$$$

Day #12 - Write about what you'd do if you were given a million dollars.

I would pay off debt first, including my mortgage and then put the rest into savings to accumulate into something more for when I am older and need retirement funds. :)

I might also take a small fraction of it and do something fun, like travel to some cool places I've never been before such as a Mediterranian cruise to Italy, Greece, etc. I love traveling :)

Heroes

Day #11 - Pick someone who is a hero in your life and write about him or her.

My parents are my heroes. I know this may sound cliche, but they really are my heroes. I don't know what I'd do without them. They have always been there for me and I have always known that if I ever needed anything they would do anything they could to help me out. For the past 30 years they have devoted themselves to their family and worked tirelessly to provide for all of us kids. Even now that I am an adult I still find myself needing my parents all the time.

For example, last month my parents came out and visited me. They knew I was lonely and needed a pick-me-up and they drove all the way to spend time with me and Alexander. While they were here, my dad made sure he fixed all the little things that were broken around my house, like the bathroom door that came off its hinge and replacing the dryer cord.

My mom is amazing too. She is always willing to listen when I need someone to talk to, whether I'm venting or excited or just lonely. She always makes me feel special and important and has always told me that I was given great gifts to use for a great purpose, which makes me feel better when I'm feeling worthless.

I am so thankful for the continued examples of faith, endurance, courage, and love that they radiate on a daily basis. I hope I can someday be a parent as cool as they are. :)

I Am With You

D&C 100:12 - Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end.

Day #10 - Tell about your last truly spiritual experience and how it affected you.

I very recently had an experience where I clearly felt the love of my Heavenly Father. It was like a little moment out of time where he reminded me that I was important and that he was watching over me. It was a needed reprieve from a world that is constantly telling me I'm not good enough.

I am thankful for frequent reminders such as this that help me to remember the important things in life and continue on in faith.

Oh Baby!

Day #9 - Tell a story your mom or dad has told you about when you were a baby.

Once upon a time, long long ago, there lived a really young, cute couple named Mel and Doree. When they were still just younglings of 20 yrs old, they had a cute little baby they named Anna. Doree was the first of her friends to have a baby and so they gave her lots of adorable baby clothes to dress her in. Anna was also the first grandchild on Mel's side and the first granddaughter on Doree's side, so she was especially spoiled.  Doree says that having Anna was just like having a little baby doll to play with and dress up in all the cute clothes.

Anna did a pretty good job staying out trouble until she could walk, at which time all havoc broke loose around the place. When she was still a toddler, Anna once escaped the house and ran down the road buck naked as fast as she could. Another time, in the middle of the night Anna was found outside sleep-walking (apparently my parents needed to get a better lock on the door!).

When Anna was just 16 months old, she got a little sister whom she called Jenny. Once Jenny came Anna always had someone to get into trouble with and to blame things on (which happened frequently).  Anna and Jenny went on to have exciting toddler adventures and creating all sorts of mischief including bringing snakes in the house, playing in the flour, and chasing puppies around the house. :)

Besties

Day #8 - Describe your best friend. Tell why this person is your best friend.

I have many wonderful "best friends". I will tell you about a few who came into my life at a time when I desperately needed them.

I have one best friend who has been friends with me since the beginning of time (aka 3rd grade). We met and were instantly inseparable. She helped shape many of my thought patterns and influenced the books I read, the shows I watched and the music I listened to. She was always (and still is) a head taller than me, with long slender legs and I would run around on my short chubby ones trying to keep up. Truth be told, she introduced me to a love of the "old country", of the British Isles. I have her to thank for a fondness of British television shows and Monty Python humor that gave me common ground with a cute boy I met who had family in England (and who I later married).

I have another best friend who I found during my freshman year of high school. We were assigned to sit next to each other on a long bus ride and quickly found we enjoyed many of the same things and had the same quirky sense of humor. We became fast friends and stuck by each other through a slew of weird boyfriends, college drama, and marriage. This was a girl who dyed my hair any number of colors, created elaborate dating schemes for me, shared flying pizzas with me after college classes, and still gets excited when I come home to Utah. Her family is my family and we have a blast when we are all together.

Lastly (but not least), is the best friend that I dated and married. He came into my life at the perfect time and immediately felt like family. The best decision of my life was to marry him and continue my life with him by my side. I couldn't have asked for a more charming, gentle, loving husband. He helps me to become a better person every day and I love him so much. Besides all the mushy love stuff, we genuinely love spending time together. He is really funny and makes me laugh all the time. He can do all these adorable accents and remember amazing amounts of information. He also has a crazy silly streak that I adore. :)

I have been blessed with many more friends who I love and have greatly enriched my life. Hopefully someday I will have time to write about each of them. :)

Family Traditions

Day #7 - List some of your family traditions. Which ones are your favorite and why?

I grew up with lots of fun traditions in my family. We try and do something fun every holiday and make it special.

Birthdays a big deal in my family. It is the one day a year when we got singled out from the bunch and got spoiled. Our parents never had a lot of money so they would give us lots of little gifts, things like our favorite candy bar, drink or gum. All the siblings would try and find something little at the grocery store or dollar store to give and we would gather together for a homemade cake in our favorite flavor decorated in some fun way. Mom was also adamant about having our birthday dinner which consisted of our very favorite meal.

My birthday was fun cause it was in the middle of the summer. That meant that my meal could consist of things the other kids couldn't get like watermelon and corn on the cob. The entree was always a bacon and tomato sandwich on toast, hold the lettuce. Always. :)

Another of my favorite family traditions include singing together as a family on Christmas Eve. We gather at my Grandma Dorothy's house and we sing in 4 part harmony our favorite songs like "White Christmas", "Silent Night", etc.  When we were younger we would gather around Grandma or my Mom who would play the piano, but in later years we got pretty good without the piano.

Our traditions are special because they involve gathering our large brood together and having the time of our lives on a shoe-string budget. Nothing will ever replace the fun we had during our midnight conversations around the kitchen table, the kids running to the piano whenever Mom sat down to play, the BBQ's on Memorial Day, and annual camping trip.

As I grow older and have my own  little family, I hope that we can keep the magic of those traditions alive for our own children so that they too can delight in the laughter and love that comes with siblings and cousins.

Change

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies - author unknown

Day #6 - If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?

This the trickiest question of all time. I can never answer this question and feel truly confident of my answer. However, I think that regardless of the additional difficulties this would add to my life, I would change the fact that I don't have kids. I would like to have kids. I know that someday I will have kids, but it so hard to wait for someday!

(Someday when I am chasing around a load of rowdy kids I will look at this post and laugh.)

I have been given many blessings in this life that I wouldn't change for the world. I was blessed with a wonderfully large family that is loud, sarcastic, hilarious and musically talented. I have the best husband I could have ever asked for. I live in a nice little home with a cute dog. I am in a city far from my hometown but I am learning and growing and experiencing new things. I have many wonderful friends who keep my spirits up and my life full. Truly, it seems almost sinful to wish for anything to change. :)