Celebrate!

As many of you know, I LOVE birthdays!

Not just mine - I love all birthdays!

To me, your birthday is the day to celebrate the person you are!

Reflect on where you've been.

Dream about where you're going.

Revel in the fact that you spent the last year learning and loving!

Today is my birthday so I am going to do all of those things.

And I am going to share with you some things that I have learned and loved in my 29 years.

                                    I LOVE America!   

One step into my living room will give you a good idea of where I stand when it comes to the Stars and Stripes. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday! I get emotional when I see the jets fly out of Luke. I thank soldiers when I see them in their uniform. America is my home and I love that!

               I love blogs!

I read a number of blogs on a daily basis (or at least check to see if they have something new posted). I really enjoy reading the way other people write. I love learning about their lives. I guess it stems from my desire to know people. I try to be a good blogger with a post every day, but I know that I let myself down a lot. I hope you all can forgive me.

(In a great combination of America and blogging, The Pioneer Woman has a photography blog today that makes me travel through the range of emotions - go there now! You will not regret it!)

Contrary to popular belief - I love people!

As I mentioned above, I have a strong desire to know people. Learning about people helps me learn about myself. When I ask people questions, I try to formulate what my own answer to that question would be. Don't get me wrong - I don't love huge crowds of people. And I certainly don't love lots of physical contact with people (there are exceptions - namely my nephews). But one-on-one or in a small group, I love people.

I love my nephews!

But that is surely not new to any of you.

                                       I love exercise.

It is getting a little out of hand. I am still (I don't know if I announced it on here) boxing. Boxing is hard. But it is also fun! And I ordered P90X - I am going to start it next week. I'm super excited for that, because everyone I know who has done it has LOVED it! I'm thinking about blogging about it each day to keep myself accountable and let you all have a part in my transformation (I hope) - we'll see how that goes.

     I love myself! 

This seems silly, but I think that there was a time that this really wasn't the case. I was asked recently if there was one thing I could change about myself, what it would be. I came up with the superficial "lose weight" answer. But I think that working towards my goal is making me stronger - physically, mentally, and emotionally. It has been a journey and I have learned a lot about myself in the process. I also thought about answering with, "I would be able to say 'no' more often." And while the ability to do that would give me a lot more free time, it would make me a different person. I am proud of the woman I have become. I am a hard worker. I take pride in my work and my appearance. I am a good friend. I think Jennifer Nettles said it best when she said, "Slow to trust, but I'm quick to love. I push too hard, and I give too much. I ain't saying I'm perfect, but I promise I'm worth it!"

I have learned that Match.mom was right when she said to "Pray about it."

That when putting yourself out there, "the risk is great, but the rewards infinite."

That you really can't ask someone to love you if you don't love yourself.

That judging a book by its cover can make you miss a really great story.

That the world is really a different place through the eyes of a child.

That honesty is the best policy. Always!

That the right thing to do, is most often not the easy thing.

That old friends helped you become the person you are and new friends are helping you become the person you will be.

That things do happen for a reason, but it may take a lot of years for that reason to reveal itself. Embrace it.

Thank you all for being a part of my life. Each one of you brings something special to my world that makes it better than it was before.

I cherish all of you!