The Big 3 - 3....

Tomorrow (March 1) is my birthday. Yep, I'll be the big 33! I'm not making this blog post because I feel I need "gobs" of attention. I just want to visibly show Thanks to God for my life.

In most of my adult life, I haven't been overly excited about birthdays -- not because I didn't care but because I felt like it was just another day.

I don't know if it's motherhood that's changed that attitude or God working in my life or both. But I now know and understand that celebrating the day that I first took a breath of oxygen outside of my mother's womb is worth celebrating!

Am I fulfilling God's purpose for me on this earth? Each day, I hope to be working more and more toward fulfilling that purpose. What can I do to further His kingdom? That is my prayer for my birthday.

Sing to the lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96:1-3

This evening, I went out with some wonderful women -- Lisa, Sarah, Sam, & Laura. It was a birthday celebration for Lisa and me (Lisa's birthday was actually back in January). Shame on me for not taking photos. We went to eat at "On the Border" (you can't go wrong with Mexican food) and then, we hung out at "Barnes & Noble." What a fun girls' night out! We need to do it more often, ladies.

While I don't have an official photo for this post, here are 25 random facts about me -- just for fun. I hope you learn something interesting about me. These are not in order of importance; however, #s 9, 23, and 25 would definitely be most important.

1. I was born at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, KS
2. I weighed 6 lb. 5 oz. at birth.
3. If my mom’s due date was correct, I was born exactly one month early.
4. I have one brother, Joel, who is just over two years and one month younger than me.
5. I have a sister-in-law, Amber – Joel’s wife.
6. I have two nieces, Grace (3) and Natalie (1).
7. I was very fortunate in that I had four grandparents until I was almost 25 years old. I currently only have one grandparent left. She lives about ½ hour from me.
8. People who know me as well as my parents tell me that I’m a good mixture of my parents – in personalities. Most people tell me, when it comes to appearances, I look more like my dad.
9. My husband, Marc, is my best friend.
10. Besides the USA, I have been in Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Ireland, France, the very edge of Italy, and Monaco.
11. Marc and I have a world map, on my office wall, with markers of various places we want to visit in our lifetime. Some of those places include, but are not limited to, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and Japan.
12. I was in the same school system from kindergarten through 12th grade.
13. I never went to preschool.
14. I have completed running 5 half-marathons. My goal is to eventually run a full marathon – yep, Marc rubs off on me a bit.
15. My childhood pet was a dog named “Simon.”
16. My mom says that I was quiet until my freshman year in high school. She claims I haven’t stopped talking since.
17. Up until I got married, I had ZERO interest in cooking. Now, I really enjoy doing it. I just don’t like to clean up.
18. My favorite sitcom is “Seinfeld,” though I can’t quote it nearly as well as Marc.
19. I enjoy sleeping, and that’s been the biggest challenge so far to me as a parent – not as much sleep (I know there are more challenges to come).
20. I have been in Monterrey, Mexico, five times on mission trips, coordinating vacation Bible schools in neighborhoods without any sort of Christian influence. I would say that those five trips definitely have shaped some of who I am.
21. I met Marc on a blind date. We were “fixed up” by my good friend Alissa. Marc was on the Young Alumni committee with her for Bethel College, and she thought we’d be a good match. We’re very grateful to her.
22. I feel very fortunate to have a mom and dad who will be married 37 years on March 25.
23. My priorities in life are, in order, 1) God 2) Marc 3) Luke and any future children 4) Other Family…
24. My favorite season is fall.
25. I am a Christian, and I’m proud to profess that.