Michelle's Adventures: One Year Older and Wiser, too!

Last Sunday I turned the big 25. I used to think that was old, but now that I'm here, I see that it's really not that old at all. When I think about all that I've done this past year, I truly believe that I'm not just one year older, I'm wiser, too. I am grateful for the many opportunities and experiences I've had this year that have helped me to grow and be changed forever. A guy in my ward told me multiple times on my birthday that just by looking at me, he knew that this is going to be my year and that good things will happen. I believe it! I really feel that I'm am on the right track and I can expect great things to happen this next year. I think he was referring to dating and getting married, so if that happens, I'd be happy with that, too!

It's really okay that I'm not married right now. When I was a teenager, I always thought I wanted to be married by age 21. When I think about all that I've done, the people I've met and helped, the experiences I've had that have helped me to grow, I am actually grateful that I didn't get married then. I never wanted to have to lug kids around while going to school, so it's a great blessing I didn't have that worry while in college. I am better than the kind of woman I imagined I wanted to be and I know I can only get better from here. I have lots of goals and things I want to do and I feel like I'm living the dream. Life is exciting and interesting. I have so much I can do and am taking the steps I need to so I can accomplish those things. Of course, I want to get married and have my own family. Everyday as I work as a preschool teacher I wish that I had my own kids to do those activities with them. But, I don't, and it's okay. Everyday I'm learning new ways to work with kids and things to do with them that will make me one of the best moms in the whole world! You just wait for it! Right now I have no dating prospects, but I'm being the best me and I know I will meet some amazing guy who will love that.

I learned a few years ago that it's important to have a Plan B, with Plan A being getting married and having a family. Currently I'm living Plan B and I love life and am excited about the future. I'm basically doing three things: Improving my relationship with my Heavenly Father, Getting all the education I can, and Putting myself in the position to meet my future companion. Of course I have specific things in each of these areas that I am working on that are way too personal and lengthy to put onto a blog.

I guess my point of writing all this is to say, "Yeah, I'm 25! So what?" Although, when someone does ask my age, it will be kind of fun to say things like, "It's a multiple of 5," or some really outrageous age that you know isn't right. Once I'm 30 I think I will truly lie about my age... maybe.

My birthday was great! It's kind of funny that I felt like I'd never had one before just because of how special I felt. My roommate Savannah made a really yummy ham dinner for me. My brother Kevin gave me a dozen roses, but not just any roses, FIRECRACKER roses. They are my favorite. So between dinner and presents/dessert, we went to the outer darkness of the parking lot and lit half of them. I want to save some for later. :D At ward prayer, the whole ward sang happy birthday to me accompanied by Matt Pace who plays the song in a really fun way. I was really looking forward to that part of my day, actually. After ward prayer, I invited friends over to play the game called Curses. It's a lot of fun. Overall, my day was amazing. It was even better when people guessed my age and thought I was 21 or 22. I'm I immature or do I just look young? Maybe both at times. :D

Oh, and what makes me even more excited to now be 25 is that I can now rent a car without it be outrageously expensive and a huge hassle!! What kind of car should I rent....???

One other thing I'm grateful for is that despite almost killing my Bachelor Button plant over Thanksgiving, it is still alive and actually has THREE buds on it right now. Thank you Miracle Grow because I sure needed a miracle!