My favorite things

So it's my birthday. So I'm 47. So I'm not getting any younger, and without the use of surgery, I won't be getting any smoother. Just wrinklier.... probably not a word. Don't care. It's my birthday. I thought I would dedicate the blog today to what makes me so strange, or in other words, things I love....

I love:
My family
To study the gospel (yes I am a proud MOLLY MORMON. GET OVER IT!!!!)
To study anything that interests me including and not limited to:
archeology (especially when it involves Mayans, or Incas, or any of those people)
Psychology (I adore brains)
Sociology
Writing and writers.... give me books, lots of books
social welfare, and I mean real social welfare and justice, not just namby pamby catch phrases. I like to study what would REALLY help rather than just put a band aid on it.
Cooking. I love love love to cook. Good food. That explains my body shape.
ART... I LOVE GOOD ART
Music.... oh I am a musical waiting to happen...
and many, many other things
Other things that I am quite passionate about are:
Diet Coke. love it. Can't be without it. Has to be decaffeinated though. Can't do caffeine anymore.
I don't love cake, but I do like pancakes. That's what I had for breakfast.
I love cookies though. and pie. Pie is good. The only good cake has cheese in it too. Just my opinion.
I love seafood. Not all seafood, but most of it. I especially love things that come in shells that I can craaaaccck and peel and eat.
Peanut M&M's
I love to go on adventures, whether they are just to Walmart or whether they are all the way to china.
I love to be artsy fartsy crafty. I am not good at decorating rooms, but I love to play with fabric and paper.
I am a happy traveler. I don't love car trips though. I do like getting there (to new or different places) I love to go on airplanes. I am just weird that way. I also love to come home from a trip.
I love soft beds. I am thinking of jumping on my new bed until it softens up. At least on my side. Dh needs firmness. sigh.
I love sitting in bed and watching TV. I like to fall asleep to TV, but it is no longer necessary for me to do so. I have always had trouble (at least since I can remember) with the falling asleep thing. Too many scary things in the dark. But I am getting better at it.
I love to read. Just about anything. If it is interesting. One of my life long passions.
I love fall weather. I love to crunch leaves. I love the crisp feeling in the air. I love rosy cheeks.
I love snow. I love shoveling it in the fresh morning air that makes me feel so very
I love being hugged and buffeted by my rowdy children. I love to do things with them. I will now discuss a special memory with each one:
I remember when Randy Jr. got his finger slammed in the door at the family reunion. He had to be on my lap as we rushed him to a doctor, and the only thing that calmed him down was me singing to him. Later in his life, he used to sing Armies of Helaman with the cutest vibratto at the end of the phrase, "We have been taught in our youuuuuuttth" was so cute. I miss the innocent little boy he once was. I worry about him and think about him every single day. I don't think he believes this, but it is true.
Samantha Anne has always been one of the biggest joys of my life. I remember climbing up Mount Timpanogus with her. She was the happiest girl that day. She pulled the bigger kids up the hill, unlike her mother, who at that same age would have needed to be pulled herself. She said that her feet never hurt because of all the pretty things to look at. She was the prettiest thing I could see. I loved watching her dance. Loved singing with her. That is the thing I miss most. She has the most amazingly wonderful voice. And that's not just because I am her mother. I miss that. Darn those evil people who took her confidence away from her. There is a special place in.... but I digress...
Ted.... Ted needs a hug. Ted is noble, kind and true. I love the little grin that is almost perpetually on his face. I love the unintentioned jokes that come from Ted. The Tedisms. One of my favorite stories is when he was about 8 or so, we were passing by a friends house and noticed that there were a lot of cops in the neighborhood. I remarked on this and he said, "Maybe they're just looking for the donut shop." Ask him what he thinks of the word Infatuation. I guess there was a Pokemon character that was called Infatuation, and he and his brother were arguing its merits. He said, "Infatuation is a stupid word for love anyway. It sounds like you have gas." I nearly died. I need that boy in my life. EVERY DAY.
Stephen the beautiful, Stephen the kind, Stephen the smelly.... I love my stinker. He is the voice of reason at times. He taught his socially awkward brothers how to have friends. He has always shared his friends with them. He is also the one who looks at me sideways with that evil little grin.... We get each other. I can't help it if he looks like an angel. How did Taylor Swift know???? LOL
Daniel... Danny boy. I love him. He is so interesting. He notices everything. He is very sensitive to how other people feel. Very interesting in an Aspie kid. He is also just a lot of fun to be around. Enthusiastic. Fun loving. LOVING. I hate it when the kids are mean to him. HATE IT. If they knew him, really knew him, they would never dare to be mean to him. He is too good.
Ashley is my evil twin. She plans things. She nags a good bit of the time. She worries. She is too much like me. I love it when she goes off on one of her little speeches about how she wants to be as a person. She is very kind hearted. I love it when she is smiling her clear and beautiful smile. It is an allusive smile that is hard to capture on film. I love her sense of fun. She loves to go and do. She is not content in the life of a couch potato. Even when Hannah Montanna is on. lol.
I love being married. I love my husband. I love how sometimes I find that he has done just the sweetest thing for me. I love it when he wants to discuss things with me. I love how we laugh at the same things. I love that we like the same music. I love that we can usually watch the same movies and love them. I love his kindness. I love his work ethic.
On this day of my birth, I am grateful for my family, those that raised me and those that let me be part of the miracle of their lives. I am grateful that I can learn still. YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS. or at least an old lady.
I love my life. Even the imperfect parts.