Great genes.

As we grow older we learn lessons. (Well that would certainly be the hope anyway RIGHT?!) One of the lessons I have learned is that some people are just more genetically blessed than others. And that it's okay.

As a child growing up we don't really get this. We have a problem with the fact that someone else might be prettier than we are, or have better hair than we do, or better skin, or is naturally skinny. Or their teeth are perfectly straight and white without ever having braces. And all of these things can weigh heavy on your young little child mind and get a bit overwhelming at times.

Then as we grow up a little bit, we come to terms with the fact that we are what we are and so we try to do the most with what we have. Whether that is trying to lose weight so we look like that skinny girl we envied in school ... or we buy into the infomercial for ProActive and hope it helps our acne ... or we color our hair because the natural mousy brown just isn't working for us anymore. We might buy better clothes because now that we're older and have a job, we can. We might join a gym and hope to improve our problem areas. And we also come to terms with the fact that if we are not athletically inclined, have no sense of rhythm, or are tone deaf, NO amount of lessons or money can change that.

But then there are some people who get really, really lucky in the gene pool and have no idea how nice that is because that's all they've known - good genes. Like Cindy Crawford. And George Clooney. And Jennifer Lopez. And Jacquelyn Smith.

And then there is someone like Carrie Underwood who surpasses the good gene pool and was catapulted into the great gene pool. And completely unbeknownst to her parents when they first got together - their genes, combined, would produce someone practically genetically perfect like their daugher, Carrie. It just happened.

Now I have no idea if she is a nice person or if she is fun to be with, or kind to the less fortunate. But this post is strictly about how genetically fortunate she is.

And the difference with me being older and wiser now, is that I can truly appreciate how darling she is. I don't have to be jealous or sad or wish I was her ... but rather I can look at her and admire (or maybe more appropriately said, be astonished by) her perfect skin and teeth, and hair, and incredible little tiny legs, and her smile and her voice and all the while think how fortunate she is that her mom and dad got together - because she had very little to do with any of it.

I bought Carrie Underwood's last CD before I went on a trip down to Cedar City. It's about a three hour drive so on my way out of town I stopped at Target and got it. And I love it. And it's a little weird because I'm not a huge country music fan in general. I like it, but only certain artists.

Carrie's CDs have become a staple on a road trip for me ... and thus, by default, my girls'. (Elliott won't have it - he listens to his own music on his ipod - poor guy.) This new one sounds a lot like the old one and maybe a little like the one before that, but that's why I like it. I know some people complain that certain artist's songs sound too much a like and then they get tried of them: Barry Manilow, Rascal Flatts ... but for me, that just means you won't be disappointed - 'cause you already know what you're going to get! :)

When Carrie Underwood was on American Idol I liked her, but I was still rooting for Bo Bice until the final minute when Ryan read Carrie's name and the confetti dropped.

But that girl has truly emerged as a super star. And I am a fan. And she's really, really lucky to have such great genes! At least I think so - could you tell?