HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANIS!!!!

Tanis turns 29 on March 29, and so in honor of the number 29, I will share with you 29 things about Tanis that make her so special. You may or may not already know these things about her, from these are observations from my point of view (this is John typing... yes, I am infiltrating the blogosphere, so be prepared for an amateur performance!)

1. Tanis loves change. One of her classic comments is "This is my favorite time of year!" (She says this at the beginning of every season.) Our furniture gets rearranged every couple of months or so too, but I don't mind this at all, because I like change too. I guess that's why we live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

2. Tanis loves salt and vinegar chips, for the moment, and this leads me to believe that either we're having a baby boy or we're having a pickle.

3. Tanis is a fantastic organizer. During the first 6 years of our marriage, we moved (on average) every 8-10 months, and each time Tanis demonstrated her skill in preparing, labeling, and packing boxes. I marveled at her ability to unpack and situate everything in our home within one day of moving in. That's EVERYTHING (like pictures hung on walls, books on shelves, storage situated, etc.)

4. Tanis is a whirlwind cleaner. I help best during the weekly cleaning by getting out of the way. She can whip our house into shape at an incredible rate.

5. Tanis is an incredible multi-tasker. I think she has this ability above the average mother. I recently learned that the corpus callosum (the connective portion of the brain between the right and left hemispheres) is larger in women, so I now have an explanation for why I can't cook breakfast, style my hair, put on my makeup, do Abby and Jessica's hair, change Jessica's diaper, and get everyone ready for church all by myself and all at the same time. (and yes, I look absolutely horrible in makeup)

6. Tanis is a great writer. This blog is evidence alone of that. I find myself checking the blog frequently just to see what she's written next. We have taken steps to collect and preserve all these blogs as a record of our family history, and Tanis has been able to capture the humorous, the happy, the sad, and the beautiful from everything happening in our lives. She is definitely gifted in this ability.

7. Tanis occasionally declares that she is awkward or untalented when it comes to dancing or balance. I've heard her use the word klutz once in awhile. However, I am amazed at her ability to pick objects up with her feet. She'll just step on the corner of an object, wrap her toes around it, and with a quick contraction of her leg, she whips the object up close to her waist level within reach of her hand. I've tried to copy this "feet", but I wind up looking like a drunk flamingo, without near the graceful quickness my wife has mastered.

8. Tanis loves taking pictures. She has collected hundreds of pictures in her "morgue" (an artist's term for a bank of pictures ready for painting.) She also has volunteered to take pictures of other families and she's become quite a professional in her ability to capture great shots. She could easily run a business with her developed talents.

9. Tanis has an intuitive ability to pick out recipes that are great tasting and instant hits. She regularly cooks a new dish for dinner, even if company is coming over that night. I admire her ability to perceive a great recipe without ever cooking it first. I think she gets that from her dad.

10. Tanis has become a proficient gardener. I don't know if she ever gardened much while she was young, but she has transformed our yard into an attractive lot (destined I hope to attract the community beautification committee here in Cardston when they have their annual competition). Our garden, lawn, and flowers all are neat, beautifully arranged, and healthy. We really love our little piece of heaven.

11. Tanis is an accountant. She knows how to really spend money, but rarely does she ever spend money on herself (and even when she does she feels guilty).

12. Tanis enjoys singing and playing music. She second-guesses her ability, but I admire her appreciation for music.

13. Tanis loves horses. Lately she's been frustrated because she really can't ride them at all. She loves The Man from Snowy River (that's me, except for the horse-riding part...) and can't wait for the day when she can spend time learning how to ride.

14. Tanis is tough. She tackles dirty, unpleasant work with determination and is just as comfortable wearing gum boots as she is sandals.

15. Tanis is charitable. She is one of the most selfless people I know. Even when she was literally sick in bed, she was writing up lists of treats to deliver to people in our community. I'm always the delivery service and I have to deflect any gratitude from the recipients because I really had nothing to do with the gift.

16. Tanis builds people up. Knowing how sick she has been lately, I marvel at how cheerful and happy she is around others, when I know inside she would rather be resting.

17. Tanis is a talker. She uses this ability to help others feel important, and she can also test the performance of our cordless phone battery.

18. Tanis is a reader. She participates regularly in a book club of women in our community, and she has opened my eyes to some insightful and engaging literature. I envy her ability to manage all that she does and still make time to read good books.

19. Tanis is smart and assertive when dealing with business people. She is not afraid to call people on their poor service. She can quickly perceive any misleading information and is not afraid to politely question an unfair business transaction.

20. Tanis has acquired a lot of knowledge about health and legal issues. She's always ready to strike up a conversation about the latest research she has read. She seems to have a natural ability for understanding legal issues, and again, this is likely a result of having a father who served admirably in the police force and a brother who is following suit.

21. Tanis understands how organizations should operate, including church callings and protocols (again, probably from her dad). She has great insights and advice for me when it comes to balancing family with church.

22. Tanis loves wildlife. This is one reason why she is such a great mother... :.)

23. Tanis loves M*A*S*H*. If we have a boy, his name just might be Hawkeye.

24. Tanis loves driving standard vehicles, especially trucks. She is very capable of "peeling out," and she is very comfortable changing spark plugs and tires.

25. Tanis is not afraid to try new things (which connects to her love of change.) She learns quickly and doesn't settle for mediocre performance.

26. Tanis loves Wateron.

27. Tanis loves her four children (one stays in an amniotic bathtub at the moment) and relentlessly sacrifices so much of herself for their benefit.

28. Tanis is passionate but not fanatical about her religious convictions. Any who know her feel of her genuine spirit and can't help but be influenced for good.

29. When Tanis and I were first engaged, I was spending some time alone with my family up in Glacier National Park. While studying some of the scenery surrounding Logan's Pass, the thought came to me that Tanis was like a mountain: immoveable, firm, and majestic as the towering granite castles lining the horizon, yet as gentle and delicate as the array of mountain wildflowers which rush to bloom in the short growing seasons, or the leaves that linger in the fall to dazzle the eye as long as possible before the first wisps of snow. Mountains are beautiful in all of their color and temperature changes throughout the year, as if the seasons themselves bring out an unexpected composition of admirable qualities. For you, Tanis, I hope what never changes is that you are with me through it all. Happy birthday to you... my love, my life, my future.