quarter of a century

I turned 25 last week. Wow am i really a quarter of a century. I've reflected on my life this week. And thought about some of the best moments Ive ever had...you curious yet? Here they are.So starting with me being a kid1. My 5th birthday I remember my mom putting my hair in curlers.. I loved when my hair was pretty..They sang to me at school I got to bring treats..I had a barbie cake.. my best friend came from salt lake and I got a bike with those bead things on the wheels. And I loved picking out my favorite cereal. It was a sunny day I still remember what it smells like in north ogden.. all fresh and mountainish.
2. Overnight trips to my grandparents house.. playing pretending cooking and just being with my Berntsen grandparents was always a blast. Making pizza with my aunt is a great memory I have.
3. Summers in our basement .. it wasn't finished yet.. so we rollerbladed down there had a swingset in there during the winter.. it was awesome.. I remember playing hot lava with my sisters where we would jump around and couldn't touch the floor.. we'd build forts ect.
4- Playing monster on summer days.. dad would chase us and put us in high places where we couldn't get down or he'd throw us in the pool.. mom was always safe on the porch.
5-Helping my mom set up for parties or events.. I loved helping her make things pretty.
6-Being in Rainbow Connections Entertainers.. I can't tell you how amazing this was in my life. A huge part of my confidence comes from this little group. I met some of my best friends through this. I remember our Vocal Teacher Lamar Taylor saying to us one night that when we are on stage we can't just sing we have to exaggerate everything.. so people can see.. I really really took that to heart. And would always go on stage 110 percent. It eventually led to me being able to choreograph tap/ballroom numbers sing lots of solos. I just loved being in show choir. And I loved performing all over utah. Every tuesday night for 3 hours I got to be completely happy. Just singing and dancing.
7- Being in my jr high drama class.. seriously It was so much fun.. me Shannon Thompson kyle hunter  melissa Marsden and Heather. We made parodies on monty python made movies about the italian mafia... threw stuffed animals over Shannons balcony did a james bond skit. I still remember it. In a hard time in life that class made me so happy to go to every day.
8-Being in community theatre. I was privileged to have an amazing primary chorister who saw how much I loved to sing and took me to an audition for Annie. I got the part. From then on I was hooked and did tons of plays in community theatre and with the schools I was in. My favorite was Being in Crazy for you.. having 200 people on a stage tapping at at the same time and you can feel the ground shake.. yeah it's awesome. Thanks to my parents who pushed me to audition and go for everything I could.. it was prob a lot of driving every day to singing/ dance lessons play practice dress rehearsals. so thank you
9-Going to North Carolina to see my cousins. They lived far away and When we got together it was so much fun. We all put glow necklaces on and went into the sound.. great highlight in my life.
10-going to homecoming- what girl dosn't like to get dressed up and dance..  plus I really love my black and white dress we had such a fun day and I'll never forget how fun that night was.4 wheeling dinner in my friends back yard. Some of my best friends were also on that date and we had a great time.
11-Getting into Chamber choir I worked for 3 years learning to sight read.. to audition for this choir. Some of my strongest bonds of friendship happened in chamber quire. It made highschool fun to go to. I never really felt like I belonged there.. not that people didn't like me.. but I guess I just saw other things in life differently than most people. I didn't care about being popular. I had my good friends... who loved me back. I did what I loved. And I was happy.
12- I was kindve obsessed with getting good grades..I guess a highlight was getting accepted to byu and getting an academic scholarship.. It felt like years of hard work had payed off.
13-Decided to go to byui for the summer until fall semester at Dixie.. I really wanted to go there and audition for the tuachan theatre... then go to BYU the following year..to try and gte into young ambassadors...It's amazing how life takes turns. I was so against BYUI. who wants to go to school in idaho? oh how wrong and arrogant I was.
14- BYUI was the best 3 years of my entire life thus far. I won't lie nothing can put a candle to that experience. My frts semester I knew nobody and ended up having 2 of the most amazing roomates in the world. I don't think they know how they changed my life. taught me how to play have fun and relax. Thank you Cori and Emily. I could cry just thinking about how much I miss them. They had a friend named sachin.. who was Brandons roomate. It's not the where.. it's the people
15- The day I met brandon not sure if I've mentioned it before.. but it really was like the world stopped when I looked at him.. And someone whispered .. you need to know him.. your going to marry him. It as one of the most spiritual moments of my life. And when I looked at him I had an instant connection. thank you cranium for enticing him to come to my apartment.
