Over a Hill

They used to say that forty year olds were "over the hill."  Now they say that "fifty is the new forty." I say that life is full of hills and valleys no matter what your age! Regardless of my philosophical underpinnings, I realized today that it has been almost a month since I celebrated my 40th birthday and I have not yet documented it here. I know... in all actuality, I don't document a great many things, but my sweet husband and cute kids did such a great job helping me feel loved and remembered that it may just be a milestone reached that should not be allowed to slip through the fingers of bloggerdom. So, here is how it went down...

I had suggested to Derek that my 40th birthday could be simply celebrated with a trip to Boston. Derek was needing to go for work reasons and I was tagging along purely for my own enjoyment. We have been looking forward to the trip for years and it came at just the right time. We left the kids home to run their lives by themselves and we spent 8 days in the beautiful, historic city with good food, good friends, some work, and a lot of good time together. It was a perfect way to recognize a "peak" in my journey.

We came home just in time to celebrate Tanner's 18th birthday with him. That made me feel older than turning forty! How is it possible for me to have an eighteen year old?! We are so pleased with the adult he has become. Now I just have to soak up every moment I have left with him at home because I know he is not going to hang out here for much longer... such an awesome guy.

The very next week Derek made his traditional chocolate cheesecake for my entire Slater family, who sang their lovely rendition of Happy Birthday to me, and I felt celebrated. Little did I know, it was only the beginning. On my actual birthday, my sisters invited me to have lunch with them, which was a special treat that hasn't been possible before and I felt more celebrated. Later, we went to dinner with the kids, the restaurant brought out dessert and sang to me, and I felt over-celebrated. When we got home I was presented with a book of memories and messages written by family and friends from all stages of my life and I was stunned. I could not believe that Derek thought ahead enough to gather all those entries and photos. I couldn't believe my sister and my kids never hinted at their involvement. Nor could I believe that people were able to find so many nice things to say about me! When I was able to read it, it made me cry to realize how blessed my life has been to have such close contact with so many amazing people. That book will be a treasure... truly. The other gift that brought tears to my eyes was the birthday cake which Derek made for me that day during his lunch break... knowing that I don't even really like cake. This deserves a back story.

When I turned twenty I was living with three amazing roommates who planned a surprise birthday party for me. They had invited some of our guy friends to go disco skating with us, even buying 70s garb for all of us to wear. It was so silly and so fun. Some of the guys had offered to bring the birthday cake and as it turned out, it was Derek that made it. We wouldn't start dating until months later, but that cake made an impression on me. Twenty years later I was surprised to see the same cake appear before me, except with forty candles on top. Instead of pondering on a wish, I was thinking about the significance of knowing Derek for half my life. It was so sweet of Derek to recreate that original cake, knowing that I would probably never eat any of it, but also knowing that it contributed to the interest that grew into courtship and finally into marriage. I didn't make a wish, but I did get all the candles out on my first try!:)

As if that wasn't enough recognition of 40 years of Regina, the kids and Derek invited some new friends from the neighborhood to come over two nights later for my favorite treats... popcorn and hot chocolate. It was so fun and we still managed to be in bed by 10:30. A good night of sleep is definitely appreciated these days... especially after a week full of attention!:) My favorite comment of the week was made by my 24 year old brother, Jake. He said something to the effect of, "If you've been climbing a hill for the last 40 years and you've finally reached the top, just think how much more fun it will be going down!" So here we go... I'm ready!:)