some things I'm thankful for on my birthday

1. My husband. I have found the best partner to live life with as is possible. He is kind, generous, loving, and takes care of me in every way.
   
2. My mom. As much as she thinks I don't need her anymore now that I have Jeff, I still do and always will. She taught me how to think, to question everything to figure out what is right.
   
3. My daddy. Often we don't understand each other, get angry at each other, shake our heads at each other (that sounded primal), but I always know he loves me.
   
4. Friends. Although I have just two very close friends besides Jeff, I also have a plethora of people who love me from a distance and that makes them all my friends.
   
5. Intelligence. It doesn't make life any simpler but much more interesting.
6. Truth. That there is a right and wrong, and that it is discernible.
7. God. Although I don't understand completely what/who God is, I am very thankful that I have felt (and feel) something so much bigger than me.
   
8. Jesus. As Job said in hope of Jesus, "If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot."
9. Education. Ignorance can allow so many evils.
   
10. Books. For the ability they give me to escape pain.
11. Internet. It would be hard to keep in touch with people without email, blogs and facebook. Plus it cuts down on destroying trees as I don't need a book on every little piece of information I want to look up.
    
12. Skills. My ability to draw, work with clay, write, bake, create, sing, play piano, argue, play sports, be a good wife, knit.
13. Health, such as I have. The pain is most certainly wearisome, but I am able to do much still.
14. My dog. Perhaps a bit silly, but having a warm, soft puppy to cuddle with on occasion is some of the best medicine in the world.

wish lists

Does it defeat the purpose of present giving, if you make a list beforehand? When I was really little I started making up birthday wish lists and posting them on the fridge (partially because I had this fear that people would otherwise forget my birthday! as if i would let them!). I still continue to do this, and from my point of view it makes sense. For those who know me well, I can be quite fickle and it may be hard to figure out what I really want if I didn't write it down for them. However, this year Jeff is coming up with a list too, and I feel like if it is coming from the same pocket why don't we just buy it for ourselves. Of course then there isn't any surprise left at all. Hm.
What are your thoughts?

happy birthday Laura!

whidbey island

For his birthday Jeff wanted to explore Whidbey Island, so after a huge breakfast at Patty's Eggnest we got on the ferry.

We drove up to Langley (this is the view from the hill behind the town).

To Fort Casey

After being fired this gun swings back and down so that it can't be seen from the sound. So it looks like this:

There were a few places in the bunkers that were a little too scary to go into (pitch black concrete rooms). This was one of them...On Saturday we had a few people over for cake and games.

Notice Jeff's shirt...my birthday present for him...hehe :)
'Ter-e-sa
yowza!'The cake!

I lost my camera cord...

so I wasn't able to upload any of my pictures for a while. not that I have that many pictures really. But here they are...

one of many cute pics of Rebecca

The whole Brady-ish bunch.

it snowed (a couple times), this is the fig tree (with figs) at mom and dad's

mom working on my birthday cake; german chocolate exactly 22 candles

notice Dan the opera singer...

my last bday gift - I asked for a wrapped gift

a huskie pup - stuffed, but maybe some day!