I remember very clearly being in Elementary school, looking at "grown-ups" and thinking how OLD they were. I never thought of old as a bad thing; though I think the idea of "old" being bad comes from adults, not children. Children can't wait to grow up (except for the ones who go to Neverland). It's funny all the ideas we have about growing up and where you're supposed to be in your life when you reach different ages. And it's interesting the way it changes as you continue to grow up.
I don't know if it's a human thing to do or if it's just me, but I've always looked forward to milestone ages...
5 was exciting because it took up one whole hand
8 it was exciting because I was old enough to be baptized
10 two hands and into the double digits
12 I was a teen
14 highschool
15 drivers permit
16 drivers license
17 rated R movies
18 legally an adult
***(wow 14-18 is a pretty exciting time in a person's life!)
21 legal drinking age
25 can rent a car (which I actually did younger than 25 but just had added costs)
(But then what? Well I'll tell you what, though this wasn't my intended place to take this blog, so I'm not going to expand, but after that people start dreading birthdays and a shame too since they're only a 4th of the way through their life).
There are other milestones in there, too; accomplishments and goals that we look forward to. Graduating from school, getting a job, renting your first apartment, getting a promotion, getting married, starting a family, buying a house, etc. Based off of myself and conversations with others I believe that we each have our own idea of a timeline for when some of these things are supposed to happen. I don't think that we all have a timeline for all of these things, but I think each individual has an idea based off of what is most important to them and their personal goals/dreams. I always wonder how many people's lives go closely according to their personal plan. Mine pretty much never has.
If you asked me 10 years ago when I was 16 how I envisioned my life would look by the time I was 26 I know exactly what I would have said (which I partly know because I've been an avid journaler for forever). I would have said I would be married with at least a few children living in a house as a stay at home mom. I find it interesting that none of that is true aside from being married, which if you can't tell by my description, I obviously planned on getting married earlier than I did in order to have those "few" children.
The interesting thing about my vision is that I am so far from it, but I just can't imagine my life having been any other way than it's been. I think of all the experiences I've had and all the lessons I've learned. I continue to learn so much in my marriage and constantly feel grateful for the time Jason and I have together just the two of us. My sister always told me when Jason and I were engaged that we should consider waiting to have children so that we can make sure to really get to know and enjoy each other before any children came along. I thought she was crazy. We had already been together for 6 years, why did we possibly need any more time just the two of us? Ultimately I suppose it isn't like we've needed the time just the two of us, though it has certainly benefited us and I am grateful we've had it.
Now, instead of being discouraged that my life hasn't gone "according to plan", I continue looking into my future and I'm beginning to see a new plan form. It is so different from what 16 year old me saw. It is a plan full of new fresh and exciting goals. It will meet up with my old goals at some point, but for now I think about all the things that Jason and I can continue to accomplish together. I wonder a little about what I will think of my plans 10 years from now. I look forward to seeing what will come our way, what new experiences we will have, what new lessons we still get to learn and just how our lives will turn out.
Adult life is not the way I envisioned it being through the rose-colored glasses I wore growing up. I don't spend my days doing whatever I want to do, eating whatever I want to eat, and buying whatever I want to buy. It is completely different, and though it is often much harder than I ever anticipated, it is wonderful and I wouldn't have it any other way.
FDR flowers
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Wow...
It has been so long since I posted that everything on this website is completely changed. Weird.
I'm not sure why I haven't found the time to write since January. I've certainly been busy, probably more so than ever before, but surely I could've found the time to write something. Since I haven't I suppose this will be mostly catching up on things.
Tori (my baby sister - [Tor, do you hate always being referred to as that?]) got married in June! It's weird now that all of us are married. She got married in the mountains in one of my favorite spots. Now after leaving the mountains I definitely appreciate them more than ever before. One of the parents came in (at work) today and told us that they're headed to Vail this weekend and I got SO JEALOUS. I've only had one camping experience in MN but it was enough to convince me that unless I'm doing mountain camping... it's not camping. Best thing about camping in CO? So many fewer bugs! Sorry, there I go, off on a tangent. Point was, TORI GOT MARRIED! Andrew (my one and only brother) and his wife are expecting child number two to show up sometime next month. Boy or girl? We dunno. I'll surely post a picture when Baby Ripp appears though :)
Jason has finished his second year of law school and is about to start his third and final year. It is so mind boggling to me that this is almost done. Nine more months guaranteed in MN and then who knows where we'll be? Though in honesty, I don't want to think about that too much, that thought makes me go into a semi cuckoo place. Not because I have super strong opinions about where I want to be (though I do) but because it's overwhelming to think of all the possibilities and I'm probably better off just waiting until we find out. However along that note I have recently realized that for the first time in a REALLY long time I have had a solid one year of consistency. No moving states, apartments, jobs... and whatever else there might be. One solid year in MN in the same apartment with the same job. That might not sound like much of an achievement but to me it feels like a miracle. I'd truly love to keep the solidity up, that would mean I could get my Bachelors from one school and not have to transfer to yet ANOTHER new school. But although that is a possibility, I don't know how likely, so it's a good thing I'm preparing myself to roll with the punches.
