Friday, February 27, 2009

100

So, this is my 100th post! WOW! Who would have thought I'd stick to this long enough to have 100 posts? Certainly not me!



In honor of my 100th post, I'm posting 100 random things about myself. I am too embarrassed to tell you how long I've been working on this list. If you're my friend on Facebook, you'll just have to get over the fact that I've copied some of these from my Random 25 on there! These are in no particular order, thus the randomness.



100. I really love to sing. I think, for me, it's more mood-altering than any drug could be!



99. When Sis was a baby, she absolutely HATED my singing! She preferred Don's singing over mine, for sure! As a lifelong singer, it hurt my feelings a little bit! I'm over it now! And now she loves it when I sing to her.



98. I love to play the piano, but NOT in front of anyone! I took lessons for YEARS, but then went for so long without playing, that I can't seem to get comfortable playing in front of anyone anymore. I think because I can't "fake" it when I make a mistake like I used to be able to.



97. I really wish I could play the drums and the guitar. Based on my skills on Guitar Hero World Tour, though, I'd say there's NO WAY I'll ever become a guitar player. I could probably pull off some drumming if I was playing for an old-time type of Country Band. I think I could pull off the BOOM CHUCK type of drumming.



96. I was in a Christian band when I was a teenager. We mostly played for local youth services, although we did open for a B-list Christian singer once (on my 19th birthday). While it was a lot of fun, I remember having the most fun at the practices! That's when I'd attempt my lame drumming and guitar (bass) skills... when the REAL musicians were feeling generous! Mostly they just made me sing!



95. I was pretty painfully shy when I was younger. I still fight it at times. Although people who have always known me find it hard to believe because if I know you, I don't shut up!



94. I used to question when I was young whether or not I could be a good mom. I was a terrible babysitter, so I was afraid for my future children. It's been the greatest thing ever, though! And each new stage they hit has been a fun adventure for me!



93. I've been married to Don for 13 years. What an awesome 13 years it's been! It just keeps getting better and better!



92. I love to travel! I love going places I've never been before... there's nothing like that thrill of the unknown. I also love going places that I HAVE been before... and sharing them with my kids and Don! Our kids were NOT great travelers when they were little, but now they love it as much as Don and I!



91. I think that someday (when the kids are older) that we'll take some missions trips... all over the world.



90. One of my phobias is of ladders. I'm not afraid of heights, but I am petrified on ladders. I have some great (?) stories of breaking down in tears, freezing mid-climb, and virtual strangers having to help me up/down from those mid-climbs! Obviously, I keep trying (thus the stories), but it doesn't seem to be lessening!



89. Another phobia I have is claustrophobia -- and people claustrophobia to go along with that. There's nothing quite like seeing someone with claustrophobia getting an MRI (according to Don). I was a wreck! They gave me a valium the 2nd time around... MUCH better! This people claustrophobia thing I have... I'm guessing it probably has a name. I just get freaked out in crowds. But guess where I am EVERY year the day after Thanksgiving with my sisters? Yup, the mall. Go figure. I think it's because I've psyched myself up, KNOWING it's going to be crowded.



88. I procrastinate. And I'm frequently late. Or at least running late. It drives Don crazy!!!



87. I am not a morning person. Never have been. Apparently I never will be. I always heard it would change once I had kids. Nope. I get up earlier than I used to, but it's not cheerfully!!! I don't really talk until about 10:00 in the mornings.



86. While my personality has PLENTY of flaws, I am rarely in a bad mood. And if I do get in one, I can't sustain it for long. Sometimes THAT makes me mad! :)



85. I am going to be a little sad when Bub quits sneaking into our bed at night.



84. I love what I do for a career, but I've (finally) learned to leave it at work (for the most part). Once I leave on a Friday afternoon, it is RARE for me to think about work again until I'm getting ready for work on a Monday morning.



