And here's what he looked like at the end of the hike.
Wow, that's some serious beard growth.
(JK, it's really dad and son, in case you couldn't tell.)
Just so teen #2 doesn't feel left out, here's one of him:
Can you see him? He's far away because if you get too close to him, your nose might shrivel up and fall off your face. (Not just him though ... they all smelled rather ripe. Sorry if this insults your senses.)
One more cool panorama from their hike:
And now on to this week's topic:
As much as I tried to pretend that it didn't happen, my birthday caught up with me last week. Here I am blowing out the candles on my cake ...
20 years ago!!! Isn't that crazy? Where have all those years gone? That was a big year for me: I got married just 3 weeks after my birthday, and then the baby came 6 months later. (Totally kidding! It was not a shotgun wedding!)
A few months ago, I read an article in a magazine where readers wrote in with advice they would give their 21-year-old self. I thought it was a great idea and tucked it away to use at a later date. So here it is, but changed slightly because a few of our readers aren't even 21! (Jealous!)
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I'm going to give advice to 19 year-old me.
Dear young Lori,
Stay in school! I mean it! Don't drop out of high school. Oh wait, you did finish high school. Don't drop out of college! You'll never regret having a degree in something ... anything!
Don't spend your entire paycheck on clothes, even if the discount is killer. The clothes will quickly go out of style and you'll be left with nothing but weird outfits like this:
Janice, I think you still have one of those jogging suits, don't you? (You can't deny it; pictures exist.)
While we are on the subject of working at the mall, DO NOT eat a Cinnabon every day for breakfast. Your metabolism is slowing down and you don't need 880 calories and 127 carbs for breakfast. (Yes, really. It gives me the sweet shudders just thinking about it. Yuck.)
While we are on the subject of calories, it might be a good idea to start counting those now. And keep your body healthy by exercising religiously!
But, love yourself more. Have more confidence. Be proud of your accomplishments. Do not trash talk yourself!
Laugh more, cry less.
Be a good friend. Don't ever talk about people behind their backs, and not just because it's not nice, but because it will come back to bite you in the butt every single time.
Keep in touch with all your dear friends, and don't be afraid to make new ones.
Be grateful for what you have, and don't envy what others have.
Give more hugs.
Love,
Old Lori
So what's your list of advice you would give to your younger self?
And ... this week is the last full week of July, so check back for the monthly winner on Thursday! :)
7 comments:
You really had me fooled with the photos of father and son. Good one! And, congrats to them on such a great feat!
Here goes my letter:
Dear Jenny,
Know that you are beautiful! Don't waste your life trying to look like a magazine cover. The world needs YOUR best self, and all YOU have to offer, which no one else in the world can do. And magazine covers are not worth much anyway!
Don't stress about not being "allowed" to wear a bikini. If you want the attention of guys, you're better off seeking it from the guys that value girls for more than their half-naked bodies.
Above all, be honest in everything that you do! You'll choose that road in the end every time anyway, so it's a lot easier not to have to make up for stupid little lies along the way.
(Am I revealing too many of my faults here?)
Don't be afraid of a little risk-taking--it can be fun! Don't chicken out of scary auditions like the high school musical, and cheerleading tryouts. You never know what you can do and what you'll love unless you give it a chance : ). (Of course this advice would be more timely at age 15 than 19, but I just thought I'd throw that in there).
Take time to bond with your extended family members. They are very special people and won't be around forever.
Realize that other peoples' problems are as real as your own. Be genuinely compassionate and kind to everyone as much as you can.
I'm glad you're excited to become a mother--just one little heads-up: adorable babies turn into children. Motherhood is the hardest thing you'll ever do! The BEST thing, YES! Don't be afraid, just be aware, and take it one step at a time : ).
Love to you!
Jenna (p.s. your name changes from Jenny to Jenna when you grow up, but it's kind of a funny story--you'll see!)
Dear young Nicole,
Work hard and learn to study. You might not need to know how in high school but you sure will in college and it's going to kick your butt the first year if you don't.
At the end of your senior year, a boy is going to ask you out- say NO. And while you're at it, don't kiss boys either.
Pay more attention to the boy who is going to put smiley face french fries and bent up forks in your locker. Keep all of those notes you passed back and forth. You're going to want them.
