Where has the time gone?

This week's walk down memory lane will be a bit more focused on just me. ;) I guess technically they all are since it is my blog but this one is different. You see, Monday I had a birthday. I am now 40! Now that number doesn't make me sad or even mad. I just see it as a number, but then I get to thinking, where did all the time go? When did I live enough life to be 40?! So today, I am writing about my top 40 memories thus far. Granted I could write my top 200, but since this is most likely going to be a long post anyway, we will keep it to 40 in honor of my age. :)

40. Playing with the Little People sets with my brother and sister for days on end. We would set up a village in our bedroom and keep it there until Mom would have enough and have us clean it up.

39. Snapping green beans on the front porch swing with my Grandma Zornes. (the Ann in my name) She would just swing, snap, talk. Loved that time with her.

38. Walking through my grandpa's wood shop and trying to figure out how he would make all those pieces of wood into cool wagons and baby cradles. I was so amazed by his gift.

37. Hearing my Grandpa Milich call me his Blonde Princess. I only was honored with that title for 10 short years before he went home to Jesus, but I still cherish that title today. :)

36. Camping trips of any kind with my family as a child. My dad would talk like Donald Duck for a bedtime story. The best times were when "Donald" got tickled himself and couldn't go on! Hilarious!

35. Walking to school with my brother before we moved to the house my parents live in now. There was something really cool about that as a kid. My kids can't believe we walked that far or that Nana let us! :) The times have changed for sure and that makes me sound old!! haha!

34. Climbing into my sister's bed during a bad storm to keep her "safe" when really I just hated the storms myself and was scared silly! Loved sharing a room with her and all the perks of that. We would giggle all night if allowed and talk about all life's lessons as we got older. Priceless times I cherish.

33. My brother protecting his little sister no matter what happened to him. There were many times my mouth got him in more trouble than he wanted but he still was always there for me and still is. Love having him there.

32. Going to my Father/Daughter Square Dances with my dad. Priceless! Dancing on his feet or walking around his feet as a young girl all of that made me feel so cherished.

31. Sitting on my mom's lap listening to her read me story after story in the Golden Book series. Also as we got older, I loved listening to my mom read to us during Christmas season the following two books: A Certain Small Shepherd and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She could really make those books come alive. My all time favorite story she read to us was, " Did you Carry the Flag Today, Charlie?" That story was a touching but watching her tear up during parts of it is a dear memory I cherish.

30. My brother tearing off Mrs. Beasley's head and putting her head in one drawer and the body in another. Oh the horror when I went to get dressed that morning and there was my doll's head staring me! And oh the horror for him when my parents found out! Still a story we giggle about when we get together.

29. Going to stay with my Grandma Milich in the summer for a week or more at a time. She always had the best plans set up for us to enjoy. Sometimes it was visiting parts of Chicago, a baseball game, Six Flags, but always Putt-Putt and ice cream. I loved hanging out with her neighbor Millie as well. Just adored how these two women could make a young girl feel special in one week!

28. I loved going to school. I was one of the weird kids who was sad when summer break rolled around. School had special memories for me. I loved my teachers. I loved doing the homework. I loved being in that building. No shocker that I would one day become a teacher myself.

27. Being in the Drill Team was such fun in high school. We had the same schedule as the band and toured to different places with them. I have very fond memories of going to Milwaukee, Orlando and marching in various parades around Indy. I loved to be a part of the marching band but also during the basketball season, dancing during half-time with the Drill Team members. My greatest complement at that time in my life was when I was voted to be captain of the Drill Team my junior and senior years. I was never the best dancer or flag girl, but I always tried to be kind to all the girls and it was nice to see they respected that.

26. The friends I met in college were so fun! I loved hanging out with all of them. Those were the times of adventure! One weekend, we got in my friends' car and headed out for a road trip! Where did we go?, you ask. Oh, these rebels all went to....my grandma's!! We all headed up to her apartment and hit the great mall near her place. We had so much fun hanging out with her as well as some of her buddies. They were a hoot and I truly was loving having them see what I had always known...my gram was a cool lady. :)

25. Being in youth group with my parents as the leaders. They truly were gifted and have passed on their love of Christ to more than just their children.

