Life in Review

As my birthday approaches, instead of feeling "old" I thought I'd write down some of the myriad experiences I've been blessed to have ~ some difficult, some miraculous ~ all making up who I am and who I hope to become. And yes, some things may come off bragging, but hey, it's my birthday and I can brag if I want to. ;-)

1. I moved 15 times by the age 17 and went to 9 schools
2. I lived several years in Germany along with Utah, Georgia, Nebraska and Washington

3. I'm the "big" sister to 7 siblings

4. Lived through several serious tornadoes

5. Lived through a volcano eruption

6. Broke my arm, broke my nose, chipped two front teeth nearly in half, had a Cesarean, had pneumonia, had croup and was seriously ill at 3, have tuberculosis, diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 17, and have healed from a multitude of injuries: Isn't the human body SPECTACULAR!!!

7. I've had red hair, brown hair, blond hair, dark brown hair and grey hair (but never for long lol)

8. Been a foster parent, an adoptive parent, and a birth parent ~ all challenging, but rewarding experiences

9. Obtained my BA in Cultural Anthropology and made the Dean's list

10. Was Valedictorian, but also got an 'F' on a test (that sucked)

11. Have had MANY crushes (first was on David at age 5, I know all their names); almost fell in love, fell in love, fell in love again and got my heart broke (yes, my real heart literally was in pain), then was blessed to fall in love with the best man in the world and it's forever

12. Hurt people's feelings and had my feelings hurt ~ neither feels good

13. Asked for forgiveness and have forgave ~ both help me to heal

14. Visited 32 states plus England, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Canada, oh, and Mexico

15. Have seen the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Redwoods, Bryce Canyon, Zion's Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, and many more amazing sites in this world

16. Worked at a Butcher shop, a print shop, a grocery store, Novell, a cherry sorting company, cleaned a chemical company and a construction company but only occasionally my home (lol)

17. Served as a missionary in Chicago

18. Can almost speak Spanish, and took French and Polish classes with not much success

19. Learned to water ski on Lake Powell and got up on the first try; learned to snow ski in Spokane and fell on the first try and the second...; had a snowboard lesson from my Fabulous sister Stephanie and made it down the first slope in two hours

20. Made friends from all walks of life, countries, races and religions and have loved them all. Friends are very special to me.

21. Swam in the Pacific ocean, the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and almost drown in a swimming pool in Lincoln, NE (right under a life guard's nose and a friend had to pull me out)

22. Have eaten alligator (tastes like salty chicken), snails (tastes like the sauce they come in), shark, pheasant, cow tongue, and even our pet rabbits (we knew they were for food, but we made them our pets anyway ~ poor people gotta eat)

23. Had a severe case of depression in college and didn't want to live; Have been so joyful I couldn't find words to express my happiness

24. Have sinned more times than I can count and have repented nearly as many times (still working on more than a handful)

25. I've seen breathtaking full moons, a solar eclipse, sunrise over mountains and sunsets over canyons; I've witnessed dolphins toss fish to one another, a bald eagle soar over a beach, crocodiles sunbathe, a moose mosey through camp, and a condor fly along side our car for almost a mile ~ all emotional experiences

26. I've experienced the birth of loved ones and the death of loved ones

And the list goes on...

Rather than feeling old, I feel richly blessed. Mortality ~ what a precious, incredible gift. It's only for a short time and I want to savor it all!