Wow! I cannot believe I am waking up today 38! All year I have been saying I can’t believe I am going to be 39 this year LOL…clearly I have been living in a state of confusion. Time sure does fly when you are having fun right? Some days I feel like I am way older than 38 but most days I feel like a spring chicken!
To most people birthdays are just another year of getting older but to me birthdays are just so much more. Birthdays to me represent choices, celebrating the life we have lived and reflecting on all of the good and the bad we have been through.
38 years ago 4 peopl
e made choices. 2 made the choice to give me up because they knew it was in my best interest and 2 made the choice to jump right on in to the unknown and adopt a baby. Both choices were hard and both were life changing. I am often asked if I have ever had the desire to meet by birth mother. The answer is no not really. In my 20’s for a brief moment yes, but that was only because I was going through some health issues and knowing the family history could have been useful. But ultimately I decided that was just not for me. I know giving up a baby must have been so hard for my birth mother but I love and respect her for the choices she made. She knew she was giving me the best life I deserved.
My adoptive parents were also making hard decisions. They could not have a baby of their own so God led them to 
adoption and to me. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into…literally no idea. If you have ever met my parents you know they are quiet, reserved, rule following, hard working and loving people. They would soon learn that sweet baby they thought were getting was to go shake things up. I have never taken “no” for answer, I have always marched to the beat of my own drum, danced in church because man I was moved by the Holy Spirit (I did not care that was frowned upon), I have always had the biggest imagination and believed if I can imagine it than it is most certainly possible. These traits proved to be a challenge as a teenager for sure…which I am sorry about that Mom and Dad…LOL. But I thank you for putting up with me and showing me your unconditional love. You gave me the greatest gift ever…a family.
To this day I still carry all of those characteristics with me. I absolutely HATE being told no and in fact if you tell me I can’t do something I will most certainly do everything in my power to prove you wrong. I still dance every single day and that trait has spilled over into all of my children… which I love. And I can say I am mastering all of the Fortnite dances one day a time. A day without dancing is just not right. At 38 my imagination is running wilder than it ever has before!
As I start my 38th year of life I am also starting an adventure that I have imagined for the last year and a half. The night our house burned down my boys were given back packs from the Red Cross. The back packs contained a blanket, some coloring things, tooth brushes and a couple of other little things. In the midst of the all of the crazy these backs packs gave my two oldest boys (the little ones were sleeping) something to do. The blanket brought them warmth and comfort and the coloring took their minds away from the situation. That night our community, neighbors, friends and families came to gather and supported us. They sat with us, prayed with us, cried with us, donated money, their time and the list just goes on and on.
This year I am starting my very own charity! This year I am starting The Adventure Pack.! The idea was inspired by the back packs my boys were given. First responders and other disaster relief agencies do not have the funds nor the man power to provide every kid in a situation with a back pack. My mission is to raise money and to collect back packs 
and items to fill them with that can then be given to children in disaster situations. Whenever I take my own children on vacation I fill their back packs with fun little things to keep their minds busy so the time passes quickly and the yucky travel time doesn’t seem so yucky. For children in a disaster situation this is huge. If we can keep their minds busy with happy things and create a distraction from the current situation then we are showing them that there is something good during the worst times. These little people have no idea that the disaster they are currently surrounded by is going to change their lives forever and send them on an adventure they never saw coming. And to a child that has just lost everything they own these back packs give them something of their own again. We can bring hope, comfort and the excitement of a new adventure with these backs packs.
I am currently working with an accountant and attorney to get things rolling. I am working on a site dedicated to The Adventure Pack, working on a logo, advertising etc. etc. I have also been in contact with disaster relief agencies and first responders and my idea has been more than received. This is not something that I want to just be a one time deal. This is something I want to grow and to be a continued effort. The first round of back packs will be distribu
ted here locally in Texas and back to my roots in Oklahoma. This project gives me hope and a purpose. I cannot do this alone. My hope is that we can all come together and make this dream of mine a reality. As things progress I will keep you updated and I hope you join me in this next adventure!
So as I sit here reflecting on my 38 years and dreaming about the ones to come, my heart is filled with peace, love, appreciation and joy. I have experienced all emotions, walked through several storms, experienced life’s greatest joys and I know that no matter where my life takes me I will be ok. There is something out there so much bigger than all of us we just need to believe in ourselves and jump in with both feet. We are given one life lets make it count! Cheers to 38…let the adventures begin!!
