11/30 Things: Pet Peeves

{To know what I'm talking about and to see previous 30 Things, start here}

11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.

1. When I can hear people chew.  Open mouths, chomping, the sound of food squishing as it's being chewed up.  Ugh.. 

2. Wet, loose hair.  In clumps, loose, whatever.  It's gross.

3. Bad drivers.  Those who don't use their blinkers, wait until the last minute to get over when their lane is closing, people who get in front of you just to slow down and turn.  

4. People who expect the world out of you and then do nothing in return.  

5. When people talk whine about things in their lives and then don't want to hear advice of how to fix the problem.

6. Or when people think the world revolves around them.  

7. When someone says "Oh my God"  it pains me.  Or "OMG".  That's just annoying.  Swear words fall into this category too. I just don't want to hear it.

8. When a mess is made RIGHT AFTER I CLEANED THAT VERY SAME ROOM.

9. How there is sexuality everywhere.  Half naked people, sexual suggestions or the way people talk.  Let's have a little more respect for ourselves and each other.  Goodness.

10. When I forget to trim V's nails and she scratches and or pinches me as she nurses.  OUCHIE!!

10/30 Things: Embarrassing Moment

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10. Describe your most embarrassing moment

This one is a little tough.  I actually had to think on this one for a few days to see if I could remember the most embarrassing but all I can come up with is the latest one.

Last Fall there was a bunch of construction on a frequently used and busy street that I used often.  One day on my way home from a store I saw a funeral procession coming the opposite direction of me.  I was raised that you stop out of respect for a funeral procession, by pulling over to the side of the road.  Well, since there was construction, two of the four lanes were closed for repair but I pulled over anyway.  As I was pulled over a construction worker kept waving at me to get moving again.  I thought it'd be rude to go again even though I knew I was stopping a huge line of traffic.  After the funeral procession had ended I went ahead and started going again towards the man waving me on.  I rolled down my window and said "Don't you know that it's out of respect to stop for a funeral procession?" And he replied telling me that it was except for on four lane roads or something to that effect.  I was already having a bad day and that made me so embarrassed and frustrated that I cried home.  I had no idea if I was right in stopping or not on the road that I was on.  I felt horrible that if I wasn't suppose to that I had held up a whole bunch of people on a busy road.  I still feel a little embarrassed and hope that I'm not remembered as the idiot who held up a huge line of traffic on a busy road with construction for a funeral procession.  

Eesh.

9/30 Things: 10 Influential People

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9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

1. Bryan
He has taught me to be more involved in the world and what goes on around us. To care (somewhat) about politics and who's doing what to take care of the people. To be informed. He's also taught me to do research on anything I don't fully understand so that I'm fully informed of what it is that I want to know. (He researches everything and anything all the time!!) He's also taught me to give people the benefit of the doubt. He's very good (sometimes too good) about doing that whereas I am not. But I try!

2. A and V
As these girls have entered my life I have become more relaxed and laid back. I've learned to slow down and appreciate life rather than worry about how clean my house is. Not to say that I DON'T worry about it, just not as much.

3. Cathy {my momma}
She has taught me to kind, gracious, and forgiving to everyone no matter how much or how often they have hurt me.

4. Mel {my grampa}
He showed me what it was like to have a father as mine was absent. He showed me what it was like to see a man love a woman unconditionally. I based what I wanted in a husband on this man.

5. Jan {my gramma}
She showed me Jesus. Not to say the rest of my family didn't, because they sure did. But she taught me songs and Bible verses. She made sure we prayed before each meal and loved on others who didn't have much or anything at all.

6. Jon {my uncle}
He was also my inspiration of what a dad would have been like as well as what I wanted in a husband.

7. Kim {my aunt}
She's always kind of been like a big sister to me. I've always looked up to her. Growing up I loved the way she dressed how she did her hair. I loved how people always loved her so I would try to be like her. Of course now I have come into my own sense of style and attitude but she has definitly helped me become who I am.

8. Jeannie (Conrad) Hefner
She showed me to not care what others think as long as you are living as Christ would have you live. That it's okay to be goofy and crazy and light-hearted because WHO CARES!!? hehe

9. Jenny Kim and Jordan Milliken
These girls both taught me that it's okay to be super smart. They taught me to question the things that are being taught to me and not just accept everything as it is. They taught me to really think about things for what they are and to understand them further. That there is always something to learn.

10. Michael Murphy
This guy taught me what dating actually is and how it's suppose to go. He got it through to me of how it was all suppose to work and because of him I met my now husband and we dated and courted correctly. I'll be sure to teach my own children what he taught me about dating.

