The Highlight Reel

I have been tossing this idea around for a few days. I started this blog as a way to deal with stress. I've talked to lots of moms that have found their blog as a huge stress reliever as well. It has occurred to me that I have not focused on all of the wonderful positive things in my life over the years. In an effort to remind myself of all of the blessings in my life I thought I would put together a highlight reel of my 33 years. We shall see how this crazy tribute to my 33rd birthday turns out.

-1976 I arrived in to the world!!
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5 Started Kindergarten - the first of 13 years of school with many of my classmates.
6 -13 As I put this together I discovered I don't have a ton of really specific memories during this time. I have some of some crazy times with my brothers and sisters but nothing super specific. My parents did a good job of sheltering me from all the garbage that my older sisters were up to. I've learned more about it all as I've gotten older but adopting two older girls wasn't the easiest thing my parents ever did. Not the smoothest transition for my older brothers but all in all I have very happy memories from my young childhood. I had great birthday parties at the rollerskating rink or the Sweet Treat Factory. I remember that one clear as a bell. All my friends got to create their own ice cream sundaes and the birthday girl got this huge already done sundae with a candle. I thought I'd been gypped because I wanted to build my own. Man was I stupid. My parents drove me around to all the activities that I wanted to participate in. Basketball, volleyball, softball, piano lessons, band, and anything else I could dream up. My dad swears he have lots of extra years if he was able to get back all the time he spent waiting for me in front of the school waiting for practise to get out. I hope Rex has a good as memories as I do. It will mean I'm a good mom too.

14 Started high school. 4 crazy years of growing pains. I don't remember being a stinker but I guess my mom remembers a different version of my puberty.
15 I got my braces off. WOO HOO
16 - Got my drivers license - Mom and dad let me drive my sisters old car so I had wheels. Mary's little turd is what my friends called that 80 something Toyota Corolla hatchback.

17 Crowned Miss Reardan 2nd Princess and forced my parents to drive around to all kinds of parades so I could ride the float and and practise my princess wave. Jennifer (Queen) and Kristi (1st princes) and I had a great summer. With the big parade in Pendicton BC. My Aunt Dotty and my mom took the three of us girls to Canada for a parade. We nearly killed ourselves when we rented mopeds and buzzed around town. We were only lost for a short time. I tore my ACL playing basketball and spent 8 weeks on crutches.

18 (1994) I spent my 18th birthday at Chuck E Cheese with a ton of my crazy friends. Rex would have been jealous of that party. The party was spent on crutches since I had my ACL surgery shortly after I turned 18. Graduated from High school with 22 of the same kids I started kindergarten with when I was 5. Yes, I grew up in a very small town. I was super excited to be able to walk down the graduation aisle free of crutches. I seem to remember wearing very tacky shorts with 1994 plastered on my butt under that graduation gown. Aimee and Leona had the same matching ugly shorts.

19 Went to Rocky Mountain College in Billings MT and met Justin. We lived in the same dorms and met playing UNO with a group of kids in the lobby.
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22 (1998) Graduated from College, Married Justin and landed my first grown up job. I was on top of the world and feeling bullet proof.

23 Moved home to Spokane. I finally realized that it was time to go home. I had spent 6 years in Montana because I had wanted to leave home when I graduated from highschool. I wanted a little adventure away from all of the kids I had grown up with and my family.
24 Started working for the American Cancer Society
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26 (2002) Gave birth to Rex - my world would never be the same
27 Learned all about asthma and taking Rex to the Dr all the time. I think we had a standing Friday afternoon appointment with our favorite pediatrician.
28 Bought our first home.
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30 Lost my sister to an apparent suicide. At the same time I gained another sister back as she rejoined the family and we found common ground over the loss of our sister. I also discovered I was pregnant with Riley this year and learned that 30 year olds do have babies with Down syndrome.

31 Riley was born and spent two weeks in the NICU. I spent the better part of the year getting used to having a baby in the house again and running around to therapy appointments. I was running around in so many circles that I didn't really notice how crazy my life was or how I wasn't really dealing with it. I was having issues with depression that I let go unchecked and all that stress packed on the pounds.

32 Was a big year. Rex started Kindergarten, Riley started walking and started this blog. I have grown in my faith and somewhere along the way stopped being mad at God. I have found that when I pray I have stopped asking for a solution and started asking for strength and patience in my life.

33 We shall see what this year brings for me and my family.

Well after putting my list together I didn't really come up with 33 memories to be thankful for but I did discover I have way too many to condense to a list of 33. It was a fun way to think about growing up and some of the highlights through the years. I have the best parents ever. I also some how found a wonderful husband that has put up with me for the last 10 almost 11 years. I bet after the last 6 months of total hormonal unbalance Justin would tell you it seems more like 30 years but we are still plugging along. I love my life with my boys, all three of them.