50 Things about Me

Emily Stout inspired me to make a list of 50 things about me to help all you other bloggers get to know me better...so here goes, we'll see if I can actually come up with 50 things:

1. I have only lived in two states: Utah and Wyoming, but I also lived in Eastern Europe, behind the former iron curtain.

2. I served a mission in Lithuania (right above Poland, former Soviet Union, one of the 3 Baltic States). It was an amazing experience. I had major culture shock, but I loved it...not every minute of it, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

3. There are very few foods I wouldn't try...I even tried squid when I was back east in Washington D.C. before my mission...however, I'll never eat it again, because it tastes like flavored rubberbands, yuck! I also don't recommend "meat jello" which I had on my mission, it was nasty!

4. I love movies! There are many that I could watch over and over such as: While Your Were Sleeping, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Ever After, Princess Bride, Runaway Bride....and many more that I won't take time to list. However, I must say I am disappointed in the quality of movies lately...there are so few that are worth the time and money that don't have all the junk!

5. If given the choice between chocolate cake and candy....chocolate cake all the way baby!

6. I'm a country girl too, (Emily)...I never was until I worked at Granny's Drive-In in Heber and that's all they had on the juke-box. Oh the memories of dancing with my mop to "Any Man of Mine" late at night while closing! Then when Jamie and I were dating, most of our dates were to city halls or dance clubs where we would line-dance and swing the night away. We even got good at all the lifts and flips! I would kill to be able to do that again!

7. I love the natural high that comes with running and exercising to music. I feel so energized and like I could conquer the world after I hit the gym!

8. I love to sing and would take voice lessons if it fit into my busy schedule with my kids...maybe when they're all in school or something. I would also play the sax if I had a choice. I would love to be in a jazz band and play big band music someday. The best thing in the world though, is to see how much my kids love music and to sing and dance with them.

9. Wow...I'm only on number 9!!! I don't know if I'll make it to 50, maybe I should have said 20. So, I don't love to cook, but I wish I was more creative. I love it when a new recipe turns out awesome and wows my family.

10. Something that I could do all day is ride our waverunner. I love the feeling of speeding across the water, and knowing that even if I wreck, the worst that will happen is I'll get wet and get some relief from the sun beating down on my back. I love the water...I could lay by the water or swim for days on end. I am a true water baby.

11. I'm with Emily on the emotional battlefield as well. I hate that I cry so often. I wish I could react and deal with things without all the drama.

12. I played soccer and volleyball in high school and miss them both desperately. What I wouldn't give to play even church ball or in a community league even once a week or every 2 weeks!

13. I've traveled a bit in my life, Eastern Europe to Lithuania on my mission is the farthest I've been, and I remember thinking on the plane ride there...what in the world have I gotten myself into! I am leaving everything I'm comfortable and familiar with behind...and I can't turn back, not for a long, long time. But it was the best experience I could have ever had. I came home appreciating everything about my life way more: the church, the gospel, my home, all the luxuries we have, clean cities, and much more.

14. I've been to California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Ohio, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Hawaii...I think that's it. Aside from that just the airports in Denmark, England, Minnesota, and Illinois...although that probably doesn't count.

15. I love to hike and bike and camp and be out in the great outdoors. Jamie and I went on a lot of hikes and biking trips when we were dating too. One trip that sticks out in my mind is one that both our parents were worried about, as I guess they well should have been. We went to a Bluegrass Festival with some friends who were sponsoring and running the whole thing and they asked us to help. We took two tents, and even set up two tents...but we only ended up using one tent, wink wink...although it turned out that we only talked and cuddled into the night...so our parents didn't really have to worry ;)

16. I am definitely only doing 20 things...this is harder than I thought it would be. How did you come up with 50 Emily? I didn't really care much for high school, although working fast food and playing sports kept me pretty busy. I got good grades and enjoyed reading and writing stories, and was pretty good at math, but all the drama with clicks and popularity contests just really drove me crazy!

17. I hate to be tickled, in fact I am no longer ticklish. I have learned to control it because my dad and grandpa and uncles made me hate it and the aversion to it makes me no longer ticklish.

18. I tripped into a cement wall when I was 7 while racing my cousin to the front door of his house and as a result had to have plastic surgery on my lip when I was 17 years old. It was my graduation present...oh how exciting.

19. I have only been to Disneyland once, and it was the day after my cement wall incident, so as you can imagine, it was a bit miserable for me.

20. I love to dance, but rarely get the chance to do it, other than with my kids with the music jacked up in my house...my moves are really pretty awesome, at least to my kids...but probably a bit scary, or more acurately dorky to anyone else, but we sure have fun.

I could probably come up with some more 1 liners, but I'll call this good for now. There you have it, 20 things, not 50 about me. Sorry to disappoint you Emily.

Ok, ok Emily you win...I'll try a few more and see if I get to 50.

21. I love puppies, but hate slobber, so I'm not the one to play with them a lot, that's Jamie's job. I do like a good game of fetch with our dog Tex, and I love to see him catch a stick or bottle and hop like a deer to get his toys.

22. I detest cats...not only am I allergic to them, but I just hate how they rub your leg and expect to be spoiled. Bummer for Jamie because he grew up with them, and loves them. He still thinks that our kids will eventually talk me into getting one.

23.I love to ride horses but have never had one of my own. My sister and I babysat for a lady in exchange for the chance to clean,comb and then ride her horses. The ironic thing is that Jamie had horses growing up, but he didn't care for them. He would much rather have had four-wheelers, which is still on his wish list.

24. Maybe if I wasn't so long-winded, this wouldn't be as hard. I've only been pulled over 4 times in 14 years of driving, but I got a ticket every single time. My first one I was a basket case because it was the first time I had driven in several months after leaving home for college, and it was my dad's car...I was sure he was going to kill me.

25. I love downhill skiing, but I haven't had the opportunity to go in about 9 years...probably mostly because its ridiculously expensive!

26. I wish I could get rid of 80% of the junk in my house so I could have everything organized like I want it...but really, who has time for that kind of purging?

27. I used to hate speaking in public, but my mission cured me of that...I still don't love it or ask to do it, but I'm no longer terrified of it. I think speaking in a Lithuanian sacrament meeting completely in Lithuanian for a 20 minute assignment...then singing solo for the Easter program officially cured me of my stage fright!

28. I shattered my wrist on the easiest hill at Brianhead in southern Utah while on my second time ever snowboarding. I was with my roommate and a bunch of cute guys, one of whom I had a huge crush on...and I fell while getting off the lift (a teenage kid totally cut me off and steered me into a snowbank, and I tried to catch myself with my left arm)...yikes what a dork...very embarassing. Thank goodness it was my left wrist though, because finals were the next week and I am right-handed.

29. I love any kind of competition...sports or games. I love to win...but mostly I just love a rowdy bunch of people laughing and enjoying some healthy competition. My family has always loved playing games together.

30. My favorite candy is Reeses' cups. My kids know them as treats...whenever we get a treat at the store, my kids know I'm gonna reach for the orange wrapper.

31. I love french fries and fry sauce too Emily, but my butt and thighs don't think much of them :)

32. I hit a parked car in Smith's parking lot when I was 8 months pregnant...needless to say it was a very emotional experience...and one my husband should have been way more sensitive about....don't mess with a pregnant lady's hormones!

33. Housework is therapy to me...I'm a little OCD about clutter. My mom used to call me "work-a-Holly" and I was her best worker all growing up. I still can't concentrate or sit still when my house is a mess. I have a hard time napping, even when I'm really tired, because I just lay there thinking of all the things I could be getting done if I was up.

34. This may sound cheasy and bit self-righteous...but if I won the lottery I would sponsor a women's shelter or go to a third world country and devote some time to a poor village or two. That has always been a dream of mine. Maybe that dream will be fulfilled someday if Jamie and I get the opportunity to serve a mission together. I just feel like I have been so spoiled, and I have no idea what it's like to be without food or shelter or the basic necessities of survival.

35. That's not to say that I wouldn't love to buy new clothes or finish my basement or decorate my house...but really, if I had a lot of cash...I hope I would share some too.

36. I only take long showers when Jamie's home (because I know I can when my kids are under his supervision), so he thinks that I always take forever to get ready...most days I'm lucky to even get a shower, let alone pamper or primp for any amount of time.

37. I hate shopping...my idea of a good shopping trip is to know exactly what I will buy when I get to the store, go in, grab it and leave! I hated the hours and hours at the mall with all my sisters and mom--I would literally collapse on the floor of the millionth store we went into and whine about when we got to go home. Once in a while I like to browse for decorating ideas... but I'm usually pretty grumpy if I don't get to take at least one or two things home with me...I'm definitely not a window shopper, I want it NOW! :)

38. I have the sweetest, most adorable kids on the planet! Look out world, when I become a grandma...I will be a horrible bragger!

39. This is taking forever...I don't think anyone besides Emily will actually read this entire entry...so this is for you Emily! I am definitely long winded...there is nothing brief about any of my stories or conversations!

40.I'm a sucker for Chick Flicks. There that was short.

41. I love the rain, the smell,the humidity...going on a walk or run right after it rains is heaven.

42. I love to fly. I would travel all over the world and see all the sights if money and time permitted. Maybe someday I'll convince Jamie to go with me.

43. I've always wanted to try scuba diving and/or sky diving...but having kids gives you a new perspective I think...both are quite dangerous...but I've always loved a rush.

44. I used to go cliff jumping at Lake Powell with my cousins who own a houseboat down there...I think the highest one I went off was about 35 feet. I didn't have a death wish like my brothers who went off closer to 75 feet. I don't think I'd jump from higher than 10 or 15 feet now...I've really become a wuss.

45. I love to dress up and go to a symphony or the opera....not necessarily only for the show, but just to feel like there's a purpose to really get really "fancy" (as my kids would say).

46. I'm boring everyone, but it's fun to reminisce a bit. I once got off on the wrong stop on the Metro in Washington D.C. and felt like I stepped into an actual ghetto. I was sure my friend and I were going to die. Luckily, a well-dressed business man came and took my arm and escorted us back on the train and said, "don't you dare get off for another 3 stops".

47. I've only gone skinny-dipping once in my life, and it was with my Auzzie friend Daynia in Hawaii. We swam about 50 yards out to a private beach...hope nobody had binoculars!

48. I know several "Wiggles" songs by heart because my kids love them.

49. I love to see my kids sing primary songs. They are so close to the Spirit and I learn so much from them.

50. I made it Emily, aren't you so proud of me! I'm gonna cheat like you did and just be proud of myself for getting this far.