Thirty-Seven

It's my birthday.

So in celebration, I'm going to post thirty seven random happy memories from my thirty seven years on earth.

If you get bored around number twenty, you're more than welcome to leave. But I'd be happier if you posted one of your favorite memories from my thirty seven years in the comments section. That would make me really happy.

Okay, here goes.

1. This morning when K. came into my room and said "How do you like your eggs? Scrambled or cheesy omelet?"
2. The summer I spent in California with my brother when I was sixteen. It was the last summer he was single and we spent our weekends together enjoying all that Southern California has to offer... very fun.
3. Sneaking into the senior lawn in the middle of the night with all my high school girlfriends to spray paint a huge "87" on the lawn. We had to take ladders to get over a huge covered outdoor hallway - so sneaky and fun.
4. Sleeping on the beach in San Diego with my friends Paul, Corey and Al.
5. Nursing my babies. I loved the snuggly closeness and their warm little bodies next to me and the sweet little sounds they made.
6. Living with LaChel at 1313 Lincoln #206 - my first apartment.
7. Buying my first car - my parents' old '82 VW Rabbit. I named it John.
8. Cheering for my high school basketball team at the State tournament. What a thrill.
9. Becoming an aunt. I adored each and every one of my sweet baby nephews and nieces.
10. All my weekend getaways with Brooke. No one makes me laugh so hard or understands me so well. Love ya, girlie!
11. Being asked to junior prom by John Boelling. I had hoped for weeks that he would ask me. The prom was on my 17th birthday (twenty years ago!)
12. When K. woke me up one night (he was just a toddler) to tell me "I'm not a pumpkin."
13. Watching "What's Up Doc?" with my Dad. We've watched it gazillions of times together, and he always starts laughing way before the funny parts come... especially right before they drag Eunice from the ballroom and her heels go squeeking across the floor. I love it when he gets the giggles.
14. Riding the three-wheeler out at Grandpa Carson's. While it's a miracle none of us suffered head trauma from never wearing a helmet, the hours and hours we spent zooming around the woods are some of my best childhood memories.
15. My elementary school. The wood. The library with it's card catalogs. The gym. The lower field. The teachers. All great memories.
16. The afternoon we went to meet Gracie. Sunshine, ten puppies and the promise of a new family member - it was a perfect day.
17. Going to Disneyland. Wow - if ever there was an ideal family vacation - that was it.
18. Corey - all our sleepovers and hours on the phone - watching God move in each of our hearts - the laughter and tears - the security and loveliness of having a best friend for 32 years - here's to you, friend.
19. My Monday morning chats with my Mom on the phone. For years we would talk every Monday because that was her day off... she was my lifeline all those years when I was home with needy babies.
20. My summers at Green Oak Ranch - the hard work of being a wrangler and the bonus of being able to ride horses every day. The rewarding work of counseling kids who have never been to summer camp.
21. Our wedding day. It's so fun to have so many people you love all in one place - and then to get married on top of it all - so cool.
22. Going to Manzanita every summer with Steve, Lorraine and the boys. Love the relaxed times we share there.
23. Buying this house - God was so good to provide it for us. I remember being totally overwhelmed with thankfulness when we found it.
24. When E. was born and the whole room went quiet... I was so worried. "What's wrong?" I asked. Asia responded, "He's HUGE!!!" Eleven pounds, four ounces huge. Our whole stay in the hospital, total strangers would knock on the door and ask if they could see the eleven pound baby. So funny. He had his fifteen minutes of fame before he was even a day old!
25. Finding out I was having a girl. I actually clapped when the doctor told me.
26. Having Ryan live here. What an enriching experience for our family and a friend for life...
27. Car vacations as a child. Getting up super early and eating cereal out of a box, stopping for lunch out of the cooler at a rest area and then swimming at the hotel and going out for dinner. Getting up the next day and doing it all over again.
28. Singing on the worship team at the ex-church. Wow - we had some great fun making great music and worshipping God together.
29. Taking pregnancy tests. I loved the anticipation and the good news every time.
30. Being at my Grandma and Grandpa Youngs house. The laughter and the popcorn and Grandma's wrinkly hands. I was blessed with many years with my wonderful grandparents on both sides and I have so many wonderful memories of them all.
31. Being in Montana with Asia's brother. I love visiting them. Montana is God's country.
32. Countless summer days as a child - running free in the endless woods behind our house.
33. Living in San Jose - taking quick jaunts up to San Fransisco, and being within a half hour of Santa Cruz - being single and carefree and having so many fun things to do. And the flea markets - forget about it! Wonderful flea markets...
34. Taking long walks with Asia when we were first married. Lots of long walks around Amazon Park.
35. Watching my brother Ken dance to Sting in college.
36. Playing train with the chairs as a child whenever my Mom mopped.
37. Going to Paris for our tenth anniversary. I have the sweetest husband.

So there you go.

I'm feeling pretty darn blessed after writing that list...

Happy Birthday to me.