25

Today is my twenty-fifth birthday. I am spending it with Nathan and most of my family and my good friend Jules. My dad made pizza, and his pizza is my favorite food.

Here is a list of 25 things you may not know about me:

1. I am afraid of any bug with more than two eyes.
2. I hold onto three impossible dreams from my childhood: to climb Mount Everest, to live a summer in the Antarctic, and to compete in the Iditarod.
3. I aspire to be more like my sister-in-law, Janelle.
4. Every day, I think about the three months I lived in England, and if Nathan agreed to go, I would move back in a second.
5. I have one weird superstitious quirk, when I write, I get freaked out if I have to use anything other than a blue ballpoint Papermate pen.
6. I think my sister's name: Anne Cecilia, is the most beautiful.
7. The thought of putting in my contacts is enough to make me not want to get out of bed.
8. I hated my wedding dress.
9. I consider Anne and Elizabeth my best friends. (Nathan has moved above best friend status.)
10. I still hate taking my medicine every morning.
11. I'm extremely susceptible to nightmares.
12. When Nathan is gone overnight, I have to sleep with the closet light on.
13. I can recognize qualities I admire in people I don't.
14. Books are my favorite presents.
15. Giving up my maiden name is one of the hardest things I've ever done. If I weren't too afraid of needles, I'd get it tattooed on my hip.
16. I will do almost any chore before washing dishes.
17. I realize he was not the best actor, but I love every movie John Wayne ever made. They help me relax when I'm stressed.
18. I love getting to see my brother Nate and sister-in-law Alicia.
19. My friend Bonnie is one of my favorite people to have a conversation with.
20. Any day I don't write, I feel I've wasted.
21. My favorite thing about my life is my big family.
22. Nathan and I have favorite cats: mine is Hecate, his is Hyperion.
23. I actually do miss Macomb.
24. The only state I have ever lived in is Illinois.
25. I am lucky enough to have parents and in-laws I love.