83. Shoes and handbags have always been my weakness. Especially shoes. All kinds of shoes: from tennis shoes to high heels. I have 2 benches in my closet that hold 60 pairs of shoes (I can fit 2 pairs of summer shoes into some of them). They still don't hold all my shoes, and my boots have their own spots as well.



82. Speaking of my closet, it used to be our bedroom before we remodeled.



81. We remodeled our house about 3 years ago. We had to move out for 8 months during the remodel. We made it our dream home.



80. I used to want to live in our house until the kids were grown and gone, but now I don't know...



79. I tend to be an "all or nothing" type of person. And I married that type of person as well.



78. I grew up Pentecostal, and "moved" to Assemblies of God when I was 16. I wore dresses or skirts all through high school.



77. I am just now reading the entire Bible the whole way through. I am over 3/4 of the way through it. I love how relevant it is...



76. I love change, if I control it. Thus, the drastic haircuts, etc. The changes that I DON'T control... not so much!



75. I taught myself how to knit a few years ago. All because my sister-in-law laughed at me that I wouldn't spend $45 on an outlet scarf because I said I could knit it myself. I bought "Knitting for Dummies" and knitted her a scarf for Christmas!



74. I want to learn how to sew. I bought Sis a sewing machine for Christmas for BOTH of us to learn how (she wants to be a fashion designer)... it's still in the box at this point!



73. My daughter is caring, dramatic, artistic, a good mix of girly/tomboy, smart, clever, stylish, talkative, and fun to be with. I'm honored to be her mom.



72. My son is funny, athletic, sensitive, loving, cuddly, rough and tumble, smart, shaggy-haired, and fun to be with. I'm honored to be his mom.



71. I married my best friend. I'm honored to be his wife.


70. I have the cutest nieces and nephew in the world!


69. Being with my siblings and parents is soooo fun for me! I regularly laugh so hard I cry when I'm with them!


68. I also really love Don's family. We have a great time together. And laugh a LOT. Sensing a trend?


67. We try to have a "no electronics" day once a week. We either all read that evening, or we play board games. Our favorites are Apples to Apples Jr., Sorry (no one really ever is!), Phase 10, Trouble, Battleship, and Bub's new Indiana Jones card game.


66. I'm pretty sure this is the most I've ever talked about myself all in one sitting. It's like a weird job interview. Or a first date. Neither of which are fun!


65. I am a latent perfectionist. Meaning, that if I don't think (or know) I'll be instantly or naturally perfect at something, I won't even try. It comes across as lazy sometimes! :) Sis is just like me this way. She can tell you within one practice of a sport if she wants to quit or not (meaning, if she struggles, she wants to quit).


64. I feel blessed to have girl cousins (and sisters) that I have always enjoyed hanging out with. I have so many fun memories (both recent and OLDDD) spending time with C, E, M, J, D, and all the others!!!


63. I wish I didn't like reality TV, but I've fallen victim to it's "charms." Don doesn't watch one single one with me (everyone in a while, I can get him to watch Amer!can Idol with me), but I've gotten the kids just as addicted! We watch: B!ggest Loser, T0p Chef, Pr*ject Runway, Americ*'s Next T0p Model, etc... we're pathetic!


62. I read way too many blogs.


61. Folding socks is my least favorite domestic activity. And grocery shopping.


60. I wish my siblings all lived closer (like in the same town even!).


59. I don't know how to swim. Well, not really. I could maybe save myself, but that's about it. I'm a great doggy paddler, but that's about it. I'm going to learn someday (Sis has offered to teach me... how embarrassing!).


58. I sang my first solo in church when I was 2.


57. My dad used to be a part-time evangelist when I was little (full-time before I was born), so my sister and I used to sing in church together a LOT.


56. My family used to stand Christy and I up on a table when we were little at family reunions to have us sing for everyone.


55. At my grandfather's 80th birthday party (with his twin), a distant cousin asked us to stand on a table and sing. We were in our 30's. We politely declined.


