Natalie 25 Things

1. Natalie makes the most delicious chocolate chip pancakes ever. Oh, how we love fattening food.

2. Natalie once got 100 red roses from a boy. Roses were everywhere, covering everything. It was impressive. Too bad the guy was an idiot.

3. Natalie has a Master's degree in English. She taught a class at BYU and I told her she should make the students call her "Master Baxter". If not her students, she should at least make her kids do it, don't ya think?

4. Natalie once worked at a summer camp for disabled people in Malibu. She loved it, even when she had to a get a tetanus shot because a camper bit her.

5. Natalie served a mission in Brazil. She worked hard and loved the people. And now she can talk trash in Portuguese with all the boys of the family. Lucky her.

6. Natalie is a compulsive returner. I believe she single-handedly brought down the Mervyn's empire. They thought they were doing fine when she bought so much--until 30 days later when she returned it all. It's not her fault--she just can't help it.

7. Natalie learned how to swim from my mother-in-law a couple summers ago. You know, "real" swimming, not that doggy paddling stuff. I learned too. Natalie would make up all these crazy contests so that we would have to practice a lot. All I know is she looks way better in a swimsuit than I do.

8. Natalie is really good at skating. Yeah, roller skating. When we were little my parents took us to the skating rink pretty often. Natalie always participated in the "speed skate". There would be all these boys out there trying to show off and then this little girl just blowin' 'em away. If you would like to check out her skills head on over to the next disco skate night, she'll be there (as long as Emma Lee makes her go).

9. Natalie is the most athletic girl in our family. Uh, maybe I should say the only athletic girl. She played volleyball and softball in highschool. I think she attempted to play basketball but was too short to get the ball up to the net. She also likes fishing with my dad and Robert.

10. Natalie is terrified of scary movies. Her husband won't even let her watch them anymore because he doesn't want to have to stay up all night when she is too scared to sleep. And if the girl sees X-Files she won't be sleeping for weeks. Once she told me that she is "not afraid of scary men, just aliens". That still makes me laugh.

11. Natalie is a great boy mom. She does lots of active things with those little towheads and somehow she keeps up with them. She has also become a master of train track building. Only time will tell if she can handle a girl.

12. Natalie is none too good at climbing fences to sneak into drum corp concerts. She ripped her pants (that were actually MY pants of course) and she took so long that the security truck came and turned their brights on us. And we don't even want to talk about what happened after the concert, but girl, you know I'd do it all again with you.

13. Natalie loves the beach. Natalie craves the beach. Natalie is her most peaceful self when she is on the beach. Natalie comes back into herself when she is on the beach. You gettin' this, Jonny?

14. Natalie loves to run. Yeah, I don't get it either, but she does. She has completed a half-marathon and if I could remember her time I would tell you, but I know it was good. Real, real good. She says it gets easier after the first 3 miles. She lies.

15. Natalie mentored a little boy named David before she had kids. She would take him to do fun things and make him feel important. I went with her a couple times, and man, it is hard to teach a kid to skate. I think she will never know all that she did for little David.

16. Natalie likes to perform crazy things to songs and drag me into it with her. The girl can dance AND sing, but that doesn't mean I can. We've made fools of ourselves to all kinds of songs, usually only in front of family, but we did do one at her wedding. Jonathan loved it, I'm sure.

17. Natalie is really good at sharing. She always wants everyone else to have what she has and she is more than willing to give you hers. It doesn't matter who you are, Natalie will give up whatever to make someone else happy.

18. Natalie is very organized and very clean. She's cleaned my house more than once for me. She makes lists, sets goals, and is very productive. And she vacuums every Friday.

19. Natalie has been in several choirs. She sang in a session of General Conference with a Rick's College choir. She's good, but once I fell asleep in her choir concert and woke to some guy screaming a song about stuffing slaves in a ship. I'm still a little shaken.

20. Natalie looks small and sweet, but if you are unfortunate enough to have to wake her up, you will never forget the wrath that will rain down upon you.

21. Natalie can read hieroglyphics. She is one of the few people in the world with this ability. Not really, but once a lady asked her what she was writing her thesis about. When Natalie replied, "Ancient rhetoric," the woman said, "Oh, so you can read hieroglyphics?". That story cracks me up every time.

22. Natalie is going to write a book with me someday. She is going to do all the writing. The idea for the book was born one dark, hot night in the ghetto of Las Vegas as we sat on a wooden bench, watching transvestites, and wondering what to do about our broken down car. So far we have the title. It's going to be amazing, as soon as it gets written.

23. Natalie likes to wear maternity clothes--when she's not pregnant. You all know how tiny she is. So if you have any lying around that you're not using, send 'em on over.

24. Natalie will win any 'most embarrassing moment' contest--hands down. I won't go into it all here, but it has something to do with a boyfriend's dad that likes to vacuum naked. Oh mercy. If you are in need of a really good belly laugh, you need this story. But you've got to hear it from Natalie. She is such a winner.

25. Natalie is an amazing freestyler. That girl can rap like nobody's bidness. She's just putting that degree to good use.