Seven Month Old Babe

My baby V is seven months today! Wow oh wow.
Just a few updates on this babette:
I thought she was getting a cold because she had a drippy nose last Thursday the 19th. Turned out she was cutting her first teeth!! On Saturday I could feel the top of the one on her left and then Sunday I felt the top of the one on the right! She was pretty happy considering, that's why I didn't think about her cutting teeth. But they're there! Yay!
She can also sit up fairly well now too. Every now and again she'll fall backwards but not very often. She can, however, go from sitting to on her belly by herself.
She can also scootch backwards! Whoop!!
She also "talks" all the time. Lots of "adadadadadada" and raspberries. That's her new favorite, the raspberries.
She also cocks her head to the side a lot. It's adorable! Ahh.. love her.
And she loves her family. Each of us gets a different response from her. A gets a squeal of delight because she knows it's playtime. Daddy and I both get arms raised for us to pick her up and hold her but she knows daddy means fun time and mommy means snuggle time.
She still clams up around people she doesn't know. She gets very serious and just watches the people as they try to talk to her and get her to smile. But they keep trying!!

Ugh.. I so love this little babe of mine.

8/30 Things: What are 5 passions you have?

{To know what I'm talking about and to see previous posts, start here}



8. What are 5 passions you have?


1. Loving and serving others as Christ would.
Giving to the homeless or those without, helping people who are down on their luck, loving on people who need the encouragement or a just a boost. I love to give especially when I see a need.

2. Being a good wife and momma.
I'm sure others feel this way but I just don't feel like I make the cut. And I'm terrified that I'll screw up my kids! But I'm trying and I keep trying because I love, love, love my family.

3. Art: Photography, drawing, painting, pottery.
Art brings me such joy. When I get the chance to sit down and make a piece of art, I feel accomplished, proud, and like God is working through me to create something beautiful.

4. Becoming organic and natural.
I'm loving becoming a hippy. My hair is starting to feel so much cleaner and free. I no longer wash my face with facewash but with honey and baking soda and it's clearer and less red. I feel healthier when I don't eat grains and sweets. And I'm sure I'll find more to make natural.

5. Organizing and simplifying.
I love an organized house. And since we've put our house on the market and my Aunt, Gramma and Mom came and packed up most of my house for showing it's so much simpler and easier to keep clean! I can't imagine going back to having all that stuff so a lot of it may go once we do finally move. Who knows! But I'm loving this.

7/30 Things: My Dream Job

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7. What is your dream job, and why?

My dream job is to be a photographer. I love photos, capturing precious moments in a beautiful way.
I think I could possibly be good at it but I'm going to need to take classes on how to use my camera. I did take a class in college that used a film camera. I l o v e d how some of them turned out. The black and white photos even made the worst of the photos look good. I really want to do it again someday.
Someday.
Until then I'll just keep at my second dream job.. being a momma.

6/30 Things: Hardest Experience

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6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

When I was thinking about this my first thought went straight to my father. But it was more like that's what my first thought should have been. In truth, that's my life. Yes it's very painful but it's a part of my life, I've never known different. My second thought went to when I was 17ish.
I don't want to get to descriptive or detailed because it was really painful for me as well as for some other people, things have been forgiven, and things have been put in the past where they belong. But to stick with the 3o things, I'll put down a brief overview.
Basically, I chose a boy over my very best friend. And it all went downhill from there.
I was homeschooled so my only friends were in my youth group. So after said boy and I broke up I had no one. Everyone basically sided with him and I had already lost the friends who wouldn't have sided at all. No one would talk to me and the youth minister was new to our youth group, new out of college, and wasn't seasoned enough to know how to deal with this sort of thing.
I feel like I'm making this sound on the light side of things but I can assure you that they weren't. Things were really bad and I was really broken.
I had been going to this youth group my entire Jr. Sr. high career. I had been going to that church since I was ten. After one terrible choice on my part I was now a black sheep. My family decided to leave this church to attend another one just for me.
Things carried on into my freshman year of college. I brought my past, my hurt, with me.
And when my old youth group came to my college for a high school event things came to a boiling point. It got really ugly between me and the youth minister because of something I said. I went back to my dorm room and sobbed for hours. The next morning I was going to drive the two hours back home to be with my mom when he found me. We talked argued for another hour. Things were so misunderstood, feeling so badly bruised, that there was nothing either of us could do or say to fix it.
To put time between us would be the only thing that was left to do.

