Forty-Two

Yesterday I celebrated my 42nd birthday.

How is that even possible?

Don't get me wrong, there are days that I feel 100 years old but most the time I still feel/think like I am in my late 20's.

One thing that has come with my 40's is a better sense of who I am.

I still want to please people, but I am not afraid to say no or go against the grain.

I will always do what is best for my family and myself.

That definitely wasn't the case in my younger years.

I never wanted to upset someone or hurt anyone, so I would put others first all the time.

It is good to put others first in a lot of ways, but your health and mental well being need to come first!

Doing that has not easy, but a global pandemic definitely has made some of those things easier.

Enough of me being all serious ;)

 I decided to share 42 things about myself today in honor of my 42 years on this earth :)

1. I got my first name from a character on the 70's TV show Starsky & Hutch.

2. Born and raised on the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio.

3. I couldn't stand the taste of beer until about 5 years ago.

4. I actually enjoy working out. Strength training is my favorite.

5. I collect Santa Claus figurines in all shapes and sizes.

6. < is my favorite number.

7. I absolutely love the smell of firewood burning. I will literally soak up all the smoke I can to enjoy that smell longer.

8. At my 8th birthday slumber party, a friend and I collided coming around a corner and my top two front teeth popped right out.

Thankfully, they were my baby teeth!

But they weren't even loose at the time.

9. NFL (Cleveland Browns) is my favorite with high school football being a close second. I enjoy watching any football game really.

10. When I was in elementary school I was on a local morning show in Cleveland called The Morning Exchange. The segment was all about kid's holiday haircuts.

11. I am the typical first born child.

12. Most of my childhood years I grew up on road named Belle or Roberts. My last name is now Roberts, and I live on Bell Road.

13. My mom and I both believe that Friday the 13th is Good Luck!

14. I have to remove my nail polish on my finger nails as soon as I see a chip.

15. Up until recently, I used to change out my purse daily based on what I was wearing that day.

16. < the day I was born in December of 1978.

17. One year in high school they recorded segments for the video yearbook and they asked the question - If a leprechaun granted you 3 wishes what would you wish for?

I name an upper classman that I thought was dreamy for all 3 wishes!

They of course had it in the video yearbook that year to last forever and ever ;)

18. I love music! Country, hip hop, pop, rock, metal, and more! X has asked me all year to name my favorite song and artist and I can't.

I have way too many!

19. It may be hard to believe, but I was a cheerleader for most of my youth. I absolutely loved every minute of it! I even coached at my old high school and the junior high in my current town.

20. But I also played softball from 1st grade all the way through high school. I loved it just as much as cheerleading.

21. I did not have a wild and crazy 21st birthday celebration. I had dinner out with my dad and stepmom, and we followed it up with a few cocktails (Amaretto Sour) at the local VFW/Amvets.

22. < how old I was when I met Mic.

23. Speaking of Mic, he is the only guy I have ever asked out. Glad things worked out in the end ;)

24. The high school I went to had roughly 500 kids (9-12) when I was there. My freshman year our marching band had at least 1/3 of those students in it.

25. Speaking of band, I played the trumpet from 5th-9th grade. I was one of the students in that awesome marching band my freshman year. But by my sophomore year I left the band because I made it as a varsity football cheerleader. At my school you could not be in the band and be a varsity football cheerleader.

26. When I first moved to my current town (Mic's hometown), I used to drive back home to see my family every weekend. It is about 90 minutes (or about 80-90 miles) away.

27. I have now lived in my current town for 17 years! It actually makes me sad that I'm only 7 years away from how long I lived in my hometown.

28. Speaking of my hometown, I am beyond proud of where I came from. It made me and shaped me (along with my parents and grandparents) into the person I am today.

29. I love RED! Black is a veryclose second!

30. Turning 30 was WAY harder for me than turning 40. At 30 I didn't feel comfortable in my job or have X yet. But by 40 things were stable and I felt more like an adult.

31. I love to do shots! I am typically the first person to suggest them when out somewhere. Granted, I don't typically have many people that will do them with me. Now if I am with my dad, I don't even need to suggest them...they are a given!

32. My favorite ornaments on our Christmas trees are our Smore's figurines. Mic and I started collecting them years ago, and now we have enough that they get their own tree each year.

33. < how old I was when X was born (but that changed 11 days later).

34. My first 3 cars I had actually got older. I started driving at 16 with a 1986 Chevy S10. Then I had a 1984 Buick Skyhawk. Followed up by a 1982 Ford Escort.

35. Speaking of cars, that is how Mic and I met back in 2001. We both worked at car dealerships in the Cleveland area. I was at the Mercedes Benz dealer and he was at the Infiniti dealership we were connected to.

36. Let's Dance! I love to dance! Anytime, anywhere!

37. Xavier was the only boy name I would even consider when I was pregnant with him. And I'm so glad Mic was on board with it to. If we would have had a girl, she would have been named Savannah. Why Savannah? 

38. Savannah, Georgia is where we went on our honeymoon.

39. I enjoy in person or live events over watching them on the TV. There is just something about being at a Cleveland Browns game or a concert from one of my favorites that can't be beat!

40. < how old my parents were when I graduated high school. I will be 51 when X graduates high school :/

41. The first concert I ever went to was Madonna when I was 8 years old. So my love of live music began at a young age.

42. If I could only pick one word to describe me I would say Loyal. I am basically a diehard fan, family member, friend, etc. until you give me enough reason not to be.

Wow! That was way harder than I though it would be!

Anything you are surprised by?

Let me know in the comments below :)

XOXO ~ Vanessa