Decade of Fun

     When I turned 30, I anticipated the worst. I didn't expect to be 30 and not married.  That morning, I woke up and after saying my personal prayers, I had a moment.  I sat down with my journal and I took time to reflect over my 30 years of mortality.  Thirty years ago--what the morning must be have been like for my mother when she held her brand new baby girl for the first time.  I’m sure I was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen or held.  Of course.  I had long, dark hair and thick side burns.  What were her emotions like that day?  As she looked into her tiny baby’s eyes, what did she dream I would become?  Could she sense what I would accomplish in life and where my life would take me?  I felt the sweetness of that moment as I pondered on the bonding that takes place when a mother first sees her newborn child.   Had I become what she imagined?  What had I done with the last thirty years?  With gratitude, I pondered on the many opportunities I had been blessed with in my life.
       Although marriage and child had not yet been part of my course, I had many moments and relationships to be grateful for.  I wept that morning.  Tears didn't fall from feeling sorry for myself, but they fell out of gratitude for the miracle of life and the miracles I had experience in my life. 

      On your next birthday, whether it is a decade turnover or not, I challenge you to take some time away and don’t wallow in what might have been, but relish on what HAS been in your life.  Take the time to write it down.  Open your heart and allow God to show you His hand in your life. 

       I recently turned 40.  What helped me get through this one?  Well, I decided I would feel better if I had ice cream for lunch every day the whole week before my birthday.  Yep, it helped.  My advice for 40, fill your day with things you love to do, food you love to eat, and people you love to be with.  Fill your whole birthday week with those things. 

      On my birthday, I had a dear friend take a short flight with me to see my sister and some of my nieces and nephews.  It was a SkyWest flight with only four passengers—we were two of them! 

       My darling sister arranged for her neighbor ladies and neighborhood kids to come to a birthday party for me.   We also ate with the kids at school—now I don’t necessarily recommend eating school lunch on your 40^th--we brought IN our lunch. 

      I had another friend pick us up from the airport and we had INDIAN food for dinner.  One word: YUM. 

      I made sure I went snowshoeing with some dear friends that week to also celebrate.  I wanted to celebrate the things I love with the people that I love.   

      

       I felt very blessed to have many people do kind things for me for this birthday.  Thank you, to all of you.

      The day of my birthday, I was OK and happy—I had too many things planned to be sad.  Now, the day after, when I stopped to think about being 40 and not married, I got a little emotional.  I really didn't think I’d make it through my 30’s without being married.   This was not my plan.  I should have been going to PTA meetings and doing Science Fair Projects.  I should have been preparing kids for bedtime and missions.   I allowed myself to feel heartache and sorrow.  However, I knew I had to deal with it and be OK with it. 

      So, I decided to make a list of 100 things I did or experienced in my 30’s.  I am truly humbled and feel so blessed for so many wonderful opportunities.  Here is my list:  

