Me at the age of 6-circa 1990

I was born in the 80's on a late Friday afternoon - the 13th to be exact. My oldest calls me old but around her friends she brags that she has a young mom. I had to remind her that it's not a good thing that I was a teen mom. I had it rough and much harder than anyone else. It made me the person I am today - enough of the sappy stuff. The last few years have been an eye opener. I have gotten wiser as I've gotten older. I've become the woman I've always wanted to be, I've become my mother. I joke around with friends and family that once I hit 25, I started counting backwards but in reality, aging isn't so bad. You take over the responsibilities the adults had when you were children. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my dad. You see, my mother worked long hours at a psychiatric hospital. She would wake up every morning before I was up and would get ready and my dad would drive her to work. My dad would then come and wake me and my brother up and get us ready for school and give us breakfast. We weren't your typical family.

My wonderful parents circa 2011

The reason why was because my dad was in a really bad car accident when I was a year old. He almost lost his life and was in a medicine induced coma. He lost a portion of his lung because some of the tissue was so badly damaged. He lost everything. My dad was not only physically broken but spiritually and mentally. My mother took great care of his and took over the financial responsibilities. That's when she began working at the Allentown State Hospital. My dad was labeled "disabled". A term he couldn't quite come to grips with. He was a man that loved cars: building them, fixing them, working and running the dealership was his love. Things got better as I got into middle school. That's when he taught me how to save money, hence my blog name. He is the king of saving money.

My brother and I. I was 10 and he was 16-circa 1994

My parents were perfect together. They threw the biggest parties and picnics in the neighborhood and they hardly spent money on it. I looked at them in awe and completely in love with they way they were in love with each other. You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all of this. Well it's because as a child growing up you don't quite understand how much of an impact this will be on your life. I look back now as an adult and fully appreciate everything my parents did for my brother and I. So when I sit back and think "Oh my gosh, I'm getting old!", I can dig up the old pictures of the past and replace that thought with "It's not so bad being old". And it really isn't because it's your turn to take care of the younger ones, it's time for your children, nieces, and nephews to look at the adults in awe.  So no, it's not bad being another year older, in fact I'm still young. I'm 32 years old now, young at heart and full of life and love. My life has just begun. I returned to school to get my degree in psychology, I'm doing all of that while working and I still have time to be a mom and a wife.

Age 5 and Age 9-circa 1989 &1993

Sit back, enjoy life, and relax. It's really not that bad to be another year older, it only gets better.