To Celebrate Growing Older...

This week I turn 30. Thursday to be exact. 11-11...a beautiful day (in my humble opinion-ha!). I am excited about my next 30 years as the first 30 were filled with so much I can't imagine what God has in store for me!

I was sent the below as an email forward by a great friend the other day and thought it was worth sharing! I always love getting advice from those who have been around the block more times than I!

This was written by Regina Brett, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2009 and 2008. Oh and contrary to what the email forward says...she is 54, not 90. And if you click on her name above it will take you to her web site to confirm! Pretty funny story actually!

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To Celebrate Growing Older...

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone, everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Fa La La La...

This is a fun post that Amy over at Our Happy Married Life did and I thought I would join in...feel free to do the same! Of course I added a few because it wouldn't be right if I didn't now would it?! And for all of you only following this to keep up with JD, I included some fun photos of him too!

Oh and "Deck the Halls with bows of Holly...Fa La La La Laaaa, La La La Laaaa." Loving myself some Christmas music! (you know you were already singing this...and if not-you are now!! HEHE!)

1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags? wrapping paper, with ribbons and bows all the way. I personally think that is just part of the fun of the season!

2. Real Tree or Artificial? We have a 9 foot artificial tree that I LOVE, BUT I grew up having a mixture of both. I am fine with real but I do think they can be a beast to take care of. But I heard today via the blog world that this equals that I don't love Jesus...not having a real tree and all, and am perplexed cause I sure do love myself some Jesus (and just because this quote is in my head I will follow it up with...) "I like the baby version best"...NAME THAT MOVIE!

JD "helping" put out the christmas lights

3. When do you put your tree up? The day after Thanksgiving is normally our tradition.

4. When do you take the tree down? Normally the weekend that follows New Years but this year our halls will be decked until the third weekend in January as we are hosting "friendsgiving" which isn't happening until January 9th and it just wouldn't be the same if the tree wasn't up...

"Uncle VP, let me show you how this is done"

5. Favorite Childhood Christmas Memory? I wrote an entire 8 page paper on this my freshmen year of college for a creative writing class...wish I still had it actually! Anywho I LOVED Christmas growing up. For everything it was...dad getting out the Christmas lights and stringing them all over the house to make sure they worked, and inevitably one wouldn't so we would have to use our electrical skills to try and figure out which one caused the problem...flip to him up on a ladder putting out the lights and yelling at us, to helping my mom bake cookies (and the house smelling like baked goods for a whole month, Christmas programs at school and then Madrigals in high school, to the dysfunction of our extended family's poker game on Christmas night, to dad's obsession with being in the living room, coffee in hand before we could go in and see what Santa brought us...it wasn't perfect but it is what made me love Christmas. I cannot WAIT until we can create our own traditions with JD!

Final Product...

6. Do you like eggnog? That is a negative.

7. Favorite gift you received as a child? My first real Cabbage Patch kid! Why did I say REAL you ask? Oh because my grandma was FAMOUS for trying to make fake Cabbage Patch dolls out of cotton stuffed women's nylons. Funny now...yep it sure is...but not so funny then!

8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes I sure do...Jesus is the reason for the season you know. :)

JD doing some "work" on the Christmas tree...noticing a trend here anyone??

9. Favorite Christmas Movie Quote? "Santa-I KNOW HIM!" or "The best way to spend Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"-Elf


10. Hardest person to buy for? P-Daddy's Dad, Papa Lawyer. He asks (jokingly) for boxers every year and that's all we get from him. He better watch out cause one of these years he is going to be getting a fresh crisp pair of boxers from us to him. HA!

11. Easiest Person to buy for? P-Daddy AND JD. I could buy gifts for them all year long if we could afford it! But really in general I love giving to everyone!

12. Worst Christmas Gift Ever Received? It wasn't a gift for me, it was for my brother but still somewhat counts...golf themed toilet paper. And yes he sure does love golf, but really? And no this was not a joke.