As for school, I FINALLY GOT A DEGREE. Part of me dislikes that all I have to show for my work since High School is an Associates degree, but mostly I just feel accomplished because I actually have SOMETHING to show for all the work I've done since High School! I also have officially OFFICIALLY decided what my Bachelor's Degree will be in. I truly don't know how anyone makes this decision at the age of 18 and sticks with what they chose and ARE HAPPY. In the last year alone I think I've changed my mind 2 times. My final answer is a degree in Early Childhood Studies. I had been planning for a very long time to be a high school Social Studies teacher and while I still think that could potentially be something I would love, I came to realize how much I love what I am currently doing (and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right?!) I would love to continue to learn and grow in a daycare or preschool with young children. Honestly that's the age I have the most experience with. Newborn-5. And I love it. LOVE IT. Of course right now I work with the youngest age group and imagine that's what I'll be doing for most of the near future. But I've worked a lot with toddlers and pre-k ages and have no doubt of my ability to love the "older" young ages as well. So although it will be slow moving to get my degree (I still have 50 some credits to go) I am starting to feel excited about starting my new classes in 2 weeks.
Really I had the urge to write tonight because I am so happy. I just feel so overwhelmingly lucky tonight. I have the most amazing husband who works so hard and who makes me laugh and feel so happy. My family is incredible. My job is wonderful. I have some really fantastic friends and co-workers. The families who I have met and the babies who I have in my life are all so wonderful (seriously - what is better than going to work with little people who smile at you and love you because that's all they know how to do? - SO LUCKY!) I try not to do this too often because I know (or at least I think) it can be annoying to listen to people talk about their "perfect" lives. But tonight I needed to do it. It's often way easier to think about the things in life that are wrong and it's all too easy not to see all that is right. It is also good for me to tell those who make me feel so lucky that I am grateful they're in my life.
I'm not sure why I haven't found the time to write since January. I've certainly been busy, probably more so than ever before, but surely I could've found the time to write something. Since I haven't I suppose this will be mostly catching up on things.
Tori (my baby sister - [Tor, do you hate always being referred to as that?]) got married in June! It's weird now that all of us are married. She got married in the mountains in one of my favorite spots. Now after leaving the mountains I definitely appreciate them more than ever before. One of the parents came in (at work) today and told us that they're headed to Vail this weekend and I got SO JEALOUS. I've only had one camping experience in MN but it was enough to convince me that unless I'm doing mountain camping... it's not camping. Best thing about camping in CO? So many fewer bugs! Sorry, there I go, off on a tangent. Point was, TORI GOT MARRIED! Andrew (my one and only brother) and his wife are expecting child number two to show up sometime next month. Boy or girl? We dunno. I'll surely post a picture when Baby Ripp appears though :)
Jason has finished his second year of law school and is about to start his third and final year. It is so mind boggling to me that this is almost done. Nine more months guaranteed in MN and then who knows where we'll be? Though in honesty, I don't want to think about that too much, that thought makes me go into a semi cuckoo place. Not because I have super strong opinions about where I want to be (though I do) but because it's overwhelming to think of all the possibilities and I'm probably better off just waiting until we find out. However along that note I have recently realized that for the first time in a REALLY long time I have had a solid one year of consistency. No moving states, apartments, jobs... and whatever else there might be. One solid year in MN in the same apartment with the same job. That might not sound like much of an achievement but to me it feels like a miracle. I'd truly love to keep the solidity up, that would mean I could get my Bachelors from one school and not have to transfer to yet ANOTHER new school. But although that is a possibility, I don't know how likely, so it's a good thing I'm preparing myself to roll with the punches.