54. My mom used to sew a lot of my clothes and made us dinner from scratch every night. I was so unappreciative. I used to cry because I didn't have tags in my clothes, and we couldn't eat at P!zza Hut like everyone else... I had to eat homemade pizza! What a brat!


53. I hated my red hair and freckles when I was little. Until someone told me I looked like Holly Hobbie and Laura Ingalls... after that, I embraced my "uniqueness." (not really unique when I look like someone else, is it? I get the irony.)


52. I am a grammatical/spelling snob, although you can't always tell by my blogging. But it'll be a rare day that you see me misuse your and you're.


51. Part-time jobs I had before I started my career: been a file clerk at a law firm; worked at Km*rt; worked as a student secretary for the AFR0TC at my college; worked part-time at the mall at Paul Harr!s, G*p, Famous B*rr, a jewelry store; worked a summer at an oil refinery; worked a summer at a road construction company; worked for a financial planner; worked a temp job at a motor company; worked a temp job at a hospital.

50. I am not interesting enough to come up with 100 things about myself! UGH!!! I'm only half way through!

49. I am way too sarcastic for my own good.

48. I burn one batch of pancakes every time I cook them. It's usually either the first set or the last.

47. I can whistle with my 2 fingers in my mouth... I'm so proud!

46. I had to give Sis the Hemlich maneuver once... she swallowed a piece of Hulk's hands (one of Bub's toys). I didn't panic until afterwards.

45. My goal is to read 50 books in 2009.

44. I don't really like to talk on the phone.

43. I cannot share milk with anyone, even Don or the kids.

42. I have some friends who make it their personal goal to make me gag (it's not that difficult!).

41. I went kicking and screaming a year and a half ago to Financial Pe*ce University at my church... I actually like being on a budget now. It's like a puzzle to get what I want within my budget. Well, maybe I don't LIKE it, but I at least get it now.

40. Because of #41, I don't go to T*rget very much any more. It's WAYYYY to much temptation for me!

39. I have popped my knuckles since I was a kid. What a disgusting habit!

38. I hate politics. I was never more glad to have a DVR than last campaign period (so I could fast forward through all the political commercials).

37. I rarely watch the news. I get most of my news online.

36. I love when Sis tries out new words she reads. It reminds me of me, especially when she doesn't get it quite right.

35. I once co-instructed an adolescent psychology class for independent studies credit. I showed the movie Breakfast Club and took the class on a field trip to a juvenile detention center. That's probably the most interesting credits I earned in my undergrad.

34. I hate to file. Except for my nails. I love to file those!

33. I do like to alphabetize, though. All of our CDs are alphabetized according to their category (our music, the kids' music, Christmas music, etc.).

32. When I remember big events in my life (music contests, first date with Don, the night he proposed, etc), I can always remember what I was wearing.

31. I love most kids' movies. I can't watch them 100+ times like my kids like to, but I do enjoy them the first time.

30. I have an unnatural fear of the dentist's office. Chalk it up to a REALLY bad experience getting my wisdom teeth removed. Luckily, my current dentist knows about my fear, and is cool about it.

29. My laid-backness does NOT exist when someone messes with my family. I turn into a she-bear if someone messes with Don or the kids. It's always funny afterward to remember how I acted though... right??

28. I love sushi!!!

27. I am physically unable to tan. Before I got married, I went to the tanning bed 10+ times... a girl I met asked me if I got money back from the tanning bed company and introduced me to her in-laws as "the whitest girl I've ever met!"

26. I've never seen a St*r W*rs movie.

25. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was in my 20s.

24. I got a tattoo for my 30th birthday. I don't regret doing it, but I have no desire for any more.

23. I have a hard time finishing things I start. The excitement for me is the start-up. Once I know I can do something, I lose interest in the project.

22. Because of #23, it's amazing that I am on my 100th post of this blog. That implies commitment. Huh.

21. I am always on a quest to understand myself and others. My sister and I used to spend HOURS analyzing ourselves and those around us while we were in college (psych majors, can you tell???).

20. I love office supply shopping. And new paper. Fancy paper. And fun post-its. It really doesn't take much for me...

19. My favorite non-water drink is coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

18. 18 is Don's favorite number. I think of him every time I see it.

17. I used to be able to type 89 wpm with one error. I can't do that anymore, but I still type pretty fast.

16. I've never been able to do a cartwheel.

15. I drive a stick-shift car. I love it... it makes me feel like a race-car driver.

14. I kill all my indoor plants eventually. I forget to water them. I think my plants at work have only survived as long as they have because other people sneak in to water them!

13. I have lived in five houses since I've been married, 2 in Kentucky and 3 here. Only one of those we DIDN'T remodel in some way!

12. I am really not very interesting... in fact, if you are still reading at this point... WOW!!!

11. I liked Disney World as an adult way more than I thought I would. I only went so my children would have the "experience." I'm not sure I'll ever go again, but I did enjoy it.

10. I feel like I've lost an appendage when I forget my PDA at home or somewhere else. One might say I'm addicted...

9. I am easily distracted. I often start one project, get distracted by a new project, start on that one, etc. This ties in somewhat with #23.

8. I believe that God created me for a specific purpose. I don't know exactly what that purpose is yet, but in the meantime, I believe it's my job to live like what I'm doing IS God's purpose.

7. I am terrified of mice. Which isn't good living in the country... which is why I'm glad we now have 2 outside cats.

6. Outside the USA, I've been to Canada, Mexico, Belize, St. Thomas, Barbados, Aruba, Belgium, Germany, and France.

5. One thing on my "bucket list" is to visit every state in the US. I made a list once, but I need to refresh my memory on how many states I have left. I plan to hit two of those states (I've never visited before) this summer.

4. I have a terrible sense of direction. I used to joke that I could get lost in our little bitty mall in town that I've been to thousands of time.

3. I rarely pay full price for clothing (unless it's really cheap already!). I get a rush from finding a bargain. My best deal yet: I got a 7 for *ll M*nkind denim skirt for $3 at the G**dwill!

2. I used to break out in hives on any exposed skin at the G**dwill or yard sales when I was a kid (so did my sister). I think we must have been allergic to moth balls or something, but our mom used to tease us that our skin was snobby.

1. I am SO GLAD this list is completed!!! I hope I didn't bore you to tears!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Thankul Thursday

Oh, I am so, so thankful this week!!!

Here are my three things:

1. Bub is home from the hospital and feeling MUCH better! He's still home from school, but he may actually go back tomorrow (much to his chagrin!).

2. I am thankful for great nurses and health care providers. We were really blessed with a lot of great nurses this week while Bub was in the hospital. And Bub's pediatrician... well, she's just the best!

3. I am grateful and thankful for the power of prayer. Lots and lots and lots of people were praying for us this week, and I have NO DOUBTS in my mind that God was working on Bub's body. All the literature we read said that his symptoms could last from 4-8 days, and his lasted barely 4... it could have been a lot worse! Thanks to all of you who prayed!

What are you thankful for this week?

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Hospital Visit

So, I posted earlier a picture of Bub sleeping because he was sick. Well, let's just say it got scary before it got better! Saturday night at about 11:00, Bub got delirious. His words weren't making any sense, and his eyes were kind of rolling back in his head. SCARY!!!

Once we got him to the emergency room, we discovered that he was severely dehydrated, so he was admitted. Once he was admitted (after it seemed like a million tests), they diagnosed him with Rotavirus, which is highly contagious. So, then he was put on "isolation," which meant that anyone that came to visit had to wear a minimum of a gown and gloves. Although Don, Sis and I didn't wear one (they said we had already been exposed, so there was no point).

I went home on Friday to take a "real" shower and pick Sis up from school (I hadn't really seen her much), so I picked up my little point-and-shoot camera while I was home. Here are some pictures from the hospital:

Here's a "yummy" meal of Bub's: dry toast, sherbet, grape juice, and Gatorade.
One of Bub's nurses, Marcella, was great at letting the kids get comfortable with all the medical equipment. She took Sis's blood pressure and oxygen level, so Sis would understand all that was going on. She also let us play with the stethoscope, since it was an "isolation" piece of equipment, and they were going to throw it away once Bub left anyway (ie. it was cheap!).

This was the best sign that Bub was starting to feel better. He was kicking at me when I was teasing him about something (who knows what???). Before this, he wouldn't even acknowledge our teasing, so this was a good sign!

Sis playing with the stethoscope, while Aunt Liss (Aunt Yaya to my nieces) looks on.

Bub is checking out Aunt Liss's vitals.

And then mine...

Aunt Liss spent time in the hospital when she was a kid, so she had all kinds of fun ideas for Bub while was "stuck" in the hospital. Here he's playing with Papa and a water-filled latex glove that Aunt Liss made for him.

Bub wanted Dad to try.

Sis was a great big sister during this awful time. She finally tuckered out after a while... after being shuttled from house to house for the first few nights, she was exhausted!

Here's breakfast on our last morning in the hospital. I think on a GOOD day for him, this would be about 3x too much food for him! He's got crazy bed head, but you can tell by his smile that he's starting to feel better.
The last hour before they discharged him, they unhooked his IV (left the needle in just in case they needed to reattach it), so he could try standing up. This lasted about 5 minutes (excuse the weird lighting on his chin... there was a little crack in the curtain).

Here's how I spent the last day in the hospital... Thank goodness for WiFi!!!!

So, Bub was finally discharged yesterday about 3:30 p.m. Not soon enough for either of us! He was a little exhausted once he got home, but once he took a nap, he was a NEW boy!!! He said he felt human again! Last night, he and Don played Battleship (Bub stomped Don!), and he ate lots and lots of (boring) food. And most importantly, he's drinking a lot of fluids.
Here's hoping the rest of his recovery goes quickly. And here's hoping the rest of our week is boring and quiet! :)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Too much time on my hands

So, I've had WAY to much time on my hands the past few days (I'll post about it shortly), so I've changed the look (again). What do you think?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Thankful Thursday

I'm pretty sure I forgot about my thankfulness last week, but I'm too lazy to go back and double-check. So, what am I thankful for this week?

1. I'm thankful for "blasts from the past" in the form of music. I have listened to Amy Grant all week, thanks to a "blast from the past" friend on Facebook. I can't believe how I still remember so many words from her early years! Also, my sisters, mom and I just ordered tickets for a Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith concert coming up. All this music that I used to listen to ALL THE TIME makes me reminisce and smile!

2. I'm thankful to have a new baby in our family (my cousin just had her first). That way I can get my baby fix without having to have one of my own! :)

3. I'm thankful that I'm having a grilled pork tenderloin sandwich today from Johnson's Corner. YUMMMMMMMMMM!!! (It doesn't take much to thrill me, does it?)

What are you thankful for today???

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Random Thoughts

So, after a long, long, long, long absence, I've finally updated our church's young families blog... twice! You can see the rest of our Christmas extravaganza here. And here's an announcement about an upcoming movie night.

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So, to get our Valentine's Day started with a bang, Don posted something to this effect on his status update on Facebook: Don thinks that if u show ur spouse how much u love them all year, u don't need a man made holiday. Wow, that caused an uproar on Facebook! :) We both had messages all day long!

The funny thing is that I don't mind NOT celebrating V-Day for a couple reasons: First of all, our anniversary was less than 2 weeks ago. That was celebration of our love. Secondly, I would rather spend the time/energy/effort on little special things for my kids. THAT'S what I remember about Valentine's Day when I was a kid, my parents making it special for us kids! So, we tend to make it more about them.

Although... Miss Cathy at church was nice enough to have a kids' night on Friday night. That gave us the opportunity to still have a "date night," it just wasn't a VALENTINE'S date night... 'cause we don't do that! :)

We did spend the evening with friends, though, on V-Day, and it was great fun! We had yummy food, and I'm sure the chocolate cherry cake and the chocolate fountain she had prepared was in NO way celebrating V-Day... it's just because she loves us!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend as well, whether or not YOU celebrate that man-made holiday!
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We are in the midst of planning our summer vacation! We are planning a road trip out west. We've got some preliminaries nailed down, but now we start planning the specifics. I can't tell you how fun I think it is to go to the library, check out travel books, and make a PLAN!!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

It finally happened!

So, Bub really loves to wrestle... I mean, REALLY! The thing that he DOESN'T like is to lose. Or more specifically, he doesn't like to NOT get a trophy or plaque. Or whatever the 1st place winner gets.

When he hasn't won in the past something REALLY good, tears have ensued. Don and I finally figured out that it was more about the goods than the win. So, Don told them that if he didn't throw a fit the rest of the season about not winning and still did his best, then he'd buy him a plaque at the end of the season (if he didn't win one of his own). So, that was the end of the tears.

Last Sunday, Bub had a 10 and under tournament. And it was a good day in Bub's wrestling world. He got 1st place!!! Yup, FIRST PLACE! And what a tournament to win first place at! He got an 18" high trophy, AND he got the bracket paper framed, AND there was an awards stand where the winner got to stand at the highest place for photo opportunities!

Oh, does he love that trophy! We stopped at Cracker Barrel afterwards and he took the trophy in with him. He kept it right by his side the whole time. And that night when we went to church, the trophy accompanied him. I even caught him licking it (he said he thought it might taste like cherries!). Here are a few shots of him on the winner's stand:

But can you spell IMPEACH?

Tuesday night, Sis was working on her spelling words for school. Here's our conversation:

Sis: Do you want to know what our hardest spelling word is this week?
Me: Sure!
Sis: Governor
Me: Really? That's kind of a hard word, isn't it?
Sis: Yes
Me: Did you talk about OUR governor?
Sis: Yes, he just got fired!
Me: Oh, yeah? Do you know why?
Sis: Well, he did a whole lot of bad stuff... and do you know what he did that was REALLY bad? He tried to sell a chair that the PRESIDENT sat in!

Interesting...

Saturday, February 7, 2009

In honor of our 68-degree day today...

I thought I'd take us back just one and one-half weeks to see how far we've come, weather-wise... Here are some shots of our recent snow day.

There are no pictures of me on this beautiful day... the picture below tells enough of the story (blue pajama pants, pink boots... I'll just leave the contractor stocking hat, glasses, lime green scarf to your imagination! You're welcome).

Don and the kids took a nature hike through the woods next to our house. Here they are on their way back home.


I had a couple of snow angels...


More shots of our day...


Friday, February 6, 2009

Thankful Thursday - Right on Time!

Yup, I'm one day late again! Does it count if I THOUGHT about what I was thankful for on Thursday? No? Well, then...

1. I'm so very, very thankful that my grandmother is doing so much better. She had two heart attacks on Monday, and it was a frightening night as the medical professionals fought to get her stable. As of last night, she's off her vent and her balloon pump, has eaten two meals and starts physical therapy today. THANK GOD!

2. I'm thankful for my family. I say this one a lot, but it's true. I spent time with my mom's side of the family quite a bit this week (see #1), and I appreciate the love and support of all of them.

3. I'm thankful for my marriage. We celebrated our anniversary this week... 13 years!!! As my boss said, "What? He's put up with you that long???" Yup. He has. Lucky guy!

What are you thankful for?

Monday, February 2, 2009

Good grief

I didn't look at Google Reader once in the last week... I have over 250 posts to catch up on!!!