Have confidence in yourself and your decisions.
Spend a lot of time with family on your dad's side. Some day, they'll all be gone and you're going to miss them like crazy.
Dear 14 year old Devree,
Happy birthday! Now I have to warn you that something big and life changing is coming up. Always look for the positive. Only think how you can improve something if it's a project at school, not every single situation. DO YOU PHYSICAL THERAPY with happy heart! It will save you from a lot of unnecessary trouble. Be kind and don't chase the boys away! Build a better relationship with you brother now (you know which one I'm talking about). Spend good time with all your brothers. Only talk to people you know over the internet, unless it's Lori. Please don't obsess over the boy who moves into the ward in September. He gets a girlfriend anyway that's not you then moves away. Work harder on getting your drivers license at a reasonable time. Don't forget to be happy! I just want the best for us. Don't be pig-headed!
Love, Older Devree
Devree, what words of wisdom you speak. You have so much figured out. I needed that comment about trying to improve things. Thanks!
Lori, have you changed in appearance in that time period? Look at the pic of you at the top of the blog and the pic of the teenage you - they are the same. Where'd you find the fountain?
And what's Janice doing with Matt? And why did you manipulate your ABBA pics to exclude Jason and you? Well, I know why you excluded Jason, but where are you in that retro fun?
Now some words to myself:
Shyness is vanity! Forget yourself and reach out to serve and lift others. Don't be so afraid of people! Lose yourself in service.
Big things are attainable! Just make some sacrifices and do the work. They are worth it!
Start praying at a young age to see others as Heavenly Father sees them. There are some really incredible people out there who are just a bit tarnished or rough around the edges because of their life circumstances. They need to be cheered and encouraged and loved. Be a builder, not a critic.
Be more faithful in journal writing.
Enjoy every day with your small kids. They grow up waaaaay too quickly!
Don't undress at the doctor's office unless instructed to.
Save $
Pray always, especially with your spouse.
When you live right by the temple, GO TO IT!!!!
You CAN do the "impossible!" You can get married in college, have a family, stay at home with your kids, continue dating in marriage a be happily married 19 years later.
Learn how to compliment people (right, Lori?).
Sometimes being frugal produces greater regret than enjoying a costly once in a lifetime experience.
Waxing is probably a lot easier and time-saving than tweezing.
Jenna/Jenny/any other alias you may go by: LOVED your first paragraph. I learned it was best not to buy those magazines. And parenting ones too. The honesty thing? Did you relate with Katrina Hayes really well? And do I know the Jenny/Jenna story?
Nicole: you didn't keep the french fries and the bent-up forks either? Poor Steve: I bet he feels so slighted. But don't kiss boys? Why ever not? I needed all the practice I could get. :)
Devree: One day (when I'm like 59 or something) I will be as wise as you. I hope. I'm glad I'm your exception to the strangers on the internet rule. And I loved your advice about the boy. He lost out. (But I'm not calling him a loser, because I say nice things about people now that I'm grown up.)
PaulaShawn: Are you saying that I'm stuck in the 90's? That's what it sounded like. Do you think I need a modern makeover? JK. Thanks, but you have something brown on your nose. Your statement about shyness is so profound! Glad I'm never shy. Or vain. Or rude. :) What's the story with you undressing for the doctor? It keeps getting brought up, but I'm not sure if I remember it exactly.
Wow. This post gave me a lot to think about. There are a lot of things to say to a younger me:
Go to college. You WILL regret it if you don't because later it will be much harder to juggle!!
Be patient. With yourself and with others. Change takes time and maybe you don't really need/want the things you thought you did. Trust in God's timetable.
Don't try to fix everything. Sometimes broken things are best left broken... and that is really ok!
RUN!!! You will love it and you will need it!
Relax. With your kids. With your husband or all by yourself. Just relax.
Be loving and be forgiving.
Anne: you wanted to go to clown college to learn how to juggle? I never knew that about you! I love your line about relaxing. It's so easy to get stressed about all the silly little stuff, isn't it? People used to tell me not to get my panties in a bunch so I just stopped wearing panties. TOTALLY KIDDING. I have no idea where that came from.
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