16-late night bonfires burning couches making movies..learning new things playing soccer scaring people with masks fun itinerary's coloring contests dress up parties going to get treats with brooke{we were roommates later on it sealed the deal}
17- living the summer in colonial house next to jewels tricia kim alicia anna rachel and laura. We had a good time that summer. I loved those roommates as well. They came with me to look at engagement pictures look at dresses ect.
18- getting engaged in disneyland...that trip was perfect.. I was so in love with Brandon and he proposed to me right in front of the castle in disneyland. Then we spent the whole day together going on rides laughing.. I dreamt about taking our kids there one day. I'll always remember just snuggling at the firework show... it was the 50th anniversary of the park and the show was amazing. Perfect way to start our life together with a bang.
19- taking our engagement photos.. I know sounds weird for a highlight in life but that day was amazing. I got all done up. And I hadn't seen brandon in 3 months as he was doing his  Oil and Gas intership back in Calgary. So he came down for the weekend..we took our pictures and you can just see how much we missed each other in our pictures. travis gugelman is amazing. I told him i liked quirky creative stuff so to think outside the box. then he asked if we wanted to get wet. I was like sure fun! So we got in the river behind Arctic circle in rexburg...I have the most amazing pictures of us so in love playing in this river. it was an amazing day.. then I remember going to eat with johnsons at Arctic circle.. it was just a fun day.
20- getting married- thats an obvious one and this post would take up to much so kets just say it was awesome as well as our honeymoon in Cancun.. most relaxing trip I've ever been on. Everyone should go on a honeymoon if possible. It's something I would say go into debt for! because you'll never get that time back. We swam with dolphins went snorkeling it was just beautiful and so romantic.
21- being in midnapore ward yw's I loved my calling and brandon was in young mens.. so we went together every week.. every young couple should get callings like this it brings you together...I fell in love with those girls. They still mean the world to me. And It felt good to serve. Late sunset nights summers in calgary last till 11 pm and I Just remember how fun it was hanging out every tuesday and doing something fun with brandon the youth and the other leaders whom I had the privilege of getting to know.
22- Being in Paris.. Oh man I could go on about this one too but had to mention how it changed my life. I bawled when we landed.. I bawled when I saw the eiffel tower. I felt so full of life as I wondered around the artist in monte marte.. all that creative energy was pulsing through me. Hearing Brandon speak to people in French was amazing. He's so smart and I love that about him. Having him surprise me around every corner because he knew where things were.. and Id be like OH MY GOSH. picking up flowers from the markets romantic picnics under the  eiffel tower- see why I want to go back! I'm so lucky that we got to go.. so beyond greatful for the opportunity's my life has given me. Good and Badeating at local bakeries the feel of it all was just incredible. I loved it there. And we want to move there one day. Maybe as missionary's or just have a summer home there.. We can dream right?
23-going down the natural slides in the dominican republic one of the funnest things I've ever done
24-being a mother..it's had high highs and lows.. but I've learned a lot about strength pride humility patience and charity through these precious amazing people. I'm not saying mothering is easy and fun all the time.. but it definitely refine you into the person you really want to become. You get that eventually. And it took me a while.25- starting mod- it was a dream.. I've always loved parties and it was a huge part of discovering who I was. I learned to trust my own opinions... my gut follow my heart.. and take chances and I'm glad I did. Met my best friend in the world and 2 other amazing close friends whom i look up too. It helped me find what I really want to do in life. what my next path will be And although I can't write about it yet... because it's still a work in progress something I want to be really good at and learn what I need to learn about beforehand. I know that this is what I've been waiting for.  something that I'm beyond interested in. That fit's me to a t. It's just finding the time to make it happen with all thats happening in my house right now. Patience has taught me many things the last 3 years.
26-- a year to grow on-blogging- I love writing down my thoughts and feelings.. I guess I'm a words person`but it gets me excited to know that one day my kids or grandkids might read this and really have a  deeper connection with me. I think about you all the time. And I wish I had something like this of my grandmas to read.