b-day

There is a lot of junk on the door of our fridge. Papers and pictures of all sorts pop up under the magnets. We hang all the wedding/graduation/birthday/birth announcements there. They don't come down very often. They stay up if the card is especially cute or if there is a photo included. I think we just took down last May's high school/college graduation announcements. Our nieces are just so cute we left their photos up. (Actually, Suzanne's Easter card is still there).

Although we have no grade school children bringing home finger painting masterpieces anymore, there is still a funny cartoon or sketch that will show up. Occasionally, an especially good report card will be posted.

But this month, we had another addition to our refrigerator collection. The title? "Birthday Wishlist"

Back in the day, we would take the Sears catalog and circle the items we wished for near Christmastime or our birthday. I don't remember receiving any specific items from the lists we made. In fact, I'm not sure my parents ever ordered from Sears. We had our own retail store and I'm sure every birthday gift we ever received was processed through our own cash registers at our own store. We always received tube socks. Think about that . . . . tube socks!!! Never a gift-giving holiday went by that we didn't receive tube socks. My parents could have re-named the store: "Whipples Family Fashions -- the Tube Sock Specialists". Lest my mother should see this . . . yes, we did receive other gifts-a-plenty.

OK . . . so this wish list on the fridge. If the total number of wishes were fulfilled, we would spend $507.00 (plus shipping and tax). How do I know this so exactly? This list has the prices conveniently posted next to each item. The prices are posted right next to the stock number, the color photo and the brand name. It would seem that it would have to be an unusually long and extensive list. Not so. Just six items. It seems that the needs of a college student are much pricier than the needs of our 8th grader.

The list concludes with a note " . . . OR money to go towards any of these items".

I think I'm going to go back to the tube sock tradition.

So Rachel is turning 21 today. She told us a while back "It will be cool to turn 21. I will be able to do everything . . . except rent a car". So what will be different for her this year from last? Not much. She is now old enough to rent a hotel room all by herself when she travels, but she can't rent a car (age 25 is the normal limit there). She doesn't drink, so nothing new with the age change there. She almost failed her written driving test when she was 16 even though she had thoroughly studied the handbook. She said she got all the DUI questions wrong. "I knew I'd never drink so I didn't study that section" . But what will be different is that she will end this year with an associate degree, which is pretty cool. In fact, she will be completing that in just a few weeks, halfway to a Bachelor's degree -- with many of the basic classes out of the way, now she can focus on music. She recently bought a new car, ok . . . not new, but less old than her old car. She has a whole lot of new, fun, adventurous friends. She is attending an incredible ward. She is becoming a very accomplished musician. Her grades are fantastic, her sisters love her to death, she is out with friends every night of the week, she is smart, funny and beautiful. What a way to start your adult life!

Happy Birthday Rachel!

For more info on this beautiful daughter of mine (or to wish her a Happy Birthday): http://www.rachelhale.blogspot.com/