Look who is turning 50 this year. I have spent more than half of my life with this man. There are many things that I appreciate about Mike and I thought I would share few of them.
First, he is a man with a great mind. He has a great understanding of the scriptures and knows how to help others (mainly me and our children) learn. He is a great teacher, but also a great learner. I love our many discussions we have had over the years regarding religion, philosophy, history, psychology, language, and many other things. I love talking to him about the books I read. He always brings new and interesting things to my attention. We don't always agree on things, but that is the beauty of having discussions and we welcome our differences.
Second, he is the perfect father to our children. He is definitely the "good cop" in our parenting relationship. He makes up for my lack of patience. He is the one who blasts music and dances with the girls when I am out. Our children love talking with him, playing games with him, watching movies with him and cooking with him.
Third and most importantly, he is my number one fan. I know I can count on him to be there for me, take my side when sides need to be taken, and support me on my decisions even when he doesn't agree with them. I appreciate him for letting me go to school to earn my degree, which costs a lot of money and time. I appreciate him for providing for our family so I can stay home with our girls. I appreciate him for building the bird houses, garden beds, chicken coops (we have two) and other crazy things. I appreciate him for supporting me in my church callings over the years. He is my editor, walking dictionary, driver, baker, walking companion, and much more.
Happy 50th birthday to Mike.
About a month ago while I was on a short hiking trip with Mike I had to cross a small creek. Instead of trying to balance myself on the rocks I decided to just walk through. The water wasn't that cold, but since it was the beginning of the hike I really wish I had a towel in my car to dry my feet.
Then a few weeks ago I came across a face book post asking, "What do you have in your car that you can use in case of an emergency?" Some people said all they have is some napkins and ketchup packets from a variety of different restaurants. The most common items people have in their car are a first aid kit, phone charger, a change of clothes (I stopped doing this after my kids were potty trained), and water bottles. There were a few people who carry everything except the kitchen sink. They can totally survive in any situation for weeks if they had to (this is not me).
I wanted to see what I had in my car and add a few items. So here is what I found in my car.
I have a first aid kit. But this is so old some of the medications have been expired for years. But other items like band-aids and pads are still good and I especially like the "call police" sign. It is hard to see, but I also have a small first aid kit. I am not planning to put any type of medications in the first aid kit, because they usually stay there for years and end up being thrown out. I always carry pain medication and what not with me if I am gone for more than a few hours.
This is my "Good to have them around" pile. The water is definitely a must have item and I usually carry a case of drinking water in my car. Those two bottles are carry over from the last case and I haven't restocked them yet. Did you notice that I have one food bar? I guess that is better than none. I have some eating utensils, probably leftover from a picnic or something. How many pens do I need in my car? Well, in case of emergency, and if I have to wait a very long time for help to get there, I could work on the book that I always wanted to write. A lot of these items just end up in the car, not because I purposely put them there. Packing tape, dental floss, hats, and gloves are such items, but nonetheless they are nice to have in the car.
This is my "why do I have this in my car?" pile. Over the years you gather things in your car and then forget that they are there. Some of the pamphlets are from our trip east in 2013. And who knows why and how long that bottle of cherries has been in the car. The sea shell and small rock are from our trip to the coast. They bring happy memories whenever I look at them, so even though they have no value in an emergency situation I am going to keep them. The paper pile in the right corner is the papers with information that I don't want to throw away in the trash. It may sound funny, but I am holding on to them to use as a fire starter. I am a queen of building fires, but it is nice to have bits of paper on hand.
After looking through everything I realized that some things that should be in the car are not there anymore. In the same way things gather in your car sometimes things get taken out and never get put back. Some of these items are a flash light, duct tape, and a small knife. I will be putting those things back in the car and adding a case of water, a towel, and a blanket.
"What about things for the car?" you may ask. Like jumper cables, thingy to change a flat tire and such. I never drive long distances without Mike, and If I am around town I would call a tow truck. In another words that is Mike's problem.
What I am trying to carry in my car is very minimal for just small inconveniences and to, maybe, survive overnight in the car. Whenever we travel we carry snacks, foods, extra clothes, and other necessary items. We also carry a water filter, stove, and extra food when we go out into the wild.
It was nice to clean out my car, and now I have a towel in my car for my next creek crossing.
