Happy Birthday to Me!

I’m not really sure what is proper blog etiquette for acknowledging one’s own birthday, so I’m tossing that concern out the window and throwing myself a little birthday party today.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the milestones of my first 33 years:

Year 1: Started walking at 7 1/2 months old.  (I was ambitious even as a infant.)

Year 2: I’m pretty sure this was the year that I got my first dog Brandy.

Year 3: Became a huge fan of the group Sha Na Na.  Anybody?

Year 4: Pigtails, fluffy dresses, a pink bike with a basket and streamers on the handle bars

Year 5: My sister was born, my parents divorced and I started Kindergarten (triple whammy!)

Year 6: First grade!  Ugh!  First grade was hell.  I started a new school.  My teacher was a very old, cranky women who made learning to read very difficult.  Ironically I ended up loving to read after I got the hang of it.

Year 7: Second grade.  A much better year in school, however I picked up the nasty habit of smoking.  No joke – I smoked cigarettes for one week (well, probably just burned them) and I’ve never picked up another cigarette in my life.

Year 8: We started attending church and I accepted Christ as my savior.

Year 9: Started taking piano and voice lessons.

Year 10: Fifth grade.  I vividly remember the Challenger Explosion.

Year 11: Mom decided to homeschool us.  Very transitional year.

Year 12: Not much stands out from this year.

Year 13: Junior high and hormones – yuck.

Year 14: Went back to public school.

Year 15: Joined the tennis team

Year 16: Had my first real “boyfriend”.  Got a job that summer at the local ice cream shop.

Year 17: Poured all my energy into figuring out what college to go to

Year 18: Graduated and headed off to Bryan College in Dayton, TN

Year 19: Met Merlyn but didn’t begin dating for another year; we were both part of the cast of Fiddler on the Roof

Year 20: Starting dating Merlyn; Quit school and moved to Nashville to intern at ForeFront Records

Year 21: Got a job at ForeFront

Year 22: Merlyn proposed

Year 23: Married on February 27th, got a new car, traveled around the country with Stacie Orrico

Year 24: Worked a lot!

Year 25: Worked some more…

Year 26: Bought our first house in Franklin, TN, helped launch Cross Point Community Church, adopted our Border Collie Mick

Year 27: Merlyn became a police officer, I started classes at MTSU to finish my undergrad degree

Year 28: Work.  School.  Work.  School.

Year 29: Started working at Cross Point, bought our second house, finished my undergrad degree

Year 30: My sister Jes moved to Nashville, went to Africa on a mission trip and safari

Year 31: Nothing comes to mind for this year.

Year 32: Trained for and ran my first 1/2 marathon, started blogging

Year 33: I can’t wait to see what you hold for me!

In 33 years, I have been very blessed.  Each year I have looked forward to more than the next.

So for my birthday, share a little about one of the best years of your life!