Sunday was a special day.. I turned 25!! wow, where did time go?
This past week I feel like every time I talk to one of my friends I say, “I’m getting old.” They laugh and say, “omg no you’re not” but I seriously feel like it. This past year has been full of such of excitement.. buying a house, getting married, settling down. I feel like I grew up within a matter of minutes and became an official adult. I guess those big steps will just do that to you! This past year really got me thinking about things I’ve learned in my lifetime… one thought led to another, which led to another, and here we are… 25 things. I. have. learned. in. my. 25. years:

1. Love God. Love your family love your friends. These are the things you need to get you through life’s ups and downs.
2. Find passion in your hobbies. I love playing the piano, reading, doing puzzles, knitting, running.. when I’m doing these things often I feel like I’m my best self. I take time to do the things I love and that makes me happy
3. A heavy heart is a heavy heart. Whether it’s a death in the family, an upcoming test, struggle to find a job, afford rent, or face a new day, I’ve learned a heavy heart is just that. Regardless of the struggles or battles we all face, we can’t compare each other’s. I’ve learned sometimes my heavy heart may be less critical but it doesn’t diminish my feelings. It’s important to realize everyone’s emotions, worries, and troubles are different and we all handled them in our own way.
4. The biggest days of your life are always unexpected. I feel like my entire life I’ve planned out my big days before the ever happen. Looking back, it’s the unexpected days that I remember the most.
5. Never miss an opportunity to kiss your pet. This past year I’ve caught myself telling Clint, “idk what we are going to do when Oslo isn’t with us anymore..” and he’s only 4. But I’m slowly starting to realize that my dogs are only going to be with us for a short amount of time. I need to love on them every single chance I get.
6. Be Yourself- always! If you remain true to who you are, your values, your relationships, your opportunities, your love.. you’ll look back on life and not have much to regret. Never apologize for being you.
7. Hard work pays off. I’ve learned this over and over again. The times I’ve worked extra hard to succeed my goals, are the times I’ve always been rewarded.
8. Wear the yoga pants. Go barefoot. Comfortable is key.. even in the most divine moments (I almost went barefoot at my wedding if that tells ya anything!)
9. Be around people who lift you up. The ones that raise your spirits, make you laugh, relate to you.. I promise it’s what makes life worth living.
10. Take care of yourself. There’s nothing more important than your health. The decisions you make today, are the ones that stick with you tomorrow.
11. Be with a man who sees your soul. The good, the bad, the ugly, and still chooses you at the end of every day.
12. Take more chances…. I’ve found that when I dip my toes in fresh water, I’m always glad I did.. like running off to India, buying a house.. just dive in and don’t look back. If you make a mistake, you’ll learn from it.
13. Spend your money wisely…. seriously though.. I’m 25 and still trying to figure it out.
14. Experiences are important. If I was going to heaven tomorrow, I’d take my memories.. not my things.. so when it comes to possessions and material items, make sure you know where your priorities fall.
15. Travel. travel. travel. travel some more. Clint gets upset with me because I always plan our next trip, while I’m still on my current vacation. It’s the newness of a fresh city, everlasting memories, and cherished time with my loved ones that’s part of the fun. I always joke that my fascination with destinations is a little obsessive.. but hey, you like what you like. and I like new places, cultures, and scenery.
16. Ice cream is always a good idea.
17. There’s more than one way to do things. Hate to admit it, but I always want to be right.. so when Clint tries to correct me and tell me there’s a different way of doing something, I rebuttal.. but it’s the truth. In my 25 years I’ve learned that some things may not go right.. like your basement might flood because your husband pulls a pipe to hard or theres like 5 different ways you can do a so called, ‘crunch’. Accepting differences, right ways, wrong ways, and defeat is part of learning. S next time you try to tackle a situation, think of 5 different ways you could do it!
18. Use sunscreen… Can I go back to my middle school days and tell myself that!? ughhhh!!!
19. It’s okay to dream. I’ll catch myself saying, “In another life maybe I’d have short hair, live in Alaska, and snow ski every day.” Some people will disagree with me and say, just live in the present. And believe me I do.. I really really do. I’m thankful for what I have and the life God’s blessed me with.. but sometimes I’ll imagine I’m driving home in the blistering Hawaii sun, or taking the ferry from Norway to Sweden for my job.. dreaming is okay.. because sometimes, it all starts with a dream.
20. Wear perfume. Make your mark.
21. The only person you owe an explanation to is yourself.. and maybe sometimes your parents, or your husband. If you’re one of those people that likes to get the last word in, stop, and think.. is it really worth it? or do I really only owe this to myself.
22. Don’t wear lipgloss on a windy day.. to the beach.. on a date.. or with a fuzzy sweater.
23. Believe in angels… your guardian angel.
24. Be as kind to yourself, as you are to others. Remember, ‘The Golden Rule’.
25. & last but not least.. Do what you love.. and Love what you do.

While that may be the end of the list right now, I’m still learning.. hopefully some day I’ll be 70 and jotting down 70 new things.
Until then, Cheers to a quarter of a century and growing old!!

Huge thank you to Press Shots for these creative, fun, amazing photos! I had such a wonderful time shooting some unique, out-of-the box styles!! Looking forward to working again soon!