27

I've had this blog for over four years now. I started it when Kyle, London, and I moved to Amman, Jordan, because I wanted our families and close friends to know what we were up to on the other side of the world. And then, when we came home, I found that I enjoyed writing it so much that I wanted to keep going. I never imagined I would still be writing it today, but when I go back and read the posts, the memories make me SO COMPLETELY happy that I can't imagine ever stopping. That being said, I feel like for my birthday this year, instead of lumping it in with my Christmas post like I always do, I want to write a little bit about myself. Because the reality is, this blog is no longer just followed by family and close friends, and---for some reason, I keep feeling like I want its readers to get a better sense of the person behind the computer screen, on my 27th birthday.

Where to begin? How did I get here? I'm not your typical 27 year old, and that's okay with me. When I was growing up, there were two things I knew I wanted in life. First, I wanted to be an author. I zipped my way through college because there were no wasted classes, no changing of majors, no questions about who I was or what I wanted from school. Second, I wanted to mother a whole lot of children. I got married really young, which definitely isn't for everyone, but worked out wonderfully for me. We started having kids almost right away, and I seriously found my calling in life. Mothering is my JAM. I love the nearly impossible challenge of it. I love organizing the chaos. I love how much I am changing because of my kids. I love playing with them, reading them stories, teaching them new things, and kissing their beautiful faces a million times a day. Motherhood brings a kind of joy to my life that completely consumes me. Was I expecting the debilitating exhaustion? NOPE. I'm hoping to sleep again in ten years or so. In conclusion, don't be super surprised when I'm pregnant again someday, because if you've met my kids, you'd want more of them, too. You heard it from me first.*

London brought me breakfast in bed on my birthday! She climbed directly over Kyle.

*Kyle wants everyone to know that I am NOT pregnant.

Love. I love love. I am the sappiest person I know. The super cheesy almost sickeningly silly love stories make my heart skip a beat. I'm not ashamed. Give me all the books, movies, and TV shows about romance. Speaking of books, I'm an avid reader. I can get lost in a book and read until 3 am without even realizing it. I enjoy all genres of books: historical fiction, biographies, dystopian, romance, self-help, religious...

My faith is everything to me. I'm a Mormon- which is basically a fancy way of saying--I'm a Christian who believes that God still talks to people today. The best thing about being a Mormon? Definitely our belief in eternal families. We believe that families continue even after death, which means our children, our parents, our grandparents, will always be ours. It's why Mormon funerals are joyous, warm, and peaceful. The second best thing? Probably callings. A "calling" is a job at church: every single person has a job, and no one, not even the Bishop, gets paid. My job right now is teaching the 14 year old girls, and it is one of my favorite callings I've ever had! My faith in Jesus Christ helps me conquer and endure all of the challenges that come my way. I feel purpose and direction and light in my life.

I have a really really loud, super distinct laugh. I used to be embarrassed by it, but not anymore. It's me!

I am a people person. I love the story behind each new face, and I love finding goodness and commonality in everyone I meet. My love for people draws me to travel. When I go somewhere new, I want to immerse myself in the culture, the customs, the food, the museums, the art, the History---everything fascinates me. I'll live all over the world someday, I'm sure of it!

There is a bond between me and my siblings that is unlike any I have seen. I'm sure it stems from our tumultuous childhood, when we leaned on each other and protected each other from the challenges we faced as a family. We are a team, and we love each other endlessly.

I have a completely irrational fear of large bugs. And although I'm humiliated to admit it, I have a real phobia of cleaning toilets. I am capable of bleaching the outside and wiping it off, barely, and the rest is up to Kyle.

I love love love the outdoors.

The twins at my birthday dinner.

I truly enjoy music of every kind. I grew up performing in Musical Theater, and I still get goosebumps whenever I see a play. Thankfully, I married a talented musician. When Kyle sits down at the piano and especially when he plays his acoustic guitar for me, I melt into a puddle on the ground. Sometimes, I think it's an unfair advantage, but mostly, I'm just really glad he's MINE.

I'm a perfectionist. I have never met a challenge and thought, "Huh, not sure if I can pull that off." It can get me into serious trouble sometimes, because I really shouldn't do some of the things I have already decided I can do. I get these ideas, I start planning, I figure out every tiny detail, and I can't stop myself. Which leads me to my greatest flaw...

Time. I don't get it. I can't do it. I fail miserably. I am never, and I mean never, on time. After 27 years of it, and being psycho-analyzed by the poor people I torture with my lateness, I have come up with a theory: I do not know how long anything actually takes. It has nothing to do with me being selfish and narcissistic, and everything to do with a loose screw in my brain that thinks every task I accomplish will take just a minute. I'm genuinely sorry and I will never stop trying to fix this crazy flaw.

Health is really important to me. I have never tasted alcohol or smoked anything, and I don't drink soda. I make all my family's meals from scratch and only snack on fruits and vegetables. But...I love Haribo gummy bears and expensive good chocolate, and I believe in treating myself when I want to! I exercise daily, and I always have. My body is not perfect, but it is healthy, and I don't take that
blessing for granted.

Finally, I love writing this blog. So thank you for reading and laughing along with me. I can't wait to see where the next four years take the Garvin Family...