Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I Really Do Feel One Year Older And Wiser, Too.

I'm 28.
It's true.
And I feel good about that.
The Double B asked me if I felt any different yesterday morning
as we all gathered in Mom and Dad's room for breakfast in bed
(the birthday tradition, of course).
The Double B (bless his little pea-picking heart) used to not know he was supposed to feel different on his birthday until he met me.
Since then, he tries to search his heart every August 17th to check if there's any change.
He does things like that 'cause he knows it makes me happy.
It's a very innocent quirk, really.
So when he asked if I felt different at 28,
I said "YEP!" I do, too.
I feel one year older and wiser, too,
just like the primary song says.
I informed my children to feel free to ask me for advice,
now that I am so deeply wise.
I learned a lot while I was 27, right up until the last day.
Sometimes I got it right.
Sometimes I got it smashingly wrong.
But I was always trying,
of that I can be sure.
I can say I did my best with no hesitation.
I truly did my best,
and the Savior has offered to make up for the rest.
So I'm going to take Him up on that.
I thought it'd be fun to show you what my life looks like every day, for future generations and all.
I'll throw in random bits of information along the way, just for fun.

1. These are my children. We tried to give them names that would help them want to be good, like the people they were named after (see Helaman 5:6-7). I think my are special people. And I'm not just saying that.
2. I had an epidural with all three of them. And I don't regret that. Amen.
3. When I was a child and played house with my friends, I would either pretend I was married to MaCullay Culkin or Zack from 'Saved By The Bell.' I think Zack was the better choice. I now have Season 1 and 2 of the afore mentioned show on DVD. Rock it!
4. I broke my right foot in the 9th grade. I still have a misshapen foot. Lately this foot has had a number of mishaps, which makes me wonder if on a subconscious level I am a foot murderer.
5. Once, when my big brother Matt and his best friend Ben took me with them (to be nice) to see the new Star Wars, I briefly wondered what it would be like to be married to Ben one day with his very sexy radio voice. I promptly dismissed the thought as ridiculous.
He is now The Double B.
6. I used to threaten to beat people up all the time. And they believed it. Which means I was tough, right?
7. These ladies are the other members of the YW Presidency. Terri, Leesa, and Jodi. They are a big part of my life. I talk to them on the phone all the time, more then anybody else I know. I don't really like the telephone, but it does prevent meetings, which is a beautiful thing. I have Jodi's number memorized, 'cause it's an easy pattern, but not Leesa's, 'cause it's a hard pattern.
8. I can rank the three favorite characters I have played on stage in my sleep, I loved each one so much: Olivia from 'Twelve Night', Penny from 'You Can't Take It With You', and Annelle from 'Steel Magnolias'. I'd play any of those again in a heartbeat. I think I like women with big hearts.
9. I used to be afraid of stories about people who had lost arms and legs having the "phantom itch." It just seemed so frightening to me, to have an itch that wasn't a part of you and you couldn't scratch. So I'd practice scratching air over my hand (or anywhere I had an itch, really) instead of the hand itself just so I'd be prepared in case it ever happened to me.
10. I also feared spontaneous combustion until it was mocked out of me as a senior in high school. It could be possible, you know.
11. When I was about nine, I'd watched an episode of 'Unsolved Mysteries' (scariest show ever) about alien abduction. So I'd sleep on my stomach with my head under the covers and as stiff as a board so they couldn't sense me with their laser beams. One night I woke up and my neighbors porch light was shining through my window. I thought my time had come. I have never been more terrified.
12. I used to love to write poetry. Not so much anymore!
13. My Mom used to tell me if I ever wrote on myself I would get ink or lead poisoning. I believed her. It seemed very viable to me.
14. My favorite lunch meat is turkey. Especially on wheat bread. Yum. I briefly considered being a vegetarian when I was a teenager, but that didn't work out.
15. I had short, short hair most of my teenage career. I really loved having short hair. And now I love having long hair. Funny how that happens.
16. I am married to a stone cold fox. For real. Those wrinkles around his eyes just make my heart go pitter-pat. He also has deep forehead wrinkles (and has since I've known him) and a big dimple in his chin and his hair is going salt-and-pepper and he has the nicest collar bone I've ever seen on anyone.
17. My husband also likes to make loud, LOUD noises. It makes my whole soul reverberate when he claps his hands. Not so pleasant, but as he says in his defense "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" Who can argue with that?
18. When I was a small human, I had holes in my ear drums that caused hearing loss and required four surgeries, all told, to fix me for good. Since then, I have very sensitive ears. Sort of like a dog, I suspect. I actually think the doctors gave me a super power as some sort of experiment. The only problem is that loud or high noise is like kryptonite to this set of ears. I have to work on that all the time, to be more tolerant of other people's right to shout, etc.
Really, I should probably think of getting some spandex and a cape. If I'm a super, I'm a super! I should just embrace that.
19. I have always preferred salt over sweet. Then I gave birth to two girls, and somewhere in those pregnancies, it switched. Candy! More candy! Ice cream! Give me more! This is a wretched thing.
20. Remember how awhile ago I told you how I tend to be gifted with Nintendo items? Guess what my main present was? A 25th anniversary Mario pack, with all three original games!
I'm excited about it, but no one could be more excited then K.J. Here he is, rabidly telling the details of a Wii victory. He gets really excited about it, and who can blame him!?
21. Almost every career ambition I've ever had begins with the letter "A." Author, Astronaut, Actress, to only name a few. I think this is an amazing coincidence.
22. I will always remember the first time I watched 'Apollo 13.' It really was a super experience for me. Space just amazed me. And Tom Hanks still does -- I forgive him for 'Big Love,' stupidest, rudest, lying-est (new word) thing ever. He knows not what he does. Back to 'Apollo 13.' We'd just moved to Southern Utah, and my Mom went to the store. When she came back, she came bearing the movie! My brother Jon and I were totally thrilled, and sat down to watch it right then in our groovy rental house with the cows across the street. I still watch it with my mouth hanging open. Ron Howard, we are friends.
23. I make a dang good sandwich.
24. My Grandma used to tell me I made the best ranch dressing, but I think that was just her way of getting me to do it. I miss my Grandma and think of her every day.
25. I love to read. What is interesting to me is that my taste in books evolves. I still think there is nothing better in the world then a good book, a big glass of lemon water, and a cool breeze.
26. I'm not going to lie. I am constantly amazed that I created such good-looking children. I would like to take this time to acknowledge their father.
27. I believe many things happen to us for a reason. Not all things, but many things. I don't think we're sent to face the elements and just see what the conditions hand us. I believe some things happen by chance, some things happen through preparation, and many things happen for a specific reason. It's so kosher with me if you don't personally believe that, but I do.
28. The happiest, most content I have ever been is right now. And I've felt that way at many different times in my life. I desire to learn the attitude of gratitude.
I really do love birthdays. Yours, Mine -- any ones, really. I just love the chance to celebrate being alive. Whether it's my 28th, 46th, 62nd or 91st birthday, I will be happy to own up to every year the good Lord has blessed me to be here on earth, for the chance to learn, for the chance to make big fat mistakes and try to correct them, for the chance to laugh and feel happiness, for the chance to love with my whole heart and the chance to be loved. I love this experience. I think I must have had ants in my pants in the pre-earth life, waiting and hopping on one foot to get down here. And I don't want to take one minute of it for granted.


