Catching Up With My Personality

     I like to think of myself as a classy, mature, sincere "adult", but every December I turn back into a little kid that believes in magic and breathes nothing but Christmas. I become "hoppy" and consistently jump up and down and clap my hands when a birthday is afoot. And I can't help but become ecstatic when I see Easter candy or Thanksgiving cornucopias. To me, each of these things represents excitement and laughter, family and friends, and sometimes even change and a fresh start.
     Well this past week I've had something to celebrate and that is the life I was given 22 years ago. I am so grateful to be alive and well. And I am in awe of how far I've come as a person, and how God has placed me in certain places at specific times to be where I am today; living in a great apartment with an amazing husband. But along with all of these things, I am thankful for age. Finally!, I feel like I'm catching up with my personality!
     As a child, I sucked my thumb and carried around my blankie until I turned 5. Leading up to that birthday mom told me that big girls don't suck their thumbs and if I wanted to be a big girl I'd have to stop doing what babies do. So, I quit cold-turkey and that was the end of my "baby" days. Then for years leading up to my 10th birthday, all I wanted in life was a pet bunny. I worked hard to prove I was old enough to be responsible for a pet and then mom and dad surprised me with a white, baby bunny! (It was exactly what I wanted, and that is still one of the best birthdays I've ever had!) In my early teen years I worked hard to save every penny I earned cause I knew I was going to need money to buy a house one day. And although I didn't buy a house with that money, it did help Jon and I pay for our wedding. All in all, I enjoyed childhood but I've always been about five years older in my head than I was in real life. I think mentally I'm about 25 now, so I'm catching up! All that to say, I've always wanted to be a "big girl" and I love growing older. :)    
     Jon and I have been celebrating all week and I've gotten my hair cut, we went clothes shopping, then went to see Maleficent, I had dinner with one of my best friends on Monday, Jon made me breakfast in bed on Tuesday, then took me out for a really nice dinner, and we eventually ended up going for a swim that night at our rooftop pool. Aaahh, it was so romantic. I've got the best husband in the world!
     Also, I don't know if any of you have heard of Miranda Sings on YouTube but my sister Josie sent me her own rendition of a "Miranda video" for my birthday and it is hilarious! So I had to share...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=552633354845927&l=2753895212141622288

     Live. Laugh. Love.
~Brianna

The Things I'm Striving For

     Jon started summer school last week to finish earning a degree in marketing and I am incredibly jealous that he's going to classes and has homework to complete. Growing up I absolutely did not love or covet school the way I do now, but I feel I've always had a certain passion for "learning". It's driving me insane to know that he's learning new things and I'm sitting at my desk fiddling with numbers and invoicing customers. Gah!, this just makes me want to go out and learn three new languages and the names of all the constellations or become an expert in European culture or human behavior or something!
     Needless to say, I've been contemplating what I want to do with my life; who I want to be. I believe in my deepest soul I was meant to be a wife, Jon's wife. And as long as I live I will continue to pursue being the best friend, wife, supporter, and confidant that I can be. Also, I love making our house a home, but I'm finding that I can't be a homemaker right now. There's another part of me that we are just discovering and she wants to grow to be somebody and to do something that's a different kind of worth-while.  I just want to go and do, to be out and about, and to experience the world along side Jon instead of hearing about it second-hand. I want to be a professional. I want to have a career. I want to be dependently independent, if that makes any sense...
     Anyway, as for my hopes and dreams and aspirations, here's what I've come up with so far.

What I Want To Do

1. I want to interact with people and learn their stories.
2. Know about different histories and cultures.
3. Travel.
4. Work my career, not a job.
5. Bring people closer together.

Who I Want To Be

1. I want to be an expert in my field, but be someone worth knowing rather than well known.
2. Confident in myself and my God-given abilities and talents.
3. A great listener.
4. An encouragement and inspiration.
5. Someone that makes everyone feel like a someone.

Live. Laugh. Love.

     ~Brianna