• Home
  • About
  • Connect
  • Press/Media

The Pinke Post

  • Life in North Dakota
  • Recipes
  • Small Town Living
  • Women In Ag

Posted By Katie On January 6, 2014 6 Comments

So This Is 35…The Happiest Years of My Life

Filed Under: Family Values, Motivated Moms Tagged With: birthdays, family, motherhood 6 Comments

Family birthday

35th Birthday Party at my in-law’s house.

I remember clearly when my parents turned 35. I was a fifth grader. My mom even gave birth to my youngest brother, Joe on her 35th birthday. But my parents were seemingly more successful and had better judgement than I do today. In the fifth grade, thinking about what I would be at age 35, I thought I would have a college degree from Stanford University. I was a North Dakota girl who wanted a California education. I thought I would be a major market television anchor or a high-powered attorney, maybe even in an elected office by age 35. I would live in a big city, be married with four kids, ages 2, 4, 6 and 8. By seventh grade, I added an Olympic discus thrower to my list of future accomplishments. 

But today I turned 35 years old.  I spent my day in the most frigid temperatures in North Dakota I remember on my birthday. I was home all day with my kids, minus a small town dentist visit with the girls, had a long chat at a friend’s house and ate two homemade meals with my family in the middle of the rural North Dakota prairie. The first cozy, comfort meal was Chicken Wild Rice Soup. But the big comfort meal I didn’t have to cook because my mother-in-law made a German Russian supper of strudels and all the fixings on the side: pork roast, potatoes, green beans and of course, gravy. We topped it off with my favorite pink cake: cherry with fluffy frosting, just like my mom made me when I was a kid.

I was reminded passions and dreams evolve past fifth grade. I am not who I thought I was going to be at age 35, when my parents turned the same age.

I quit throwing the discus competitively at age 22 but track and field is a love that has never left me. 

I never earned a degree from Stanford but had a wonderful journey elsewhere.

I had no work commitments on my 35th birthday. I wore fleece lined pants, Under Armour socks and shirt and plenty more layers of Polartec fleece to stay warm. There was no power attorney suit or TV anchor dress to put on today on my 35th birthday. No office to drive to or flight to catch.

My life has evolved. My passions are instilled. My dreams still have come true.

At age 35, I am firmly planted on the prairie, right where I am supposed to be, but where I never dreamed to be. 

I have learned so much in my 30’s. My favorite advice came from my mom, five years ago tonight, I was pregnant with Anika, flying to San Antonio on my 30th birthday. My mom said to me on the phone while I was walking through the Minneapolis airport to make my connection, “Your 30’s will be the happiest years of your life. They were for me.”

How could she know that? It was a guarantee. Just after that I was upgraded to first class with my friend and former colleague, Leah. She drank free red wine. I drank Sprite. We laughed until we cried that night. I remember thinking this was the beginning of the happiest years of my life.

Happiness I have learned  is choice. My 30’s have been my happiest years of my life because I decided they were going to be. 

No matter my age, what career path I chose, college I did or didn’t attend, big city I never lived in or the prairie I live on now, I choose happiness, at age 35.

If you want an inside look back at my years prior to age 35, my mom shared memories and many old photos of me, not all cute but some very sweet on her GriggsDakota blog today. 

And my birthday wouldn’t be complete without a special birthday shout-out to a fellow prairie mama and blogger, the fabulous Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, who calls me “an ag girl”, a title I am so proud to be. Happy Birthday, Ree!

My birthday sister, ReeWelcome to the happiest years of your life! 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print
Previous Post: « How To Make Snowman Sundaes
Next Post: Small Town Fun: Donkey Basketball Fundraiser »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    January 7, 2014 at 8:49 am

    I love this post! It is funny how our lives sometimes don’t turn out how we thought they would, they turn out better. 🙂 I am so glad to hear that your 30’s have been the happiest years of your life… I turn 30 this year! Happy birthday!

    Reply
  2. Katie says

    January 8, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    Sarah, thank you! Welcome to the happiest years of your life. If you choose to make them that, they will be!

    Reply
  3. Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids says

    January 8, 2014 at 11:16 pm

    Belated Happy Birthday Katie! I too have a picture of what 35 is. I love to see and hear that the 30s are a great time in life. I turn 30 next year. While part of me can’t believe in 10 months I’ll be 30, the other part is ready to take the 30s head on and enjoy them to their fullest.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 13, 2014 at 8:52 pm

      Thank you Val!

      Reply
  4. Kerstin says

    January 14, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    Happy happy birthday! I”m just starting my 30s and the first advice I got (and yet I think it´s true..) was that with 30 you stop taking things too seriously =)

    Thanks for your blog! You are a true inspiration! A woman that doesn’t chase but reasonably follows her passion(s). Thank you.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 14, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      That is awesome advice Kerstin and thank you for your kind words!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to the Prairie…

I am a mom of three kids and a wife to Nathan. Together we live on the North Dakota prairie, 97 miles from a Starbuck's. I share about family, food, farming and the prairie that I love. I used to commute 98 miles one-way to work but it required too much coffee. So now I am home, consulting, speaking, writing and primarily, juggling family life.
See more of our life on the prairie... Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Stay in Touch…

Get the news from the prairie delivered directly to your inbox when it's hot off the press!

from my kitchen. . .

4 Cookbooks To Give As Gifts (And Have Yourself)

Hunk of Meat Monday: Hurried Mom’s Hotdish

Homemade Guacamole, Gooseberry #4 Recipe

farm life

Favorite Farm Girls

  • Beyer Beware
  • GOODEness Gracious
  • The Wife of a Dairyman
  • Fresh from the Farm

Griggs Dakota

Visit our 5th generation family farm...

Latest Recipes

How To Make Snowman Sundaes

Real Farmwives & Friends: My Favorite Christmas Entertaining Recipes

Rhubarb Sauce Recipe

More Posts from this Category

Life on the Prairie…

More Posts from this Category

Women in Agriculture

Ladies Night on a North Dakota farm

Sarah Nasello’s Party on the Prairie Giveaway

Debbie Lyons-Blythe of Kids, Cows and Grass & The Need For Organ Donors

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Archives

Categories

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2023 ·Captivating Theme ·Custom Designed by Design Chicky· Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.