Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my 34th birthday! (It's amazing how 40 seems younger every year.) On this momentous day I found myself reflecting back on other great days in my life and thought I'd share some of my top picks (in chronological order).

August 7, 1975 - When I was just 50 weeks old a baby boy was born in Temple Texas. Though I was completely unaware of this at the time it proved to be extremely significant to me in the fact that he grew up to be my husband!

August 21, 1976 - My family moved into the house that I lived in for the next 16+ years of my life. We moved in on my second birthday and though I don't have actual memories of the day there are some great home movies and some still pics of that exciting time.

April 1982 - I don't remember the actual date, though I'm sure it is written down somewhere, but I remember walking down the aisle in my church and telling the pastor that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. It was a Thursday night revival service and some of my friends were down at the altar at the same time. It was one of those defining moments the magnitude of which I'm sure I'll never truly grasp. The God of the universe sent His only Son to die for my sins so that I could have eternal life with Him in heaven. It's mind boggling to say the least.

June 1991 - The summer after my junior year of high school I began my first job. I worked as part of the kitchen staff at a small Baptist encampment in Lueders, Texas. It was a great first job and I returned to work there for the next three summers.

October 29, 1994 - David and I went on our final first date (we had dated and broken up twice before but always remained friends) to the Howard Payne University Homecoming Bonfire. It was on this night that I realized that I was falling in love with my best friend - definitely a great day to remember.

August 21, 1995 - I knew I was going to marry David and was sure that he would propose to me at HPU Homecoming '95 which would have been our one year dating anniversary. David, however, surprised me and proposed on my 21st birthday. (He even gave me another gift earlier in the evening so I wouldn't suspect anything.) Needless to say, it was a very, very happy birthday!

May 1996 - I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Marketing. I made it through college without ever making a C - it was all A's and B's for me. This sounds impressive (at least to me) until I mention that David graduated a year later with only one B all the rest were A's. Show off.

August 10, 1996 - I wed my best friend.

June 1997 - We moved to Abilene and we're so glad we did.

July 6, 1997 - We joined South Side Baptist Church and we're so glad we did.

July 7, 1997 - I began my job as Music Secretary/Receptionist at SSBC.

December 4, 1998 - I became an aunt with the birth of my precious niece, Kathryn Elisabeth. Growing up as an only child, I had always just assumed that I would never be an aunt. It never occurred to me that I could marry someone with siblings and then be an aunt by marriage but I'm so glad it worked out that way.

June 1999 - We bought our home. We were so glad to be out of apartments and in our own place.

January 25, 2001 - I got to be an aunt for a second time with the birth of my handsome little nephew, Daniel Jameson.

December 23, 2003 - We found out that we were going to be parents!

September 1, 2004 - Our first child, Nathan Porter, was born.

March 29, 2005 - We found out that we were going to be parents again! We told everyone about this second pregnancy on April 1st and had to assure people that even though our first born was only six months old at the time, this was no April Fool's joke. Seriously - we're going to be parents again.

November 7, 2005 - Our second child, Benjamin David, was born.

As I think about what additional exciting and memorable days are to come, I'm reminded of the old saying which states "I don't know what the future holds but I know Who holds the future." I find that very comforting.