It's been 10 years. Things are cordial between me and the youth pastor. I think unspoken forgiveness on both of our parts. My best friend and I are reacquainted and I'm very happy to have her back in my life. That was a very incredibly painful time in my life and took me quite some time to cope with it. Years. If I could I'd want to redo the whole thing from start to finish knowing what I know now. But I grew up and learned things because of it. But heaven knows I wouldn't want to go through it again.

5/30 Things: The Happy Five

{To know what I'm talking about and to see previous posts, start here}


5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?


Easy Peasy! Well, maybe..

1. Christ in my life and my ever growing faith in Him.
I know as hard as life can get that He's always there, He always has our back and will provide for us.

2. My sweet Hubby and my Girls.
I cherish my little family.

3. Having Em in my life and having Jeannie back in my life.
There is nothing like a best friend. And I do think there are some people that are suppose to be in your life permanantly.

4. Knowing I'll be closer to my family soon.
It'll be so nice to see my mom and sisters whenever I want. And everyone else for that matter.

5. Organization.
It may sound silly but with us wanting to move, it's essential that everything be organized and in a place where I know I'll find it. It's for my own sanity. Really.

4/30 Things: to my 16 year old self

{To know what I'm talking about and see previous posts, start here}



4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could.


1. Don't be such a Drama Queen.
You will need to learn to chill out and go with the flow of things. Things aren't going to always go your way and that's okay. The world does not revolve around you.

2. Choose the friend over the boy.
I'd like to tell you to do this, and you really ought to but it will change you for the better. Teach you things like how not to put everything into a boy that God did not call for you to be with, how to value precious friendships that don't come around very often, and how you can't trust everyone but those you can you should.

3. Be good to your sisters.
Start now! Courtney will become one of your very best friends. And you and Sarah need to start the healing process now and not later in life. Gramma H told me once that one day your sisters will be all you have. We'll be gone, your momma and Kim and Jon will be gone and they'll be it. They'll be your family and all you have left to depend on from the family that you came from. So cherish them.

4. Love everyone for who they and be everyone's friend.
No attitudes toward anyone. Don't think that you are better than anyone. You're not. Although precious and valued you are not better than anyone, nor are they than you. Love on people because you don't know where they came from. Be everyone's friend because you don't know if you're all they've got at the moment. Love.

5. Stop dating and wait for God to bring him to you.
I wish I could teach you about what I learned about dating when I was 18 and in college. Going out on dates is fine. Meet people, mingle, learn what you like and don't like about guys, but no courting, that's what it's really called, until you are ready to be married.
And, btw, once you know, you really do know. I know you don't get this yet, but you will. And he's really wonderful.

6. Become a runner now.
You'll dream about it later on in life. As well as have hypo-thyroid. Start now because it would be so much easier for me now. :D

7. Make eating healthy an effortless choice now.
Same goes for this one as #6. The hypo-thyroid kicks in a your metabalism shuts off. You'll like eating healthy anyway so just do it.

8. Stay away from scary M.
No really. Stay away. It would just be better if you did.

9. Don't place your worth in others.
Know that you are deeply loved by a God who cherishes you, made you just the way he wanted you to be, and cares for you greatly. You do not need to be approved by anyone else bu you do need to be the best you.

10. Learn to be more gracious, more loving, more forgiving and quickly.
No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, everyone needs to be loved, and to know that you don't hold anything against them. Practice this. Because one day you'll be thankful that others practiced this on you.

3/30 Things: Parents

{To know what I'm talking about and to see previous posts, start here}

3. Describe your relationship with your parents.

Momma
We'll start with my mom because that's much easier. Since it was just her to raise us we all had a unique relationship with her. She was/is always a good mom but she also became our friend. The mom card did always trump the friend card but we never held it against her because we knew she had to do what she had to do.
She's a wonderful mom. I still go to her for advice and counsel. I love calling her for no reason when I have absolutely nothing to talk about so we talk about silly things like food, or my kid jumping on the couch and she won't stop so what do I do?, and our newest craft project.
I try to be like her when parenting my children. Well, a combo of her, my aunt Kimmy, and my gramma all rolled into one. She's always kind but firm to my sassy Miss A so I try to be the same. Doesn't always work but I try.
I love hanging out with her because she's a lot of fun and good company. Whenever we get together we like to go shopping, even if for nothing in particular, because she has good taste. Even if our taste don't mesh I still appreciate hers because it's good and she usually gives me an idea for myself.
I. Love. Her. because she's awesome. And she is more than we could have ever hoped for in a momma.

