Anyone who knows me well knows that I love my birthday. I love getting a year older, celebrating with friends and family, baking a cake (confetti cake always!), going to the movies, and making a day of it. I do believe that it’s your destiny to find what’s written in the stars for you. We are all here on our own journey, so if it takes your birthday to finally realize that, then that’s perfectly fine. (By the way, it’s my dream to have a legit surprise birthday party one year if someone wants to plan that for me..) My birthday is the one day a year when I can drag Jason anywhere I want to do anything I want and he can’t complain or disagree. One year I even took him to a chick flick movie and at the end he said it was basically the worst movie he had ever seen and the only reason he didn’t walk out was because it was my birthday. HAHA!

My birthday today is a bit different because we are in Kauai, Hawaii on vacation! Although we aren’t near friends or family, we won’t be baking my favorite confetti cake, and we won’t be going to the movies, it’ll still be a great birthday because, come on, we are in Hawaii! I’ll take it.

So in honor of my 27th birthday, I’m going to share 27 things you don’t know about me! Here goes..

1. My background isn’t in photography, it’s in speech therapy! I found a love for photography during college but decided to finish my speech degree to have as a backup in case photography didn’t work out.
2. My longest job I’ve ever had (longer then being a photographer!) was being a lifeguard! Ages 15-23 I worked at the local pool in both high school and college. I also taught swimming lessons which I loved! My favorite classes to teach were the mommy and me classes with those cute babies.
3. I’m Mormon. Although the technical term is Latter-Day Saint (LDS). Born and raised!
4. I’m the oldest of 4 siblings! Me and the youngest are 12 years apart. (See them HERE!)
5. My photography work was published in 2 magazines this last year which was super cool! The Knot (Pennsylvania Issue) and Dream Weddings. My first print publications!
6. I’ve never had coffee. Seriously. Part of it is because of my religious background, yes, but I also like that my body doesn’t rely on something every morning when I wake up.
7. I once dyed my hair red. It was kind of a disaster. It was right before HS graduation (what was I thinking), and a girl I worked with just graduated hair school (double red flag) so I asked her to put a couple red peek-a-boos in my blonde hair because I thought it would be fun! So naturally she just dyed it all red.. (rolling my eyes). Worst thing ever. After graduation I got it all bleached out which made a ton of my hair fall out..so sad.
8. I got married young. I mean getting married at 20 in my culture isn’t that young but it sure seems young to the rest of the world! I’m happy I did and I wouldn’t change a thing. Going on 7 years this summer!
9. My guilty pleasure is shopping. Totally cliche but it’s true. I don’t even have to buy anything, I just like going :)
10. I prefer vegetables over fruits.
11. My husband taught me how to cook. I could cook basic things like tacos and crockpot meals before him, but he expanded my horizons! My favorite meal to make now is Pad Thai.
12. I’m afraid of heights. I pretend not to be by forcing myself on rolling coasters and ferris wheels. But I get so scared ever time!
13. I’ve never had alcohol. Again, another decision I’ve made based off my religious background, but I’m grateful.
14. My best friend in HS was also named Hillary. We were the Hillary’s and we were always together! We had a joint 16th birthday party and over 100 people came. It was awesome!
15. I love to sing. In the car, the shower, in church, and sometimes in public. I’m not so bad at it either! I took singing lessons growing up and was in quite a few musicals. So if you sing too, we should get together :)
16. My favorite TV show is Friends. I own all 10 seasons and have watched the episodes so many times I can’t even count. It drives my husband a little crazy. But you know what? They make me happy and they make me laugh so why stop?
17. I am a huge cry baby. I cry at happy things, sad things, while watching movies, anything, you name it. But it’s good to be emotional in my opinion.
18. My favorite soda is root beer! Specifically IBC, Barq’s, or Mug!
19. I don’t really like the quiet. When I’m home alone (or even not), I like to have music or the TV on. I just like the noise and hearing people talk in the background.
20. I was in a store when it got robbed at gun point once. A friend and I were in a Hollywood Video and 2 guys came in with masks, shot up the ceiling and windows, shouted for us to get on the ground, and robbed the registers. Oddly enough, my first thought was “this can not be real. this is definitely a joke” and my second thought was that we had Del Taco in the car and it was probably going to be cold by the time we were allowed out of there. I was right…
21. I buy most of my clothes from online boutiques. My favorites are Roolee, Piper and Scoot, and Clad and Cloth.
22. I bought my first smart phone only 4 years ago (for my birthday!). Whaaaaat?!?!
23. I love babies. If you have a baby, I’ll probably ask to hold it then snuggle and kiss it and not give it back. Sorry not sorry.
24. My first kiss was at the age of 15 and it was very sweet. It was with my first boyfriend after a movie and I was so excited that I told my mom as soon as I got home!
25. I’m a wife of a medical student (and soon to be anesthesia resident!).
26. I have the attitude of “if there’s a will, there’s a way”. I got it from my mom who is one of the hardest workers I know and an excellent problem solver. Now my husband has learned that if I want something done, I will find a way to get it done even if it seems impossible. Smart man who knows when to just get out of my way haha!
27. People tell me all the time that I’m all flowers and sunshine. They may not mean it in a positive way, but I take it positively! I really am a very optimistic person and always try to see the good in people.

Well there you have it! 27 things you didn’t know about me! Now I’m off to go celebrate my birthday :)