28 years

I've been on this earth for 28 years.
                         Weird.
For some reason this birthday made me reflect more than my others.  I'm not entirely sure why.  Maybe it's because I'm closer to 30 than I've ever been before (I'm choking back tears as I type that) and because that makes you think....what have I done with my life and what do I want to accomplish with the rest of my life.  As I reflected I decided to make a list of 28 of the most important lessons I've learned.
1. Your job does not define you
2. Your marital status does not define you

3. Some people are just jerks
4. But some people are just misunderstood
5. Enjoy your time with your parents/family

6. Call your grandparents
7. Listen to them

8. You are the only one who decides how you feel about your body
9. Laughing so hard you can't breathe is still one of the best feelings

10. Your friends will occasionally be the worst...but so will you
11. Forgive always....forgive others, forgive yourself
12. People are not usually secretly in love with you
13. Don't watch "Footloose" just because everyone thinks it's weird you haven't
14. Always take your make up off before bed
15. A strong red lip can make you feel invincible

16. Dance as much as possible
17. Tell people what they mean to you.  Even if it's uncomfortable...you will never regret it.
18. Don't spend your time and energy on people who don't return the gesture
19. If he doesn't text you back....life goes on
20. When you experience loss...it will feel like you are suffocating.  You will not be able to breathe and you will feel like the world is literally caving in.  It is not.  And one day you will wake up and you will be breathing a bit easier.  You will be stronger even if you can't fathom that in the moment.  You will be ok.
21. If it makes you happy and it's not hurting others...do it.
22. Your siblings will always be your best friends

23. Drink water.
24. Don't be afraid to fail
 
25. Wear comfortable shoes
26. The ocean is the most healing place on the earth

27. Go outside and experience the beauty of the earth as much as possible
28. Above everything else....love yourself fiercely.

So here's to 28 years and more to come!  I plan to continue to fill each day with joy and as much adventure as possible.  Life is short.
And sometimes birthdays are hard.

Happy Birthday Seester!

Happy 22nd Birthday to my Seester!!

We've been through different hair and different states...I miss you and love you!  Have a fabulous birthday!

My sister is also an amazing writer!  Check out her blog here

25 years...a birthday playlist

So since it is my birthday I decided to do a different kind of playlist today....
I'm going to share my favorite song from each year of my life...so here we go!

1986 - Madonna: Papa Don't Preach
1987 - Michael Jackson - Bad (my first sentence was..."who's bad?")
1988 - Guns N Roses : Sweet Child O Mine
1989 - Paula Abdul - Straight Up
1990 - Aerosmith: Janie's Got A Gun
*From 1991- present I will be listing my actual favorite songs...since before then I was really too young to have an actual favorite song...
1991 - Bette Midler: From A Distance 
1992 - Billy Ray Cyrus: Achy Breaky Heart (yes I know...I actually loved this song)
1993 - Spin Doctors: Two Princes
1994 - Ace of Base: Don't Turn Around
1995 - TLC: Waterfalls
1996 - Alanis Morisette: Ironic
1997 - Jewel: You Were Meant For Me
1998 - Celine Dion: My Heart Will Go On (Titanic....ah the memories)
1999 - Britney Spears: Baby One More Time
2000- 'Nsync: It's Gonna Be Me
2001 - Lifehouse: Hanging By A Moment
2002 - Eminem: Lose Yourself
2003 - Justin Timberlake: Cry Me a River
2004 - Maroon 5: This Love
2005 - Howie Day: Collide
2006 - The Fray: How To Save a Life
2007 - Amy Winehouse: Rehab
2008 - T.I.: Whatever You Like
2009 - Taylor Swift: Love Story
2010 - Florence + The Machine: Cosmic Love
2011 (so far) - Adele: Someone Like You

Crazy to believe I'm 25.  Do yourself a favor and go through and find all your favorite songs from your lifetime.  There are some that I had kind of forgotten about.  Funny how our taste in music changes.

Have a fabulous day!  Eat a piece of cake in my honor!
xoxo

Happy Birthday Seester!

Happy Happy GOLDEN Birthday to my Seester
Mackenzie
who turned 17 today!!!

Love you Kenz!

Happy Birthday Bub!

Today is little brother's 8th birthday!!!

I can't even believe it. 

My little brother is the most amazing kid in the world and I can't imagine my life without him.  

Happy Birthday Mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

to my MOM

I hope you have a great day Mom!  So glad I got you instead of Casey Anthony.

