But first, thank you

I'll be celebrating my birthday less than a week from now. Like always, I requested a trip with the family so we could eat cake together in a different place.

The past year had been a mixed bag of emotions with surprises, both good and bad. Lost Mommy, and now we're also about to gain a new family member. We moved out of the house and into a new place where the kids seem to be thriving well and where I feel secure.

Some years are tougher than others, yet in the quiet of the weekend morning, I'm grateful that my kids are healthy and happy, my husband is ever the steady hand in navigating this world, and my life turned out to be not too bad.

So cheers to a hella good life and a lifetime of gratitude for all the ways my life has taken odd turns, yet always unexpectedly quite the journey to savor.