13. Mail or e-Christmas card? Mail...except for you, right here and right now it will be a blogochristmas card :)

14. Favorite Christmas Movie? I really do love them all so this is hard to choose. But Miracle on 34th street is my fav. Elf comes in at a close second though...

15. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Normally around December 1st...but I kind of like to drag it out because I love malls around Christmas time...I know they are crowded as heck but they are part of what makes it Christmas!

JD February 2007 JD December 2009

16. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Present? No and never plan to. I don't recycle gifts at all actually but sometimes I think I should because the ones that we don't use just end up in our garage sale...

17. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peppermint Bark...fun to eat and fun to make! And really it would feel weird eating this at any other time in the year!

18. Colored or Clear Lights? Grew up with colored lights but I kind of hate them now so we are a clear lighted family

19. Favorite Christmas Song? Me: Carol of the Bells P-Daddy: Santa Claus is coming to town (but only the Neil Diamond version) JD: (coincidentally) Deck the Halls (because he can sing the Fa La La part). But I must add that Christmas wouldn't be right without Amy Grant's Greatest hits Christmas CD playing over and over and over again! :)

20. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Well, this is something I am rather passionate about so I am glad you asked! We currently travel here there and everywhere BUT Santa always came to OUR house growing up, and I really liked that every year we got to wake up in our own bed at Christmas so that is the tradition that we are going to have once JD is old enough to understand. If we travel at all it will be to a driveable place for Christmas dinner. Pray for me though...family can be rough on that subject!

21. Name Santa's Reindeer=Dasher, Dancer Donner and Blitzen, Comet and Cupid and Blank and Blank...but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?? Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose...

22. Angel or Star on top of your tree? Sparkly Gold Star

Arts and Crafts time at playgroup

23. Favorite Adult Christmas Memory? First Christmas in our first home with P-daddy. I just knew I would always remember every thing about it. Although what I think is really fun about P-Daddy and I in general is that EVERY.SINGLE.CHRISTMAS we have spent together (going on year 8) we always get each other the same thing. Seriously, no joke and no we NEVER plan it. We've done watches and not just any watch but the EXACT same watch, mine was the girl version, his was the boy...we have done robes and we both had them embroidered, last year we both got each other North Face jackets...its pretty hysterical really because we never make lists for each other and we seriously end up with the same thing! I kind of (no really) love this.

24. Presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning: My family tradition equals Christmas morning...P-Daddy's family equals Christmas Eve. I kind of love Christmas eve because we like to drink a lot after Christmas Eve Mass so Christmas morning can be a rough one...but for JD's sake we will do Christmas morning (that is until he is old enough to drink-HA!)

25. Most annoying thing about this season? In the moment, being dragged a million different directions by family. But really, in the end I would be sad not to have that family so its kind of dumb to be annoyed by this.

26. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Anything that blows up to giant size that is placed in people's front yards. Hideous. Should be banned by all neighborhood associations EVERYWHERE!

27. Themed trees or traditional/homey ones? I am a fan of "homey" in general so a homey tree it is and will always be.

28. Gingerbread Cookies or Sugar Cookies? Sugar Cookies with Buttercream icing please.

29. Do you like fruitcake? Never had it but I am thinking it would be awful. Brick of dense bread doesn't even sound good.

30. Are you a stocking stuffer? Absolutely yes! I love stockings...I think the most thoughtful gifts are normally in the stocking!

31. Any Christmas Song make you a bit emotional? Yes...Silent Night. Especially when sung in church on Christmas Eve, lights out, candles of the congregation lit. Gets me every time!

Now that was fun! Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did typing! Now off to do some Christmas baking and wrapping! YAY!

Happy Birthday Amy

Amy over at "A Day in the Life of Amy" has a BIG BIRTHDAY TODAY!! If you get a chance, send her some bday love!!

Happy Birthday Amy! I hope its a great one!

Congratulations!!

To my best friend AMY and her FIANCE Paul! The Dumas Fam wishes you the best engagement day and evening and MANY, MANY, MANY more happy years of marriage to come!

The Beautiful Couple

Visit Amy's blog to get the scoop on the wonderful proposal!