43 of the Best Memories of Being 43!

Just for a few more hours I will be 43 and it has been a wonderful age. It has been an age of discovery and an age of learning but overall an age filled with incredible memories that will remain close in my heart. Before the magical hour when the clock strikes that new number of 44 (yikes, did I really just type that number!) in the years of mortality I want to recapture some of the highlights of being 43 -- it has been a really good number. (Note: these items are in no order of importance by number -- just random thoughts that I cherish about this year in my life.)

1. My health has been great this year! I've had no major health hurdles at age 43 except for a stomach virus last week (that I've given Joey this week -- sorry, honey!) and a cold / cough a few times this year but nothing major and nothing even worth visiting the doctor for. This has been a tremendous blessing in my life!

2. I have been employed at KershawHealth for nearly 5 years now and since October I have been at the new Urgent Care which opened the first week of October last year. It has been my "second home" at age 43 as we are open 7:30 - 7:30 Mon-Fri and 8-4 Sat and Sun. Some days are long but it's a great feeling helping others.

3. Being married to Joseph makes me feel sooooo much younger than 43 (almost 44!!) and it's AMAZING! He is my best friend and my sweetheart as well as my spouse. I love this man with all my heart and I am so thankful for second chances and for this life I have with him -- it is like heaven on earth.

4. Having a grandaughter who turned a year old while I was 43 and being there with her in Idaho for her birthday was WONDERFUL! She is a joy and being a grandmother is the best! Leighton Valencia Maxfield is truly one of the best things that has ever happened in my life and I love that little girl so much -- she has my heart wrapped around her finger.

5. My parents are healthy and oh so happy together after more than 50 years! This is one of the most important things of my year! They are so cute together and they enjoy being together -- where you see one you always see the other. They are active and always on the go. Yes, this is the one of the greatest blessings of my 43rd year and I am soooo thankful to be their baby girl!

6. My oldest daughter, Erika, is doing so well and I'm so proud of her. She is a great mother and a wonderful wife to Jack. They are both in college full-time and will graduate in the spring from BYU-Idaho and doing such a fantastic job. They have a temple marriage and just attended the temple together again about 2 weeks ago and I am so happy and proud of them.

7. My son, Ethan, is well and so happy right now. He works as a tattooist in Florence and he is an excellent artist. I was not happy about his choice of occupation when he stopped attending college but he is an adult and has to make his own choices. He is such a sweet and honest young man and I love him also with all my heart. Right now he is so in love with a beautiful young woman that I think the world of and all I wish for is his happiness and safety while making good choices. I pray everyday for him and I know he knows right from wrong and is so independent and self-supporting and has been for a long time. Ethan never asks for anything and I have to make him take things sometimes -- he has such a gift. I have faith that he will do the things he should. He is very special to me.

8. My daughter, Addison is doing such amazing things with her life right now and I am so proud of her. My heart if full with all the things she's doing -- she is the ward chorister, primary chorister, young single adult representative, and attends both our Elgin Ward and the Singles' Ward most Sundays. She works about 5 jobs and is so independent. She attended Midlands Tech this past year and is planning on moving to Idaho and attend BYU-Idaho in the winter -- she is an amazing girl, no steady boyfriend right now -- just dates a lot of people and keeping all her options open -- like I say, she is one amazing young woman! Love her so much!

9. Abby, my step-daughter is 16 and a great young woman! She enjoys her church and is such a sweet Christian girl. It's been a fun year with her watching her grow in so many ways and then just recently got her license and her very first car, a really cute Honda Accord just about 2 weeks ago! Keep up the great work, Abby -- I love you!

