In this, my 53rd year, I...

1. Didn't fly to the moon.
2. Didn't win a Nobel Peace Prize.
3. Studied and learned much while teaching eleven Relief Society lessons.
4. Gave up Grey's Anatomy and never missed it for a second.
5. Learned how to make chicken and pastry.
   
    
6. Discovered that Doug's been right all these years... glitter really is bad on carpet... and even bad on the floorboards beneath it.  (We recarpeted and redecorated my craft room/gallery.)
7. Reconnected with my Dad and family for the first time since I was a child.
   
   
8. Moved my bedroom furniture.
9. Went to North Carolina twice.
10. Set over 50 fabulous tablescapes.
    
    
11. Ate at Chili's a few times.  ;)  (Doug adds, "...a week.")
12. Read and studied the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, cover to cover.
13. Ate enough hushpuppies to make up for not having eaten one in over twenty-five years.
14. Read 15 other books.
15. Quit drinking Diet Coke three times.
16. Lost 31 pounds.
17. Got a very fun haircut.
    
    
18. Washed almost 500 loads of laundry.
19. Attended LDS General Conference in the SLC Conference Center.
20. Cried tears of joy and tears of sorrow and was thankful for every tear shed.
21. Learned more than I ever needed to know about our criminal justice system while watching a murder trial for six weeks on HLN and the internet.
22. Spent many nights in our camp trailer, most of them parked next to our home, with my laptop near my pillow.
    
    
23. Went to the movies less in one year than I've ever gone in one month.  (There weren't many worth watching.) 
24. Made wonderful new friends in our ward.
25. Loved being a Wife, a Mom and a Grammie!
    
    
26. Learned to "move on".
27. Said goodbye to a lovely and exemplary aunt, an old cowboy and an old friend.
    
    
28. Prayed a gazillion prayers for Max after his accident, JC after the roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan and my dad during his cancer treatments.
29. Sat/napped through seven of the eight Harry Potter movies and refused to see the last one. 
30. Sacrificed my mini-van to Doug and we bought an SUV for myself.
31. Watched my wonderful daughter and son-in-law move to Arizona and tried to be a big girl about the whole thing.
32. Strolled in the morning tide of the Atlantic Ocean with Liza.
    
    
33. Learned to break my night's sleep into three segments so that I could get a husband off to work in the middle of the night and two teens off to school before the sun rises and still be a night person.
34. Prayed more earnestly.
35. Cooked a lot of zucchini.
36. Didn't go to New York City.
37. Got an I-phone and could never go back to life without it.
38. Didn't swim in the pool one time.
39. Watched a Royal Wedding. 
40. Refurbished an old entertainment center into a lovely piece of furniture.
    
    
41. Strived for more wisdom and patience.
42. Walked a lot of miles.
43. Watched my dad become a cancer survivor.
44. Learned what a pylorus is and how it's supposed to work.
45. Hosted girls nights out, game nights, bridal showers, baby showers, neighborhood parties and several other gatherings with friends and family that I cherish.
    
    
46. Became addicted to Words with Friends.
47. Became an "official" Lumbee Indian (even though I'd always been one, it's on paper now!)
48. Watched an "unenhancement" surgery.
49. Learned how to Skype.
50. Said goodbye to Oprah.
51. Laughed.  A. Lot.
52. Decided that 53 is the new 35.
53. Gave thanks for my family, my faith, my friends and my life every single day, without fail.
    
    I love each and every birthday and celebrate that with each year, I'm learning and growing, loving life a little more each day!  Life is good!


A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. 
Enjoy the trip. 

Comments

[Nicole]

Happy Birthday Sophia! Sorry, but I missed the date, too busy this past week! Great post!

[Katie]

Happy Birthday- I love this post! I love you....

[Diana]

Happy Birthday! I hope your day is a fabulous as you are!

[april]

happy birthday.. have the day of your choice
April

[Jen B]

Happy Happy Birthday!! I hope you have an amazing day, week and month!!!

[Pamela K.]

Happy Birthday, Sophia! Looks and sounds like 53 years has been good to you. :-) So glad that 53 is the new 35. Gives me hope! :-)

[susan]

Happy Birthday good woman!