As for school, I FINALLY GOT A DEGREE. Part of me dislikes that all I have to show for my work since High School is an Associates degree, but mostly I just feel accomplished because I actually have SOMETHING to show for all the work I've done since High School! I also have officially OFFICIALLY decided what my Bachelor's Degree will be in. I truly don't know how anyone makes this decision at the age of 18 and sticks with what they chose and ARE HAPPY. In the last year alone I think I've changed my mind 2 times. My final answer is a degree in Early Childhood Studies. I had been planning for a very long time to be a high school Social Studies teacher and while I still think that could potentially be something I would love, I came to realize how much I love what I am currently doing (and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right?!) I would love to continue to learn and grow in a daycare or preschool with young children. Honestly that's the age I have the most experience with. Newborn-5. And I love it. LOVE IT. Of course right now I work with the youngest age group and imagine that's what I'll be doing for most of the near future. But I've worked a lot with toddlers and pre-k ages and have no doubt of my ability to love the "older" young ages as well. So although it will be slow moving to get my degree (I still have 50 some credits to go) I am starting to feel excited about starting my new classes in 2 weeks.
Really I had the urge to write tonight because I am so happy. I just feel so overwhelmingly lucky tonight. I have the most amazing husband who works so hard and who makes me laugh and feel so happy. My family is incredible. My job is wonderful. I have some really fantastic friends and co-workers. The families who I have met and the babies who I have in my life are all so wonderful (seriously - what is better than going to work with little people who smile at you and love you because that's all they know how to do? - SO LUCKY!) I try not to do this too often because I know (or at least I think) it can be annoying to listen to people talk about their "perfect" lives. But tonight I needed to do it. It's often way easier to think about the things in life that are wrong and it's all too easy not to see all that is right. It is also good for me to tell those who make me feel so lucky that I am grateful they're in my life.
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| Tori's Wedding June 2012 |
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| Sister together in Chicago (husbands giving bunny ears) July 2012 |
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| Mom and me at Disney waiting out the rain for some fireworks! July 2012 |
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| Birthday celebration for Rachel and me. May 2012 |
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Cruise
We're home from the cruise. It was absolutely amazing! I really don't have much else to say about it though. I always find it difficult to talk about a trip once I get back, especially one like this, there were just so many of us and so much to talk about! So I just decided to post some pictures. I took over 300 though and I only posted like 20 - I didn't want to bore you with too many. Enjoy!
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| In the plane on the way to Ft. Lauderdale. |
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| Jason and Andrew playing Uno at the hotel in Ft. Lauderdale the night before getting on the cruise ship. |
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| Waiting at the hotel for the shuttle to take us to the ship. From left to right, Hayden, Sienna, me and Dallen. The kids were awfully patient while we waited far longer than anticipated. |
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| On the ship getting ready to disembark. |
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| Watching as we slowly move away from port. |
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| Celebrating our Mom's birthday on our first formal night at sea. |
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| The fort we visited while in Old San Juan. |
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| Inside the fort at Old San Juan. (left to right) Lindsay, Dallen, Jeff, Jason, Sienna |
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| Jackson hanging out outside the fort. |
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| At a beach on St. Thomas. |
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| Everyone hanging on the beach at St. Thomas |
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| In front of our ship - Sienna, Lindsay, Dallen, Jeff, Tori, Jake, Todd, Jackson, Jason, Hayden, Casey, and me |
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| This is the night that Jason and I stole Jackson. Our plot to keep him and bring him back to MN with us failed. |
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| Dessert night! |
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| Formal night #2 |
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| My handsome hubby and me on formal night #2 |
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| Hayden and Dallen :) |
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| Most of the group - we didn't manage getting one with our Aunts in it unfortunately. |
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| Jason and me on Half Moon Cay |
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| Having fun on Half Moon Cay - it was so AMAZING |
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy 2012!
Happy New Year! I hope you all had fabulous and relaxing holiday's. For some reason I feel like I have been waiting for 2012 for a very long time. I think this is going to be a wonderful year! How could it not be? Life just seems to get progressively better as time goes on. I will get my Associate's Degree this year and Jason will begin his final year of law school. Just two reasons to look forward to this year. But what am I most looking forward to? At the moment, the cruise I get to go on with my wonderful family! I will post pictures and stories when we get back :-) Yay 2012!!
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| In Colorado on Christmas Eve Day with 3 of my 5 awesome siblings! |
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