28

Above: December 1998 - My 18th Birthday party @ Planet Hollywood

Above: 1999 - Senior Portrait

Above: 1999 - Lifeguard @ the Pine Hills YMCA

Above: 1999 - Swim Instructor @ the Pine Hills YMCA

Above: 1999 - Youth Dance, the Orlando South Stake

So, yesterday was my 28th Birthday. I sort of don't know how to feel about being 28. It's just a number, right? But I realize now that I have always thought of being 28 as being a real adult...sort of old in a way.

In some ways my life is exactly where I imagined it would be at 28. I am in love, married in the temple, I have a couple of cute kids, and we are working as a family to establish our selves and our future. All of that is right on track.

Inside - my spirit, my soul - feels forever a teenager. Like the pictures above. Maybe it is because I have been reading Twilight, but I sort of feel suspended in time at 18 years old. Where have the last 1o years gone? I can look back at all the things I have done and recognize that that in order for me to have done all those things 10 years have to have passed, but at the same time it feels like I just graduated from High School! Will the next 20 years fly by this fast as well? Yikes!!!

I also have come to a frightening realization about my physical self. My body feels much older than 28 years old. Maybe 50 or so. (Though I admittedly don't know exactly how it feels to be 50 years old. Not that 50 is old, it is just older than I am now.) Anyway, 10 years ago I expected my 28 year old body would at least resemble my 18 year old body, and my energy would be similar. Maybe not exactly the same, but similar. However, two kids, a few bags of Doritos and 3 or 4 gazillion cookies later, at 28 I am in the worst shape of my life! I look in the mirror and I don't' recognize the person looking back at me. I want more from my life. I want to reconcile the 18 year old and the 50 year old that make up the 'JoAnn' I am now. I know it will take a lot of work to get my body the way it should be (for my current age), but I think I am ready for the first time in a long time. I don't expect to have the body I did at 18, but I would like to be my best 28 year old self - inside and out. Hopefully for my birthday next year I will give myself the healthy body and soul that I am meant to have. After all, as the Loreal commercial says,
"I'm worth it!"

P.S.
I forgot to post what a wonderful birthday I had! Deland took care of Joseph when he woke up at 4:30am. Then when the kids got up at 7am, Deland took care of them and gave them breakfast so I could sleep in a little. At 9am my sister Rebecca picked Joseph and Addy up and took care of them ALL DAY so Deland and I could spend the day together!!!!! (You are the best Becca!. Thanks a million!!!) After the kids left, Deland folded the laundry while I got dressed for the day. Then we went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch, followed by going to see Twilight for the second time. (I just can't get enough!!!!) We ran some errands together then went to pick up the kiddos at 5pm. Last night my parents came over for spaghetti dinner and pineapple for dessert. It was a W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L. birthday! Oh, and Deland bought me the Crock Pot Slow Cooker I have been wanting along with the Twilight Soundtrack. Yah, it was a good day.