Plus you're way prettier than her....

Happy Birthday Beth!

Happy Birthday to my best friend Beth

Thank you for:
laughing with me
crying with me
going for Coldstone with me
watching The Hills with me
listening to me
making me laugh
going for late night drives with me
going on roadtrips (skiiippp)
teaching me important life skills (sales guy at Frye's Electronics...enough said)
having the best advice
being my best friend

all my favorite memories have you in them

I hope you have a FABULOUS 25th birthday!!!

I love you!

Just for old times sake here is a picture of us with our friend Emma in a photobooth circa 2005.  We are amazing human beings.

Happy Birthday Mam

Today is my Mam's birthday.  She would have been 68.  I just wanted to acknowledge her on this day.  I miss her every day.  I miss her when I'm sad and I miss her when I'm happy.  I really miss her when I'm having any type of disagreement with my parents because she had a way of talking to me that was completely unpatronizing but helped me see others point of view.  She treated me like a adult but she loved me with the kind of true and unconditional love that only a grandma can give.  I miss her laugh.  She had the best laugh.  The last time I saw her she spent some time with us in the summer.  We spent an entire day while the family was gone just watching movies (Connie and Carla was her favorite....it was hilarious to her) and eating Chex Mix.  She made her potato salad which is still to this day the best potato salad I've ever had.  No one has ever been able to make her same recipe the same way she did.  She fought for the people she loved.  She stuck up for my Mom to us kids and she stuck up for me to my parents.  It makes me the most sad when I think of how my future children will never get to have her in their lives.  Will never know the power of her hug or the contagious sound of her laughter or hear her wise advice and grow stronger from her perfect words of encouragement.  She was still to this day, the best friend I've ever had.  She was gone from my life far too soon.  I just live hoping to make her proud.

Happy Birthday Mam
I love you and miss you.

a special edition of "a jon hamm moment"

we interrupt your regularly scheduled blog viewing for a special "happy birthday" edition of "a jon hamm moment".....

happy birthday (two weeks ago) to the love of my life....

there are so many things about you that I love....

I love the way you seductively smirk as you shave your  face...

I love the way you casually lay on the couch in your suit...

I love how you glance behind you when you are operating a motor vehicle...

I love when you are mirthful...

I love when you're serious (and seriously hot)...

And I love when you're just being you...

Happy Birthday Jon Hamm 

xoxo

In honor of his special day Jon has requested you watch the following videos because they are funny and he's in them.
one
two

Happy Birthday Sister!

Today is my sister's 21st birthday

Some fun facts about my sister

• She is a Pisces - I don't know exactly what that means but it must mean something
• She loves bacon...and cheeseburgers.  What she really loves are bacon cheeseburgers.  And she loves them a lot.
• She bites her nails down to nubbins.  When you are able to see the white part of her nails...it's a big deal.
• She's the worst finder ever...if you send her on a mission to go find something...she will always say that she can't find it.  When you go look in the exact same place...it is inevitably there.  We don't know why she is this way but my little brother shares the same trait.
• She is really really funny.  We laugh a lot together.
• She loves music. 
• She loves cats.  Like really really loves cats.  I have an app on my iPod called "Cat Paint" and I made this picture for her

And here are pictures of her with various cats in real life.  I told you...she really loves cats.

• My sister is very pretty as evidenced in these next photos

I mean honestly...I'm not sure how Tyra Banks has not cast her on America's Next Top Model yet....

In all seriousness I don't know what I would do without my sister.  She is the Peanut Butter to my Jelly, the Beyonce to my Britney, the JWOWW to my Snooki
I miss her very much and I hope she has a fabulous birthday even if it's without us!  I love you sister!!!!

And as you can see...my sister is actually very very very pretty.

Papa

Today is my Papa's birthday (grandpa on my Mom's side).  I guess I should say it would be his birthday.  His 72nd birthday.  My Papa passed away when I was 6.  I still remember his funeral.  Papa was the greatest man in the entire world.  I thought I would share some pictures and stories about my Papa.  Most of these were taken from my Mom's blog- I wanted my friends to know all these things about this amazing man as well.  This is the account my Mom shared about her Dad.

72 years ago today, my Dad was born in Wichita, Kansas. My Dad had a pretty rough childhood, moving to California at some point while he was still fairly young.  He was the only child of a second marriage, having 4 older sisters and one older brother. He lived in San Fransisco as a child and had to get a job to help support his mom when his Dad died while is San Quentin. My Dad was 12.