24. Learning to drive with my dad! We had a stick shift or a full size station wagon. I was a mess and I made him more nervous than anything. Mom ended up having to step in to save us both!

23. Talking to my husband the first time on the phone. We were introduced by a mutual friend and when he called the first time, we talked for 45 minutes. We laughed so much and I knew then if he wasn't the "one" he certainly would be a friend of mine for a long time.

22. Our first date, Matt drove up in his cool camero! He was a perfect gentleman, opening doors, pulling out chairs. After dinner, he asked me what I would like to do. My grandma had come to stay with me from Florida since my parents and sister were out of town for church camp. I felt badly that she had flown in to be with me and all the other nights I had to work and the one free night I had, I went on a date. So I asked him if he would mind going back to the house and playing a game with her. True sign of a man...he agreed to it and he won her over the first date. (me too!)

21. After a few dates, we took my sister and her boyfriend down to Matt's families boat for the day. We all enjoyed the time together. After a fun day in the sun, we went for ice cream. As we were walking, I just grabbed his hand. Well, that seems fine, but we had not held hands yet!!! Once I realized what I did, I didn't know whether to pull it back or let it be. I didn't know what to say. My sister and I giggled about that for hours that night! He says it is proof that I made the first move. I say it is proof that he made me feel so comfortable with him that it was just natural to reach over and grab his hand as we walked together. :) You choose!

20. The day Matt proposed to me, he was so excited he couldn't stand it. I knew something was up but I didn't know what. He is a dentist, so he had received a call that he said was a patient. He left my parents home and I started getting ready for work. He came back before I left for work. He just couldn't wait. He wanted to do it differently but he couldn't wait! He ran up the stairs to my room and proposed to me before I went to work!!! aaaahhh! I have to work now? Truly, he was like a little kid so excited to show his new findings. He couldn't hold his excitement and I couldn't either once I got to work. :)

19. I use to work in a clothing store at the mall when Matt and I first met. That would help pay for school. I also worked at my dad's employer for a summer job. Always fun. But when I was at the mall, Matt's grandpa use to come by as he was walking the mall. He would stop by the store and check in on me. He was a joy to talk with . A few times, I would be on break and he would go sit with me and have a coke. I had missed my Grandpa Milich for 11 years at this point, and truly it was nice to have Grandpa Dick's attention like that.

18. Our wedding was a memory I will not ever forget. My most precious memory of that day is when Matt first saw me in my dress. We took our pictures before the wedding to make the reception quicker. I didn't want to take away from seeing the look of his face seeing me in the dress for the first time. So our photographer stepped in and snapped a picture as Matt walked in. It was just the two of us...and the photographer. After that, he left and Matt and I read Psalm 1 together to complete our reading all the Psalms as a countdown for our wedding. The look on his face is etched in my memory forever. And you know what I love even more, that look is still there when he looks me in the eye.

17. Since Matt's family are boating people, I had to learn a whole new world. I loved hanging out on the boat with him but quickly learned I needed to step it up and try to ski. Matt was a patient teacher and I was so excited that I finally got up on the skis. I love watching him slalom ski so much. He was more excited watching me cross over the wake for the first time than I can describe. He truly just enjoys watching others succeed.

16. We also have had many trips with his family on houseboats. My favorite ones were with his grandparents on board. I loved sitting out on top of that boat talking to his grandpa or going down to the kitchen where his grandma would be working away. I learned many valuable tricks with cooking by watching her in there. I also learned that in order to keep a marriage alive, you have to laugh together. ;)

15. Holding my nephews and nieces for the first time was truly amazing! I adore being an aunt and watching these little people grow into the men and women God intended them to become. The past 13 years have flown by but truly I adore having all 8 of them over to our house. I love how they love each other but also that they are each unique little beings. No two are exactly alike and yet that is fine by them. They just enjoy being together and I enjoy hanging out with them.

