THE BIG 4-0!!!

Yes, this sweet little baby girl is 40 today!!!!!

My cousin, Jacquelen has counted down the last 13 days of my 30s on facebook. It's been really fun to see what new photos she would post everyday and I decided to put it up on the blog. So here's the countdown:

"On the thirteenth day before Nicole's 40th birthday, let's all remember Nicole's Big hair!"

(picture taken at Metro Center as we were trying on dresses)

"On the twelfth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Nicole's endless Braces!"

(Full braces from age 13 - 21! This was my sophomore year at Shadow Mountain High School. Mita made my dress, but I picked out my fabric and pattern. Ok, I was supposed to make the dress, but Mita didn't have the patience to let me do it. She just took over and did it.....I was fine with that.)

"On the Eleventh day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Funerals and Weddings with Mita and Papa every weekend of Nicole's childhood!" (

So many funerals!!!!! At the funerals from age 12 on up, I was constantly mistaken (and hugged) by strangers (to me) for my Aunt Mimi....because people apparently didn't realize that she grew up.....we're like 15 years apart!!!!! I did LOVE all the receptions I went to, but I went to soooooooooo many that I started a napkin collection! I had stacks of napkins from tons of receptions of people I didn't know. I did whittle the collection down, but found the remaining napkins in a childhood box I have. Yes.....this was my sad, little childhood)

"On the Tenth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let' all remember Nicole's 3 Sons!"

(I love these boys!!!!!)

"on the Ninth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember 'The Princess Bride'!"

(Tony and I watched this movie all through our engagement. Maybe I should start calling him farm boy again? But only if he starts saying "As you wish" again!)

"On the Eighth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Nicole never getting Rice Krispy Treats!"

(My mom actually did this just before my 40th birthday.....but it was a big deal until then!!! Sorry Andrew, you can't tease me about not having them anymore......well, you probably still could......and would......WHATEVER!!!!!)

On the Seventh day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Chevy Sprint Adventure!"

(Apparently no photo of my Sprint!)

"On the Sixth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Road Trips with Mita and Papa!"

(Too many to count....lots of memories.......some good, some great, some CRAZY!!!!!)

On the Fifth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember All things John Cusack!"

(LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HIM!!!!!! ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL!!!!!)

[Tony knows we live like this!]

"On the fourth day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Cousin Parties!"

(I LOVE MY COUSINS!!!!!! (Mom's side:) Jacquelen, Jason, Juliet, Ben, Matt, Kari, Marcus, Christin, Becky, Emily, Andrew, Rachael, Scott, Candice & Morgan AND (Dad's side) Bret, Brad, Cheri, Tammy, Rich, Natalie, Gabe, Jeremy, Derek, Deni, Danelle, Kristine and Codi PLUS my siblings Jean-Jacques, Audra, Austin and Catherine!!!!!! (sorry- didn't include spouses)

"On the Third day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Christmas programs under Charlie Brown trees!

(The Charlie Brown trees with the HUGE outdoor lights on it. I was so afraid it was fall over or go up in flames! And how can we not remember.....MITA PAJAMAS!!!!! Oh the years of all that sewing! How cute is Christin!!!!! [and a shout out to Mita's sunshine yellow couch.....the only thing brighter than it was the sunshine yellow shag carpet that it stood on!!!] Notice I have pj's instead of a nightgown. I HATE NIGHTGOWNS!!!! I can never sleep in them. I didn't ever want to be a bother, but I always wanted pj's. Some years I got them, some years - nightgowns)

"On the Second day before Nicole's 40th Birthday, let's all remember Nicole's Big Fat 80's Wedding!"

(If you've ever watched The Wedding Singer, then you've seen my wedding. Ironically, we had everything in that movie EXCEPT a wedding singer!!!!! Maybe for our 25 wedding anniversary, we'll hire one!!!)

'On the Day before Nicole's 40th birthday, let's all remember Nicole being in her thirties!"

(My thirties were all spent living in Gilbert. I became a van driving, mom of three in my 30s. My guess is the next decade will be more of the same! 17 days after my 50th birthday, Kyler will be able to get a driver's license and the mom taxi can retire?! We'll see.)

So, do you have a memory to share?

Would you like to venture a guess of what the next decade will bring?

Think we're done with three kids?

I'd love to hear from you!