It's MY Birthday :)

Yesterday I turned 29.

Why are there only 8 candles on my cake?


Because we didn't have 29!

After my party, Johnny and I drove to Lufkin, which is about an hour west. We ate at The Olive Garden- LOVE! Then we went to the movie theater to see what was playing, and I
wasn't interested in any of the movies, so we went to the mall. The Lufkin mall isn't very big, so it doesn't take long to go to every store. We went to Waldenbooks and Johnny bought a
nursing manual that should help him pass his tests/classes and I found a great book for Bryn for her First Birthday, next month, and it was on sale for $2.99! Great deal! Then we went to JCPenney and I bought 2 shirts and a zip-up hoodie because they were having a
big sale too! All in all it was a good birthday. Thanks for the babysitting, card, gifts, calls,
emails and text messages! And here's what I really think about turning 29:

It's a big joke that I turned 29, for the first time. I've heard of people crying their eyes out when they turn 30 and lie about their age as they get older. Our culture is so backwards when it comes to age. Everyone can't wait to be ...16 so they can drive, or 20 so they can be treated like an adult, or whatever age. THEN they turn 30 or 40 or 50 and wish they knew what they knew now and could be younger. Other cultures (Chinese for instance) revere their elders. It's like the
older the person, the better they are treated and admired. Think about all the people you admire and look up to- most of them are older aren't they? The people I think of that I would like to emulate are older, for the most part. Some examples are my mom, my mother-in-law, President Hinckley, Sister Hinckley, and SO many other women in the Church. On tv or movies or Oprah (!) 50 is the new 25! People, especially women, in their 30s, 40s and up are more sophisticated, better dressed, and are more successful. Although, I do have to say that these women supposedly celebrate their age, but I think they only celebrate after they get
Botox injections. Why not age gracefully? Do you ever see any women in General Conference that look like they've had plastic surgery or Botox? Those are the women I admire, those are the women I want to be like.

SO, with all the wisdom that comes from being 29, I am happy to age gracefully, with every number, and with every wrinkle. I don't want to fall prey to the stigma of age. Next year, I'll happily announce my 30th!