HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! - 16 to 30

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! 16 -to 30

NUMBER 16 - MINNESOTA SEASONS - I really do love living in Minnesota. I like the idea of four seasons. There is nothing like a beautiful summer day in Minnesota. I think of family vacations and happy times. Spring is great because you know that summer is coming! Fall marks the beginning of school and a new change of pace. Winter? Well, I do love a white Christmas and an occasional blizzard as well. Basically, we have it all here in the Northland...and I like it!!

NUMBER 17 - BERNIE - I would have to say that Bernie is my favorite dog ever! Our Golden Retriever, Emma was an awesome family dog too, but I would say that Bernie is my fave because he is MY dog. He was gifted to me at Christmastime from my family and I guess that everyone would agree that he loves ME the most! He has from day one! We have been through a lot together! He enjoyed watching Lindsay, Kristin and Steph grow up and willingly welcomed Roselyn, Romeo and Rodrigo into our family. He has been a constant friend to me as I have adjusted to three new children in my family. Bernie is always happy to see me and loves to snuggle up close to me. I will be very, very sad on the day Bernie goes. He was the best gift EVER. :)

NUMBER 18 - My mother-in-law is a very special person. Her name is JOAN. She is kind and gracious and always so accepting. I often wish I could spend more time with her because she is very wise and such a good listener. She has helped me understand the joys and struggles of being a physician's wife, an adoptive mother and a parent. I love that she is an accomplished musician. Very cool.

NUMBER 19 - JOHN MORK is Allen's dad. He also loves his family very much. I know that he was such a good role model for Allen when he was growing up. He works hard, graciously cares for the people around him and loves his wife. I believe that Allen chose medicine because he saw the passion his dad had for helping other people. I see many qualities in Allen that have been passed on from JOHN MORK. Thank you, JOHN for living a life of service.

NUMBER 20 - LAUGHTER - When our kids ask for Christmas or birthday ideas, I almost always reply - "I just want everyone to get along" It's true. There is nothing that makes me happier than hearing laughter of my children when they are enjoying each other's company. My parents used to talk about how important this was to them. I now understand. My prayer for my children is that they would look to each other for support as they move through life...and that they would truly love to laugh together. Maybe it is every mother's wish. It's mine.

NUMBER 21 - WORDS- I think words are interesting. How someone delivers their words can totally influence their meaning. Although I don't read enough these days, I really do like reading. I love quotes and sayings. I love reading something and seeing it in a brand new way. Carefully chosen words can heal and protect. Unkind words are so hurtful. I like the challenge of writing because I love words.

NUMBER 22 - MY SIBLINGS - My siblings are about as different as the day is long. From political views...to lifestyle choices...to occupations...to parenting styles - we are all across the board in our approach to life. In other ways, we aren't so different at all. We have a strong faith, we love our families and still make the effort to get together each year. It is getting more complicated as our families get larger. I am the baby of the family. I always will be. As I was growing up, I struggled to find my niche. I wanted to be respected in my own right in whatever I chose. I didn't want to do what my older siblings were doing. I wanted to find something that was mine alone. I think I managed to figure out my own path. More importantly, I am happy with who I am and where I am in life. I guess I didn't need to worry about finding my way. It just happened. To Susan, Nancy, Mark and Ellen. I don't say it often enough but... I love you very much! :)

NUMBER 23 - I love SLEEPING IN. Every day, I am summoned by the buzz of the alarm clock, the cries of Tucker waiting to be taking out and/or Rigo RUNNING to our bedroom. It is a rare occasion when I can just sleep until I wake up on my own. Just for the record, I like sleeping in, even if it means sleeping only until 7:00. It makes me happy!

NUMBER 24 - I was born on a cold, cold night on DECEMBER 21, 2010. My mom could tell that the time was getting close so she asked my Dad to bring her to the hospital. She was very tired as she hadn't slept well for days prior to the due date. She didn't seem to be progressing very fast so the nurse suggested a sleeping pill to help her rest. Next thing she knew, I was laying by her side. She slept through the whole thing. Go figure. I'm happy for her - sort of. It seems weird that you could deliver a baby while sleeping. Meanwhile, my dad had a chat with the pastor at their church. (At that point, they hadn't chosen a name for me.)Thinking out loud, he mentioned that since it was so close to Christmas, MAYBE Mary would be a good name for the baby. A few days later, Dad brought the church bulletin to my mom in the hospital. He showed her the section announcing the birth of Mary Jane Robertson! Oops. A little miscommunication, but it was a done deal and the name stuck. I don't mind at all that my dad and the pastor were responsible for naming me. I have always liked my name and it seems to fit ME.

NUMBER 25 - STEPH - I cannot believe that Steph will be leaving for college in about nine months. It will be weird not having her around the house and in some ways, I miss her already. The thing I appreciate most about Stephanie is her independence. She doesn't really like to be told what to do, but she does get things done. She is very capable and will have no trouble functioning in the adult world. Steph likes to fly "under the radar". She is very bright, very talented, very athletic...but never wants to be in the spotlight. I guess I might say that she knows who she is and what she is capable of, but doesn't need to prove it to anyone. She just is who she is. Steph reminds me a lot of myself when I was eighteen. I hope that our relationship continues to grow because I love her very, very much.

NUMBER 26 - POPCORN AND A MOVIE - Popcorn is a weakness for me. Wow! Set a giant bowl of popcorn in front of me and I will just eat it!...all of it! It is ridiculous and I am not proud of it, but I have no self-control when is comes to popcorn. Popcorn and a good movie WITH a friend or my family - priceless. Plus, if I'm eating, it is less likely that I will fall asleep during the movie - which I frequently do!! :)

NUMBER 27 - SHOPPING I hate to admit it, but yes, I do like shopping. I really try to keep a handle on it, but I think it is fun. I have an internal struggle with liking nice things and hating all the materialism I see in our culture. I'm not sure where the balance it, but I'm trying to figure it out. In reality, I don't get to shop much because I have no time. All in all, this is a good thing...but just for the record, yes, I do like to shop! :)

NUMBER 28 - BUCKET LIST - I haven't put a lot of thought into my bucket list, but if I were to start one, I would start with these three things.
1. I would love to tour Europe with Allen for about...a month.
2. I am in no hurry, but I would like to experience the joy of having grandchildren.
3. I would like to have a lake home where my family loved to visit.

NUMBER 29 - BIBLE STUDY I am in a Bible Study group that meets on Tuesday mornings. We have been meeting for many, many years. We are all about the same age and at the same stage in life. We laugh. We cry. We talk about our marriages, our kids, our health and our walk with God. We challenge each other, encourage each other and pray for each other. Of course we eat together - every week as a matter of fact!! :) Sometimes we even travel together. I am very blessed to have these supportive friends. They can relate to things that my kids or husband could never relate to. They understand. They are good friends for a girl to have! :)

NUMBER 30 - I asked for a "fashion" opinion to a young girl in the store today. Her reply?? "Well, the fashion THESE DAYS is to do this...," WOW!!! Talk about a slap in the face! These days?? Who did she think I was??? A 50-year-old woman who had been rocking in her chair for the last 20 years? Needless to say, I bristled at her response and felt a little offended. I mean REALLY!!! I HAVE been around the block a few times or so... I wasn't born yesterday!!! Well, maybe...that is the problem. Evidently...I am old...and even the clerk at the store knows it! I am counting this little story as NUMBER 30.