32 Things

1. I was born the day President Reagan was elected for his first term.

2. I don't feel old.

3. This makes sense because I believe that age is relative... i.e. old is your age + 10 years.

4. I don't exactly feel like I am 18 either.

5. I don't want to be 18.

6. I am pretty happy right here, at 32.

7. I feel like I have changed tremendously in the last year. I can't decide if that has to do with being a parent or if it is just a part of aging.

8. I used to think I didn't care what people thought of me, that I wasn't competing in life. But that is silly. I totally was, even if I didn't believe I was. Now, I think I have really reached a point of not caring {or at least I am closer to that end of the spectrum}. It doesn't matter whether or not someone likes me. It has little bearing on my life. I am not in a competition with those around me. It is so freeing to really and truly let go. To just live my life.

9. I don't think I did a single thing on my life list this year. Not to completion, anyways. And it doesn't bother me at all. I haven't given up on my list, it's just not a priority right now. On second look, I did cross #57 off my list. So, that is something.

10. If we are Facebook or Instagram friends, don't be fooled by my cooking photos... Papa John's cooks for this household at least once a week.

11. I am really at my happiest when I am out hiking or paddling.

12. Especially if Daniel and Jack are with me.

13. I love how having a baby pushes me out of my comfort zone. All of the time. I talk to perfect strangers. I smile more. I am incredibly silly. I'm no longer embarrassed to have photos taken of me, even if my teeth are crooked. 

14. I have no idea what is currently playing in movie theaters or what the hottest show is on TV. So, if you ask me what I thought about *whatever is current* don't be surprised when you get a blank stare.

15. People in Alabama love them some football. I am almost ashamed to tell people that I didn't watch whatever game was on. Or worse, that I am from Arkansas and Daniel is from Tennessee!

16. When we first moved to our little town in the middle of nowhere, I was freaking out. I am a city girl at heart. There are things about the country I like, but living here? Yikes. 

17. I have grown to love where we live. I still miss conveniences of the city, but we get the best of both worlds. We have Huntsville and Chattanooga {both are only an hour away}. These cities offer different experiences and we are blessed to have friends in both places.

18. There is nothing like looking up at the stars in our back yard. They are the best and brightest that I have ever seen. And all I have to do is go outside and look up. Beat that city.

19. I have a confession: I am looking forward to being done with nursing. I may throw myself a little party for making it an entire year.

20. If we lived in Chattanooga, I would totally sign up to do Cyclocross.

21. I really wanted to go on a big trip to another country to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. 

22. More than anything I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to do this. But with a baby who will barely be 1-year-old, well, i guess that my priorities have changed. We are not going to do what I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to, and that is ok. 

23. We will still going to do something fun {just low key} and that trip abroad will happen... eventually. It just might have to wait for a few years... maybe for our 15th.

24. How do 10 years go by so quickly?

25. For that matter, how do 32 years sneak by?

26. Most people that know me, know that I am a pretty good cook. But for some reason, I cannot make rice or bread.

27. I am getting better at rice, but I won't be satisfied until I can make it consistently.

28. I recently read that the worst possible combination of birth orders to marry each other would be two firstborns. 

29. This is funny because Daniel and I are both oldest children. 

30. It is even funnier when you consider how accurate the description of marriage between two firstborn children is: 

A husband-wife combination of two firstborns is sure to result in head bumping. This group is by nature perfectionists, flaw-finders, and nitpickers.  They are also the most competitive, so both will be convinced they are right.  The key with them is acceptance and compromise.

31. Thankfully we typically make light of our mutual desire to be right. Generally we pretend that we are both right or agree to disagree. Somehow we make it work.
 
32. My one rule for my birthday is that I don't cook. Daniel honored that and we had lunch with friends at o'Charley's then dinner at Buena Vista to celebrate.