1. Started Annual Neil Diamond B-day party
2. Fell in love with Harry Potter series
3. Dressed as Harry Potter for the Days of 47 Parade and signed autographs for Harry Potter
4. Stayed in a Yurt
5. Learned to love Indian Food
6. Road Trip to Canada two times with dear friends
7. Trip to Chile
8. Trip to London
9. Saw the Eiffel Tower
10. Saw the British Pageant
11. Visited Harry Potter Movie Studio on London
12. Was introduced to Tim Tam Slams—Have since introduced many others to TTS
13. Ward Camp Director
14. Stake Camp Director
15. Stake Relief Society Presidency Member
16. Ward Young Women’s Presidency Member
17. Ward Young Women’s President
18. New hobby: Snowshoeing
19. Bought eight pairs of snowshoes
20. Master’s Degree in Fine Arts Administration
21. Taught Seminary full-time
22. Worked at Hale Centre Theatre
23. Worked in Early Intervention
24. Taught a preschool Mom and Tot’s Music Class
25. Worked as a Speech Technician in elementary school
26. Landed my nephew a lead role in a World Wide Training film
27. Played the part of “Scrooge” and “Thelma” in Farndale Ave. Christmas Carol
28. Directed community production of Singin’ in the Rain
29. Played “Miss Scarlet” in Clue
30. Hospitality Team Leader for BYU Woman’s Conference
31. Directed several youth musicals
32. Spoke at a Tri-Stake Women’s Conference
33. Helped with the Nauvoo Pageant three years
34. Received a Post Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Disorders
35. Visited several more temples to total over fifty-five
36. Worked on a project with the General Young Women’s Presidency and Board
37. Recovered from “white board incident” and arm surgery
38. Played “Rita La Porta” in Lucky Stiff
39. Performed in a Dinner Theatre
40. Discovered Girl Scout Thin Mint Chocolate Ice Cream
41. Attended 4-H Camp with two of my nieces
42. Visited five temples in one day with my oldest nephew
43. Attended  five Temple Dedications and six Temple Open Houses
44. Took my nephew on a Church History trip to Kansas City, Missouri and attended the Temple Open House
45. Took my oldest niece on a Church History trip to Kirtland, Ohio
46. Discovered the joy of gardening
47. Discovered Dave Ramsey
48. Started a dedicated savings account for Christmas
49. Started a blog
50. Created Visiting Teaching Motivational videos
51. Spoke at EFY in AZ, ID, UT, TX, Canada
52. Spoke for “Making in Count” in NM, UT, NV
53. Nannied for my friend, Mindy, for a month after she gave birth to twins and had two boys under the age of three
54. Attended my friend, Karen’s, Marriage and Motherhood classes
55. Created and became Mildew Rose (an official Gardner Village Witch)
56. Create a Buddy the Elf costume—started annual visits at Christmas to two elementary schools
57. Spoke at Nauvoo West Women’s Retreat
58. Sang in “We Also Sing” Choir
59. Went a blind date  road trip across the country
60. Visited Boston
61. Saw Joseph Smith’s Birth place
62. Traveled to Georgia to visit a friend and see a friend play “Eliza Doolittle”
63. Discovered Rudy’s in TX
64. Discovered Hot Chocolate Lava Cake at Bravo!
65. Hiked Mt. Olympus
66. Built a school in Kenya
67. Did Yoga for the first time in Kenya
68. Went on an African Safari in Kenya
69. Started early morning walking with friends
70. Taught a 70 year old woman to snowshoe
71. Hung out with members of a boy band--Beyond 5
72. Was declared second BFF by a 10 year old
73. Oldest niece got married
74. Oldest nephew went on a mission
75. Blessed with 13 more nieces and nephews
76. Learned to text
77. Got a Facebook account
78. Taught a children’s singing group
79. Played Hot Cross Buns on the recorder for two friends running in a Marathon
80. Ran my first 5K
81. Did a Triathlon (canoeing leg)
82. Directed/Coordinated a Student Stake Celebration of the life of Joseph Smith
83. My five-year old niece wanted a “Melanie” themed B-day Party
84. Received flowers from an world class ice speed skater just after he broke a world’s record
85. Became a Ropes Course Facilitator
86. Started a Special Olympics team in Cedar City
87. Saw ORIGINAL Broadway cast of  Wicked   (Have now seen it five times)
88. Saw Lion King…again
89. Saw Warhorse
90. Went on a cruise with my family
91. My parents went on a mission
92. Won diapers for a year for a family
93. Worked at Utah Shakespearean Festival
94. Saw California Redwood trees
95. Visited Oregon Coast
96. Made first digital photo book
97. Went on CES Pioneer Trails Workshop
98. Saw 2 real reindeer in Wyoming
99. Went huckleberry picking
100. Volunteered in Salt Lake Temple Baptistery and St. George Temple Children’s Waiting room

Because I have been given much, I too must give.