So let's all take a deep breath in and enjoy it, shall we?



Over and Out.

7 comments:

Tina Williams said...

All I can say is you are the author of my favorite blog ever. Thanks for you! Someday when you are famous please remember the small people . . . yada yada yade and happy birthday

Tara said...

Happy Birthday. You are simply amazing and I'm glad for every year you are hear because you bless so many other people. Thanks for being you and so willing to share about yourself.

Elise said...

Happy birthday, Internet Friend Marie! How is it that I am older than you and yet you are so much more wise?

And I think you should consider changing the name of your blog to something like Embracing the Super...ness...or something. (I'm letting it marinate. When I perfect it, I'll let you know ASAP.) You certainly are super. And that final shot of you is gorgeous.

Ducksoup said...

happy birthday to you. 28? you are such a young chicken. love all the pictures of you throughout. especially love the one of you and livi after you talk about being abducted by aliens. so, so funny! i want to have your brain. i worried about things like my house burning down growing up and you worried about aliens. you are much cooler.

getting excited to see you in a few days. woo hoo. you are so beautiful too. i love the shot of you at the beginning of your post and also at the end of your post. when you are up here i'll trade you my brown eyes for your blue ones if you want. think about it. love yah cuz! happy birthday to the coolest 28 year old i know.

Paulette said...

A BIG, fat Happy Birthday to YOU!!: That was a wonderful post. I love learning more little things about my friend Marie. You are one cool person and I look up to you. I'm so glad that you were born. I'm also glad you had a good birthday because you deserve it!
Love you!

Tamari said...

Happy Birthday my dear Marie! I LOVED this post. You always make me laugh. Your humor is so appealing to me! It was fun to get to know you a bit better. And may I concur that you guys make BEAUTIFUL children. Love you!!

Jen said...

I don't think you can spontaneously combust unless you drink alcohol a lot and smoke in bed.

Better a murderer of feet than a murderer of fun.

You are definitely a super, and should definitely embrace it.

Hope your year is as happy as the day was.