This is 36...

A long time ago, when I was fresh out of high school, one of my good friends and I were chatting about growing up and becoming adults. He told me that his dad told him that even though he was "old", he didn't feel any different from when he was our age. His body was older, but he still felt young. 

At the time, I didn't really understand that. I just thought that as you get "old" you willingly gain all of the characteristics of older people...responsible, boring...adult.

But now, I get it. 

And I feel exactly the same way. 

On the inside, I am still just a young soul, full of dreams. I have about 30 lifetimes full of adventures on my "to-do" list, and I absolutely love laughing, having fun, and blowing off responsibilities for as long as humanly possible. 

But, on the outside, I'm definitely forced to deal with all of the responsibilities that go along with being an adult...

This list includes, but is not limited to: grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying bills, helping with homework, carting the kids around to various sporting events, making sure church happens regularly, buying presents for kids' birthday parties, signing and returning notes to school, packing lunches, cooking, cleaning, laundry (because those deserve to be mentioned more than once...), and so much more.

Those are the parts of being 36 that make looking like an adult seem pretty lame.

But, I am bound and determined to not let those responsibilities define me. Nope. For me, 36 looks like this:

Bike rides with friends! I went on this bike ride with girlfriends on Saturday morning. It was so much fun. I flew down the hills and yelled, "This is 36!" (I'm not kidding...I really did yell that...) 

Road trips with girlfriends, full of laughs, sunshine, and ridiculousness. I will never be too old for that.

Running with girlfriends. And every once in a while, traveling somewhere beautiful and adventurous to do it!

Taking time for me. Because even though I love time with friends and family, I also need time to reflect and work on being the best version of me that I can possibly be.

This. 

Staying healthy and fit and loving almost every second of it!

And finally...these guys. My whole world. 36 will continue to be filled with love and adventures with the guys that keep me going. I will continue to work hard to show them that you get out of life exactly what you put into it. So, even though I have to work hard on the boring stuff that goes along with being an adult, I still get to do so many amazing things that make this life pretty stinkin' awesome.

Sparkle.Pounce.Live Life Fully.

-Kendra