He was a hard worker who loved his family. He was in the Air Force as a policeman. He became a salesman. He loved sports. He was once offered a "loan" by an acquaintance who was in the mafia in Detroit. He once had a phone call from Magic Johnson's mom. She wanted to build a swimming pool. He thought it was a fake so he didn't take her seriously. No pool.
He was involved in Indian Guides (Anybody remember that?) and hockey with my brothers. He was involved with my drill team.

When I was 21 I fell in love with Kevin Bacon and I had  seen "Footloose" 3 times in one weekend...it was true love! Shortly after that I came home from work and taped to my bedroom door was the PEOPLE magazine with Kevin Bacon on the cover...my Dad had bought it for me :0) I still have that PEOPLE magazine.

My Dad had several reversals in fortune. He was in a car accident that left him permanently disabled--the other driver was at fault and had no insurance. He started his own business with a partner who then ran off with all the money leaving my Dad severely in debt. He was trying to go back to school and support 3 kids. It was very difficult, but only now do I appreciate how difficult.
When I got married, I wanted my best friend to be there as my Maid of Honor as I had been hers. She was a young mother of 2 children and not living in the same state. She would have to fly, but that would be a hardship on her tiny families' finances. Without much fanfare, my Dad sold our camper and bought her ticket so she could be there.

 My Dad's legacy lives on...he was a terrific and generous man who loved to laugh and be outside with his family eating a good meal.
I love my Dad. He left us too soon. I am so grateful for the knowledge of the Gospel and the promise of Eternal Families.

I would like to add to this and say that one of my favorite memories of him is that he used to work at Christmas time as a mall Santa.  He was the only Santa whose lap I would sit on as a kid and not scream.  I'm so grateful for this man. He blessed everyone he was around. It used to make me so sad to think of him not being around as I grew up. As I've gotten older I've learned a lot of things that him and I have in common.
We both loved to put ice in our milk to make it nice and cold and we both stuff TONS of saltine crackers in our tomato soup so that it's more cracker than soup. I like learning these little things and hearing all the stories about what an incredible person he was and I'm sure...is.
So Happy Birthday Papa. We miss you terribly.

Papa when he was young...he was very handsome.  He's always reminded me of Johnny Cash

I love this picture because I can tell they both really love me...

I made this video one time when I was really missing my grandma.  I like knowing that the 2 of them are together.

Reagan Noel

Today would have been my little sister's 6th birthday.  We miss you every day baby girl!

If you'd like to read the whole story my Mom posted it on her blog today

My Birthday by the numbers...

My Birthday By the Numbers

48 Facebook notifications

5 missed calls

5 voicemails (one from Taylor Swift reminding me her album came out that day)

13 text messages

1 note on my bathroom mirror from my little brother

1 pink birthday cake with sprinkles

1 visit from my sister from Seattle

1 amazing birthday cake topper

24 candles

1 wish

It was a good birthday

and just like that

I turned 24.

Today is October 25th. There are 67 days left in the year. Others born this day (many!) Bobby Knight, Marion Ross, Minnie Pearl, Pablo Picasso.....(my twin Brigham- who was born 8 hours before me) George III was crowned King of Great Britain on this day in 1760....

I've received gifts all year in the form of a great job with people I love doing something I love, amazing friends and family.

I am blessed. So cheers to 24! At least I'm still closer to 20 than I am to 30 :)

Happy Sweet 16th Birthday Ginger!

It's my little sister Mackenzie's

16th 

birthday today!

I seriously can't even believe that she is 16!  It's so crazy!  It's been weird with just us here since Calah moved to Seattle but it's been fun too.  I realize more and more how alike we are and how when there isn't someone like Calah to buffer us....we can really be too much for each other.  I'm glad to have her though and I have so much fun with her!  I'm glad that as we've both gotten older we've been able to grow closer together.  I'm so proud of her and how talented she is and the passion she has for acting.  So excited to see all the amazing things she'll accomplish in her life.  Even though she already has accomplished a lot.

One time she fell asleep in a really awkward position with our cat

One time she held her mouth open really wide

One time she made a really amazing face in a picture at a restaurant

And a whole bunch of times she's been incredibly talented with her acting.  This was just the most recent time when she performed her monologue at the Shakespeare Festival (for the second year in a row)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENZ!  

Hope it's the BEST!

*And if you don't know by now why we call my sister Ginger please refer to the following blog posts....

here and here