10. My handsome step-son, Alex is 13 and recently started high school! Watch out girls -- Alex has lots of friends and lots of girlfriends, too! He is a very talented drummer and he and Joey have had so much fun playing good music this past year -- they sound so good together. Alex is alot of fun to be around. We tease him about being so talented with his cell phone in one hand and ipod in other texting and facebooking --- he's such a cutie!
11. Joey's parents are also healthy and happy and so beautiful together. They are such a sweet, sweet couple and looking at them I see how Joey turned out such a great person -- what great examples he had.
12. It is so fun having such cute and lovable nephews! Spencer, Andrew, Carson, Hunter, Cole, and Will -- they are all so differenct and so special. I love them all so much and have great memories from this past year.
13. Date Nights with Joey on the Saturday of his daytime shift weekend -- a tradition we have and we look so forward to this time together! For date night this past weekend we enjoyed dinner at Tokyo Grill and shopping around at Ross! Fun times!
14. Attending the opening night midnight showing of Eclipse with my friends from Urgent Care, Dana and Amanda (mother/daughter) and it was soooo fun! (Now looking forward to the release of the movie of the last book in the series -- Breaking Dawn!"
15. Other movies I've seen this past year including Eat, Pray, Love we went out to see for girls' night while Erika was at home visiting in August -- FUN NIGHT!!!!!
16. New friends I cherish that also work at Urgent Care / Primary Care -- Anne Clements, Sybelle Lamb, Dana Epps, Carrell, Charlotte, Debbie Love-Fralix, Becky Mooneyhan, Melissa Allen, Melissa Sydnor, Teresa Brazzell, Karen Truesdale, Becky Scheffer, Dr. Kneece, Jezzica, Marisha,Judy, Jennifer, Julie, Kim, Gloria, Amanda Whitaker, etc. We have such a great group who work there!
17. Tokyo Grill -- a place we discovered and it is truly a FAVORITE place for us!!!!!
18. Our JEEP WRANGLER! We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Jeep and love taking the top off and cruising. It is soooo fun! Yep, loe our Jeep!
19. Our 'lil Mazda RX-8 sports car we had and then traded for something cuter / cozier... We really enjoyed the Mazda while we had it, though, but realized it was awfully expensive to fix if anything went wrong...Great memories...
20. Having the entire Maxfield family join us in South Carolina for Thanksgiving this past year -- Erika, Jack, Leighton, Bob, Joanne, and Thomas all were here for Thanksgiving!
21. Joseph being off for Christmas -- and will be off for the next 6 Christmases! Woo Hoo!!!
22. Our dating anniversary this past year we spent at Ocean Lakes Campground at Joey's friend's place (Randy Branham's) and we fell in love with it there! In fact we liked it so much that we went back twice afterwards and had such a great time.
23. PLAYING POOL! Joey and I realized this was something we enjoyed this year -- enjoyed it at the beach and then had just as much fun playing while vacationing in the mountains!
24. Joey's 45th Birthday at Dale's at the Pond House! Yummy Catfish Stew and we had a big crowd there. It was so fun that soooo much of our family were able to attend.
25. Ethan spent alot of my 43rd year living back at home with us -- he was here from January - August of 2010 -- great memories of him here.
26. Dinner at Old Armory Steakhouse and their fabulous salads and the cutest waiter ever -- yes, Ethan, while he was living here with us. (and what a great waiter he was, too!)
27. Attending yard sales with Joey -- he got hooked this year and it's amazing! We have so much fun together going! Some of our best deals / treasures we've found recently include almost new Etonic golf shoes for 50 cents, a table and chairs for craft room for 5.00, fishing rod for 5.00 (valued at 40.00!), and ZUMBA shoes for me for 1.00 / pair! We love it!
28. Spending time with Chloe -- she is such a sweet baby (a Shihtzu but we don't let her know she's a d-o-g, we only tell her she's our baby! ha!

29. Our newest addition -- BoBo (originally Sebastian) we "inherited" from Jack and Erika. I brought BoBo home with me on the plane when I went to Idaho to visit for Leighton's birthday. At first Joey did not want another d-o-g but I brought him back with me anyway and now guess who is soooo in love with him?! Yes, Joseph! :) He calls him "son" and loves him so much! He's such a cute Yorkie born in December 2009.

30. Our trip to the mountains this past July for our anniversary. We drove the Jeep and rode the majority of the time with the top down and it was soooo cool! (literally!)

31. The Carolina snow storm we had this year while I was 43 -- it was over Valentine's Day and it was amazing! We enjoyed riding the four-wheeler, building a snowman, eating snowcream, making snow angels, and having a great time playing like kids in the snow.

32. Bike riding with Joey and the kids on my "new" one speed bike which was also a yard sale treasure for 10.00! It's a cool bike!

33. Going to my first ever haunted house / haunted hay ride / haunted bus ride -- and then ended up going a second time to "Scream Acres!" SOOOO fun! (and scary!)

34. Not too sound egotistical but since this is my blog and I can highlight myself, well, here goes -- I feel like I had great hair this year being 43. I liked my hair this year. I have a great stylist, Brandi Kirby, and I love how she does my high lights and low lights with darker color towards the bottom back and I like my length this year. I'm not bragging, just thankful for my hair and it's the thing I receive compliments on most.

35. Woopee -- 'nuff said... per Joseph!

36. Fun redecorating the front living room -- new carpet, new brown leather furniture, and different window treatment including a cornice board Joseph built. Fun times with my honey!

37. Coming home to Joseph's home remodeling skills -- this time the hallway flooring and new flooring by fireplace and entranceway. Very pretty brown tile floor -- great job, Joseph!

38. White kitchen cabinets! Oh, yes, wanted that for a long time and Joseph saw to it that it got down and it looks so much better! Another new update to the house while I was 43!

39. Favorite song at 43, almost 44 right now is Smile by Uncle Kracker -- this song always makes me smile and feel happy -- LOVE IT!

40. My favorite movie I saw at 43 was "Dear John" - saw it in Idaho on a date our with Erika, just the 2 of us -- great movie!

41. I set some new goals for myself at 43 that will carry on into 44 but some of the smaller goals I reached already -- first one being weight loss and currently a 18 pounds off and reached first "mini" goal about one week ago. Goal by Christmas at 44 is 44 -- and I'm on my way!

42. My testimony at 43 is great and strong. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Heavenly Father lives and He loves me and that Jesus Christ is our Saviour. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today. I have a strong testimony of prayer and the power therein -- Heavenly Father is always there for us and He hears and answers our prayers. These things I not only believe in -- I know them with all my heart.

43. At 43, knocking on the door of 44 -- I AM HAPPY. I have challenges at 43 but I overcome most of them and I am a better person because of them. Yes, I am HAPPY and I look forward to seeing what 44 has in mind. I love my life and I am grateful for it and for the amazing family I have been blessed with. Life has been good to me and continues to be good...