To the Birthday Girl

August 2007 Pantages Theater  'Wicked'

I could make this the mushiest post that ever was written, but I won't.  Would Shauna love it?  Yes, but then again is it really appropriate to write passionate love letters for the world to see?  Poets do it, but I am no Poet.  I hate poetry.

So this will be tame.  A watered down version of my feelings for my other half.  The girl I would marry if I could.

Shauna & I met when we lived in the same apartment complex and attended the same ward (church).  My first memory of her is seeing her nursing her son in the Mothers lounge at church and she was wearing a button up shirt with a collar.  I didn't think we'd hit it off because of that shirt.  That's how amazingly awesome and mature I am.

Her oldest and only son Kalen was 1 and my oldest and only daughter Emry was 1.  We did a few things together, the relationship progressed slowly.  One night I was having a family crisis and she dropped everything to be with me.  She was making a very nice dinner that involved a lot of work and she just left it all.  That's the moment I knew.

December 2003  I love this picture, we both had our second babies the year before

She moved down the street and I moved to Southern California.  We kept in touch, talked on the phone & wrote letters.  We sent each other our favorite recipes.  We swapped secrets and war stories, laughed and leaned, shared in each others triumphs and sorrows.  Gushed about our kids because no one else would listen.  I had 2 more kids and Shauna had 6 more.  Yup, there's a dozen of us when we all get together, and that's not counting the husbands.

It was Shauna who taught me how to be a friend.  Because of my insecurity issues I never felt comfortable having close girlfriends.  Add in my tendency to be a homebody and stare at my babies all day and it doesn't really bode well for my chance of having a lot of girlfriends.

Shauna has been the best example ever to me.  I've seen her happily & willingly serve all those around her, whether it was convenient for her or not.  She loves, she gives, she cares and hopes for.  She has a strong testimony.  She loves the scriptures.  She didn't even grow up in our church.  She shouldn't be more righteous than me.  Tone it down Shauna, let me catch up okay?

You can fall in love in friendship and realize you're so lucky because if you didn't have each other, you wouldn't have anyone.  There's no replacement.  Shauna could easily find a million other people to love her but I don't think I would fare as well.  No pity parties please, it's just the truth.  It takes a special person to dig hard enough to reach me, and she did.

May 2012

So thanks for sticking by me.  For loving me completely.  For being patient and making me feel like you think I am the best thing ever!  I love you.  I adore you.  Happy Birthday.

And this WAS watered down.