14. Friends...friends...friends! I have been blessed with knowing many people and truly am amazed at the people God has placed in my life, but there are certain few people in my life that God has placed there for more than just a season. Our hearts our bound together through life and I know these sisters-in-Christ will continue to walk through life with me. I am blessed to know I have such good friends that will hold my feet to the fire when I am out of line with God's Word and that they expect the same from me.

13. Hearing the phone ring the first time we talked to Doodle's birth mother...well, how do you put that into words? Realizing we were going to be parents soon and that it was a girl put us over the moon. We had waited so long and truly knew this was our girl. That phone call changed our lives.

12.Holding our baby girl the first time, watching Matt hold his girl and feed her and cry. He had such tears of joy that day. I was overjoyed to the point of exploding. My heart was full. (still is every time I see him with his girls like that)

11.Bringing home our girl. Welcome home little one! We prayed and prayed and that day arrived. We felt like it was a dream. After all the family left that day, we sat on the couch together holding our baby girl. He looked at me and we said a prayer and we just let it all out. The tears of joy flooded that moment with sweet love of a child only parents can truly understand.

10.The phone call that we had been chosen again to adopt another baby was pure joy. Matt received the call at work and called me while I was visiting my grandma with my mom. Finding out it was another girl, knowing a name, all very precious.

9.The day we told Doodle that God had blessed her with a sister, she screamed! She was so excited. Watching her love on her baby sister was truly beyond words. Bringing home two little girls that God had placed in our home, sent Matt and I over the top with joy.

8.Meeting our little baby girl for the first time, seeing Matt's tears run down his face as he looked into the face of his girl, truly goes without description. Just sweet to my heart.

7. The smell of our baby girl lying on me. Oh that smell is precious and truly someone could be rich if they figured out how to manufacture it! :)

6.Taking the girls to Bible Study Fellowship with me as well as their cousins with us. It was so much fun to march in there with my little crew in tow. They amazed me with what they learned over the years. Those years at BSF were some of the most fun memories. I even had the blessing of taking my Gram with us when she moved to our area from Florida.

5. Hearing my girls giggle in the other room while I am working on something. Doesn't matter what it is, I have to stop to go see what they are laughing about. It brings joy to my heart to hear them enjoying each other. I always think the laughter of a child must bring a smile to the face of God. Nothing is as captivating.

4. The day Matt and I renewed our vows to each other. God knows all of it and he knew why we wanted to do this. That day was one I will never forget for those who had walked that road with us knew why the tears ran down our faces that day. Tears of joy again. God was glorified in that day and in that commitment.

3. Choosing to home school was a tough decision for me. I was a teacher by trade and felt it was a betrayal. But now, I see it is so not. I am so thrilled for all the journeys God has placed us on with this home school adventure.

2. My husband is a dear man. He loves me the same on my good days and my not so good days. We enjoy our time together in the evening and talking through the day. I have to say that watching my parents as a child set the tone for how I wanted to be with my husband some day. I am grateful for their example but most of all I am so thrilled to be married to my best friend. Not only do I love him, but I like him! That is so cool! He makes me laugh, holds me when I cry and loves me no matter what. Icing on the cake...he still gives me goose bumps! :)

1. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 4 This scripture tops my chart for I have had the joy of knowing and being present when both of my girls have asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Nothing tops knowing that your family will be together in eternity.


Now, let me say that there are soooo many more things that are going through my mind to add to my list, but this is long enough. The point of all of this is not to show my age. It is to show God's hand in my life. I have always been able to feel his presence in my life but when I look back at the men and women He blessed me with to spend my life and the children I am honored to raise and be in their life...well, I just am overwhelmed at that point. My God is an amazing God! I am floored by His interest in my life and that He not only loved me enough to send these people to share my life with but most importantly, that He loved me (and all of you) enough to send His one and ony Son to die for our sins. With that in mind, I desire to spend the next 40 years finding ways to show others the path to Him so they will be able to feel the love and joy of knowing Jesus that I have been blessed with for many years. God, you amaze me!