23

I found this pillow cover in a corner in Pottery Barn recently. It was tucked into a basket that was on a shelf in the corner of the store. Everything on the shelf was on clearance, so as you can imagine it was a random array of items. I've been admiring the whole writing-on-a-pillow style for a while, so when I saw this I was intrigued. Especially when I saw the price tag. I thought, "How could I use this? Would it work on my couch? Why would I need a pillow that described the number 2 on it?" Then a thought occurred to me. 23. 23 is our number. Man, too bad this is on clearance and there's only a 2, 4, & 6 left. That sure would have been cool. Oh wait, there's one more buried under all of these other covers. What is it? What is it? It's a 3! It was a sign. I had to have them. They needed to be, belonged actually, in my house.

You see 23 has been "our number" for a while now. We didn't really choose 23. It sort of chose us. Marty & I were engaged on the 23rd of the month.

The Saturday that happened to be the perfect date for when we wanted to get married and our venues were available was the 23rd.

Our first born child entered this world on the 23rd. And she was born just after midnight, so she barely made it. Our third child also entered in on the 23rd with a little encouragement from us and the doctor. But hey, it just so happened that the 23rd was one of the days of the month that fell within the week my doctor was willing to induce labor. And I firmly believe had we not "encouraged" my second child to come when she did she would have come on the 23rd on her own. It was July and I was miserable. Too miserable to wait even a few more days for her to continue our tradition. Ladies, you understand.

When we built our house we chose our lot based on location and yard space, etc. We liked that we would have one of the bigger backyards and that it was on a small cul-de-sac off of the main road. The lots were numbered not by the address but by some system the builder had. So it was lot #3789 or something along those lines. After we began the building process I was looking at a paper that listed the addresses that would be assigned to the lots. I think you know where this is headed.

23

When I went to register Reagan for Kindergarten the other day, one of the papers read at the top, "Welcome Class of 2023!" Well of course. It is only appropriate that we would have a child that would graduate in 2023.

When you flip around my nifty pillows, they display the numbers. Fun, right? They are definitely a conversation piece. I love that we have "our number" represented in our home at all times now.

Now please don't tell me about that horrible Jim Carrey movie, The Number 23. I never saw it, but I heard it was about how the number 23 is some evil number. Whatever. I choose not to believe that because look at all it's brought our family!

Oh and since we're on the subject of 23, in 23 days I am leaving on a jet plane....

And I will be landing here...

Someone pinch me! I cannot believe it. My Mom is taking my sisters & I to Tuscany to have cooking lessons from Tuscan women! I will turn the big 3-0 while we're there. I can't think of a better place to turn 30! Ciao!