twenty six

i'm 26.
officially, as of 4:20pm yesterday.
26 is kind of a funny age
nothing really to get worked up about
or stressed out over
i joked with my brother that at least i wasn't turning 29 like he did ;)
26
has a nice ring to it
i was married on the 26th day of september
26
i'm very different than i was at 6. and 16. even than i was at 20 or 23. infact, i feel like a very different person than i was at this point last year.

i'm going to post some of my favorite pictures from my 'birthday week' once it's over (we're celebrating with mike's family on saturday) but for now, i thought i'd reflect on 26 things about the past year & who i am becoming!

1. i have officially spent a full year loving, snuggling & smooching my 2nd nephew everett. if you want to learn how deeply you can love, become an auntie! he is really my favorite person in the world!
2. last year at this time i had my emergency gall bladder removal surgery. happy to not have to worry about any more attacks, but sadly, it's made me enjoy coffee (and acid reflux) much less (not like i ever liked acid reflux... i think you know what i mean)
3. i had 3 different jobs within the last year. as a customer service rep at a book publisher, a recreation therapist at a care home & a secretary at a baptist church.
4. i have found a job that i LOVE. today i came to work an hour & a half early (we are down to 1 car this week.. so it's taken some adjusting... and michael could only drop me off at 7:30am) and i didn't even mind! i was actually quite proud of the progress i had made by my regular start time of 9. being a church secretary is wonderful.
5. i have started to write more (especially on here) and i find that writing really helps me put my thoughts together. sometimes i start typing, with no idea where i'm going with it, and suddenly my thoughts have magically been put into words.
6. i finally admitted that i need help. i spent a large part of the last year in a haze, having forgotten who i was, and really just falling apart. this has been humbling. and healing.
7. to go with the last point, i took the first anti-depressants in my life. i have found what life is like when the dose is too high & i become numb. but thankfully i have found what life is like when the right dose can level out the chemicals in my body & i can be ME.
8. in the last year i travelled to ontario & bc to see 2 dear friends of mine marry 2 wonderful men. 
9. i have learned how to communicate better with michael. in this last year we have laughed more than all the years before combined. we have found a wonderful rhythm in our marriage and i am SO thankful for him every day.
10. i bought my first ever BRAND NEW car. 'tucker' our 2010 hyundai tucson. he suckered me in with his dual sunroofs...
11. we made the tough choice this year to start pursuing a new church home. we have really been loving the open arms of the church we have started attending. and we're thankful for a fresh start.
12. this year i spent many hours singing to my grandma. chatting with her. teasing her. doing "mind exercises" with her (aka word find puzzles). praying with her. and missing her.
13. i took over 2000 pictures of my dear everett. a little much?? nah.
14. this year i camped with mike's family on probably the coldest weekend ever. i am a 'cabin' girl, but i do love a good weekend or two roughing it in a tent. it is always wonderful to camp with the thiessens!
15. this year we were able to take another wonderful trip away to warmer lands with my family. nothing beats sipping pina coladas with your feet dangling in an infinity pool, with the ocean on the horizon and the sun spilling over your shoulders.. and robbie doing "sexy poses" in the background... ok, maybe robbie was a bit much. 
16. is anyone still reading this?
17. this year i tried many new recipes. both sweet & savory. i love to bake & cook, especially if i can share it with people i love!
18. this year i officially quit facebook, and officially committed to pursuing deeper relationships with my handful of wonderful friends (including my family of course!)
19. this year i received MUCH support from my family. and feel like i have been getting to know my siblings in a much deeper and personal way. not sure where i'd be without them.
20. i got my nose pierced!
21. i have felt challenged in my faith. realizing it is a daily choice to live for christ & that "being a christian" needs to actual be a verb, not just a statement. realizing that i hate apathy, but am often guilty of it.
22. this year i have washed the dishes, cooked, baked & watched tv in my own home, naked. much to the shock of my sister leah ;)
23. i have embraced the fact that i LOVE taking baths. and i take one every other day. and normally watch an episode of either the office or gilmore girls. thanks to my hubby who sets up the laptop on a bench in the bathroom for me.
24. i have become even more of a crazy cat person. and i tell way to many stories where they are the main character. sorry about that.
25. i have been really embracing our house as our home. it was strange to me for awhile because i had been in our house when it belonged to friends of ours. so, slowly but surely i have been painting & doing some changes to help it feel more like OUR house. we are very fortunate for such a lovely place to live.
26. i finally got my piano tuned. after 25+ years of no tuning. and have spent many hours playing on it, and singing to my hearts content.

26. a good sounding number.

a good year ahead.

here is a sneak peek of my favorite birthday pictures: