Today was a pretty dang good day. I got to go out to lunch with Alesa and Zach to an Indian restaurant that I really like. My cousin, Matt, also took me out for some gelato! He had one of the servers light a candle and put it in to the cup and then they sang Happy Birthday to me! It was so sweet. Today is also my little brother, Adam's, birthday. So I have to give a little shout out to the boy who stole the show from me twenty-one years ago! Right now he is serving a mission in Seattle. I miss him so much and can't wait to give him a great big hug and say happy birthday to him in person next year! (Or at least over the phone :) )
I loved all the birthday calls/texts/messages I got from my friends and family today! It made me miss everyone back home a lot! I'm so blessed to have so many awesome people in my life. I feel so grateful to have so many people care about me. Tonight I did a little thinking about my actual birth, how significant of an event it was, and how my life has turned out as a result. Twenty-three years ago Alesa gave birth to me after a pretty difficult pregnancy. After all that hard work, she turned me over to my mom and dad who had waited for me for quite some time. Alesa didn't even get to meet my family and didn't know when or if she would ever see me again. So, it's quite crazy to be living with her right now! I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet her and am so happy that we are so close. Having her and her entire family involved in my life is incredible! I already had an awesome family, so to have been blessed with two families is just amazing!
Now that I am getting old enough to have children of my own, I realize how hard it would be to give a baby up. I also understand how difficult it would be to not be able to have children of my own. My moms are the most amazing people I know! Both have overcome many difficult things in this life and have been great examples to me of what a faithful, determined woman should be like. I hope that with each year I get older I can become more and more like they are! Thanks everyone for such a great birthday! Until next time,
Melinda Anne
