Birthday Girl

I’ve hacked into Nine to Five as a "guest" blogger to share a few thoughts about Jamie on this, the anniversary of her birth. She’s another year wiser and as vibrant and sassy as ever. Most of you know her fairly well, but here are a few random things about the birthday girl you may not know:

• Although not really the controlling type, Jamie’s pillow has to be in a dominant position on the bed (i.e., halfway on top of mine) in order for her to peacefully slip away to slumber land.
• Jamie’s favorite type of ice cube is the very small pellet kind – you know, the kind that can be found at Café Rio (of course). She believes that the small ice makes Coca-Cola taste all the better.
• Jamie has no real vices to speak of . . . if you don’t count her addictions to pickles or trashy reality T.V.
• Jamie and one of her younger sisters once let an old codger wine and dine them (minus the wine) in a Mesquite casino (before we were married), only to leave him high and dry with nothing to show for his efforts (except a rather hefty check).
• Jamie has never been in a car accident (but, see below).
• Before we were married, I was wooing Jamie over a cup of Cold Stone ice cream when she inexplicably and quite unexpectedly flicked a spoonful of chocolate bliss onto the hood of a gang-banger’s suped-up, neon-green street racer as we walked by. Fortunately, said gang-banger was nowhere in sight (and neither were we 2.5 seconds after the offensive flicking).
• You may know that Jamie still holds a Utah Summer Games record in the triple-jump; you may not know that she still has mad jumping skillz (yes, I spelled it with a “z,” cuz her skillz are that good). A few days after Piper’s birth, we were sitting on our couch watching television, enjoying the first real quiet time together as Piper slept in the other room. Someone (I guess we’ll never know who) not so delicately balanced the baby tub in the bathroom to dry and the baby tub took a tumble. Reacting without thinking, both of us jumped to our feet and scrambled to the bedroom. I took the logical path around the loveseat. Jamie, apparently, saw no loveseat and literally triple-jumped (in three steps) from the couch over the loveseat and into the bedroom to find Piper snuggled all safe and sound. I was still rounding the loveseat.
• Jamie often questions her abilities, but inevitably and invariably excels in everything she does.
• Jamie has the greatest desire to serve and help other people.
• Jamie continuously thinks of and prays for each of her family members, of which I am a daily witness.
• Jamie is, without a doubt, the best mother, the greatest companion, and my best friend.

Happy birthday, Jammie. I love you.