to have this family that I have raised and loved for years around me... I think I understand my mother each year more and more. The things that she spent her time and efforts on during her life involved our family.

Sometimes I forget just what I am working so hard to achieve, and then a big day rolls around and I remember... I remember that the REAL PollyAnna family is doing pretty great and we have good times and happy days on a regular basis. That is a good thing... a VERY good thing.