The Square Root of 5.91607978. Bromine's Atomic #. 30 + 5.

This weekend is my birthday.  35.  The age you have to start "rounding up".  I'm ok with that.
Instead of be-laboring the fact that I'm getting older, I thought I would focus on the good in my life.  Some things on my list are considered incredibly important and some things are simple, yet I am still grateful for them.  So here it is:

35 Things I Love In My Life Right Now:
1.  My Husband.  Our story is a twist and tangle of "near-meetings" until God brought us together at the right time.
2.  Boy 1.  He's smart, funny, compassionate and tender-hearted.
3.  Boy 2.  He's a pistol, a stinker, and has the best one-liners ever.
4.  The Girl.  She's sassy, silly, and loves "sparkleys" and crowns.
5.  Family.  I have an amazing family, and I know not everyone can say that.  I'm blessed!
6. Church Family.  Because we live away from our family, we've found so many people here that we consider our family--that we can call anytime of the day or night, and they'll be there for us in a snap.  I am so thankful for each and every one of them!
7.  Milestone:  I earned my Master's Degree this past year.  WHEW!  I am SO glad that's done!
8.  Friends.  What would I do without them?  We laugh together, cry together, pray together, shop together, and have fun together.
9.  People Who Love My Kids.  We are so blessed to have people in our lives that love our kids.  And I mean, LOVE our kids.  What would we do without you?  (You know who you are!)  :)
10.  My Faith.  It defines me and my actions.  It is who I am.
11.  Time With My Family.  This is something that I'm trying to get better at.  Recently, we took a couple of trips that gave us life-long memories.  I'm so grateful for these times.
12.  Laughter.  Yes, I'm thankful for laughter.  And if you know me, I love to laugh.  :)
13.  Trials.  Yes, I'm thankful for trials too, because through them I learn, grow, and become stronger.
14.  Snuggling With My Kids.  I'm so glad that my kids are still young enough to climb into my bed Saturday mornings and ask to snuggle.  I know it won't be this way forever, so I'm loving every minute of it now.
15.  My Camera.  Clicking away pictures is a fun hobby for me.  I'm not by any means a great photographer, but I've found something I enjoy doing.
16.  Pandora.  Hillsong Radio.  Christian Rock Radio.  Michael Buble Radio.  Motown Radio.  Beatles Radio.  Golden Oldies Radio.
17.  Burrito Day.  It's a Brown Family Tradition:  Every Saturday morning, we get breakfast burritos at Golden Pride.  #11 = YUM! :)
18.  My Job.  Even though it can be stressful at times, it's also immensely rewarding.  I know I'm where God wants me to be!
19.  Our House.  It isn't perfect (I HATE our yards), it isn't big, and it isn't fancy, but it works for our family.  I am thankful!
20.  This Blog.  I love having a place to type/vent/jot down my thoughts, ponderings, and other such nonsense.
21.  Zeke the Cat.  We got Zeke the month we got married.  Darrin was still in the National Guard and had to be away quite often.  We knew we didn't have the time for a dog, so we got a cat.  Even though he can be annoying, he's been my faithful companion for many years.
22.  McGee the Dog.  He's hyper, loves to play, and adores being petted.  He's the perfect fit for our family.
23.  Shutterfly.  Yes, Shutterfly.  I'm a wanna-be scrapbooker with tubs full of scrapbooking supplies that I bought with good intentions but will never use and about about a ba-jillion pictures.  Enter, Shutterfly.
24. Caffeine.  No, seriously.  Caffeine.
25.  Pinterest.  Because of Pinterest I know just how non-crafty I really am.  JK...seriously though, I have found and tried recipes, crafts, projects, and more from Pinterest.  Love it.
25.  Life Lessons.  I think this past year, one of the biggest Life Lessons I had pounded into me over and over, was to "Just Let It Go"--to stop dwelling on what I can't control and fix what I can.
26.  Instagram.  Hello, my name is Erin, and I'm an Instagram-a-holic.  Hello, Erin.
(PS-my Instagram user name is erebear7)
27.  Milestone:  This year = No more diaper changing!  Woo-Hoo!
28.  Forgiveness.  Because without it, I'd eventually be all alone.
29.  The Smell of Rain.  It's not very common to smell rain here in Albuquerque, but that smell brings to mind a clean start, new growth, and fresh beginnings.
30.  DVR.  The Pioneer Woman.  Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern.  Giulianna and Bill.
31.  Life Lesson.  I need to do the right thing regardless of how someone else responds.
32.  8, 6, 3 = The Ages Of My Kids.  They are in a wonderful stage where we can truly enjoy spending time together without worrying about diaper changes, nap times, bottles, or sippy cups. 
33.  My Local Farmer's Market.  I'm trying ("trying" being the key word here) to eat healthier and lose weight.  My local Farmer's Market has really good fresh produce that makes me excited to eat a salad for lunch everyday.  Sometimes it's the little things...
34.   Legos and Barbies. 
Dear Legos and Barbies, 
You have occupied my children and given me many 30 minute naps this year.  You have my sincerest thanks. 
Your Friend, Semi-Rested Mom
35.  LIFE.  I love life!

This is my Birthday List.  I challenge you to make one too...and it doesn't even have to be your birthday!  Link up and share your list!  :)