The Big 4-0

Today is my birthday, at least for another half hour or so.  It was a very nice day, starting with breakfast in bed from the hubby, 2 new pairs of shoes from my parents (I'll show you tomorrow), and then an outing with the hubby and puppies to Amador County to have a picnic and a walk.  It was a gorgeous day, even if it did gum up my eyes and clog up my sinuses (which is actually my fault since I've stopped getting my shots and taking most of my allergy meds because it's all so frickin' expensive).  But let's talk about shoes instead. I thought about finding a pair for each year of my life, but that seemed extreme, so we'll just go with every 5 years.

1975.  I'm an adorable newborn-8 1/2 month old.  Here are some awesome pansy shoes for my mama.

1980.  I started Kindergarten, despite almost not being able to tie my own shoes.  Being the saucy child that I was, I told the teacher at Kindergarten roundup that it didn't matter because I would just wear my buckle shoes.  Those are some crazy colorful shoes up there, and I was a blonde 5 year old.

1985.  I'm in 4th and 5th grade, slightly less blonde, and have been wearing glasses for several years.  In 5th grade I got bifocals, oh joy.  These shoes are still bright, but slightly less crazy and more geometrical.

1990.  Love the embroidered shoes.  No idea really what kind of shoes I myself was wearing.  I was in 9th and 10th grades and had a perm so I could have big, 90s hair.  My glasses were stylishly huge, and I'm wearing my dad's jacket from the 60s or 70s.

flower

1995.  I've been out of school since 1993, but still living at home, doing daycare for a family in my hometown.  I looooooved those babies (still do, even if they are all old now).  I chopped my hair off, and had been wearing contacts for about 3 years.

2000.  Love the red hounds tooth!  In January I moved to Plano, TX to live with my auntie, after graduating from college in December of 1999.  I learned to drive in traffic, got my first real jobs, and apparently posed in the shrubs in front of my bedroom windows.  Oh, and Double A was born in May, big sister DJ was 3.

2005.  2 years into seminary, and I headed off to internship, which sucked, so we shall not speak of it.  But, the year started with my spending 3 weeks on Oahu with the BSF.  She was doing her internship in Honolulu and I got to do my cross-cultural experience.  It was awesome.  The Bean was born in 2003, so I was up to 3 nieces.

2010. Stripey and strappy shoes.  Can't go wrong there.  I finished my first call in March and moved back to CA in July.  The nephew and Laughter were born. I met the man who would become the hubby. The couch is close to not holding all of us.

2015.  The shoes are crazy, but I actually really like them.  I am on-leave from call and my life is more complicated than in 2010, but way less complicated than 2014.   The only picture I have of myself so far this year is with this adorable young miss from St. Someone.

This post took way too long because the internet kept going out.  It's no longer my birthday, and I must go to bed because I am old.