Him.
It's, unfortunately, non-exsistent. He doesn't want one and made it so after Bryan and I got married. He's made it very clear too. It's sad. I've never known what it's like to have a daddy. Never been able to crawl onto his lap in comfort as a child. Never got to have the relationship that others got to have. I have no idea what it's like. So, sadly, the relationship's not there. I pray for him because otherwise it hurts too much to not to. I pray that one day he'll come around. That one day he'll realize all he has done. And that one day he'll try to make things right.
One day.

2/30 Things: Fears

{To know what I'm talking about and see previous posts, start here}

2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.


First:
I am scared terrified of moths. Even just thinking about this is giving me the heebie jeebies.
When I was in college in Norfolk, we would get these h u g e moths in our dorm room and they'd always fly at our heads. I was freaked that they'd get stuck in my hair or something. I always had to try to catch them under a cup and then I'd hairspray them to death. Super freaky.
I don't mind butterflies and I think that's because they don't fly quickly and straight at my head. They also don't have have huge freaky furry bodies. Yuck.
*shudder*

Second:
I panic at the thought of losing one of my children.
*says prayer now*
I had to watch my grandparents lose my uncle when he was only 17. They hurt for so many years. Praise the Lord he knew Christ and we know we'll see him again. That gives us hope. But still. I now understand how my heart is now my children. I am momma bear when it comes to them. I would fight and even die to keep them safe and protected.
After I had A, my hormones were running wild. I would cry over the idea of not being able to keep her safe every moment of every day. So this went on for about a week and a half for about an hour every night about 5. Well, Bryan was listening to David Crowder's Remedy album and this one song came on. It gave me a peace and hope that it was all going to be okay. And from then on I didn't cry every night at 5 on the dot. God is in control. Praise Him for that because otherwise I might still be crying each night in fear!!

Third:
I fear my hubby will grown tired of me and leave. I watched my father leave my momma and all the reprocutions it had on our family. It was severly painful. For everyone. I have a very good hubby, who's sweet and good to me. He knows this fear and he fights against it. I'm very blessed to have him in my life. Doesn't mean that fear is easily going away but I'm fighting against it too. It's amazing how one person's choice can affect so many people for years to come.

1/30 Things: 20 Random Tidbits

(To know what I'm talking about go here)




1. List 20 random facts about yourself.

1. I've recently discovered that my pinkies are unusually short.  This doesn't mean much except when I wear gloves.  I always thought it was normal for the pinkies to be a bit long on the gloves but it's not! I'm just a weirdo with weird pinkies.
2. A while ago now, my bff and I decided to start running.  But the thing is that I've dreamt about running.  Literally.  I would literally have dreams that I'd be running.  Around the block in different neighborhoods mostly but I'd be running! And well!  So I guess you could say this is a dream come true.. ha!
3. (This next one may be TMI, just warning ya) When I go to the bathroom I have a habit of looking at my nails.  I don't know why.  Maybe to see if I need to trim them.  Hangnails.  I don't know, but I do it every time.
4. I love Jesus.  And I will tell you that I love Jesus if you ask.  And although I can see why people who don't have Jesus see some of the things we do as funny, I'll still do them.  Like when I feel like God is calling me to do something.  They don't understand as we can't expect them to understand but we can love them anyway!  Isn't that what we're called to do??
5. I've only ever had two bff's (for the long run) in my life.  Jeannie and Emily.  I have had short term best friends (and I still love them dearly!) like my college peeps Jonathan, Daniel, Raj, Brittney, and Michael.
6. I'm really quick with math.  My paternal g-pa taught me how to do math quickly in my head that my smarty-pants hubby (love you!!) has to question it because I do it too quick. 
7. I can't sing a cappella because I always change keys!
8. I'm becoming a hippie and I'm loving it!  My hubby is a little weirded out (sometimes) but he loves me anyway because I still shower.  
9. Bryan and I met three times before it finally stuck.  The third time I thought he was weird because he wouldn't stop talking to me!!  But I'm glad he didn't.  
10. Bryan and I also only dated for three months before we knew we wanted to get married but we did a promise ring for another 5 months so we didn't freak our families out.  I was only 19 when he gave me my promise ring for my birthday!
11. I love quoting movies!  Bryan, my sister Courtney, and I will do this all the time and then say "Movie??" The other person/people get bonus points if they name the movie.  Ridicule if they don't and they should have!
12. Having babies has chilled me out.  I've become way more relaxed, go with the flow, chilled kind of person since having kids.  And I sure do love me my babies!
13. I loathe loose hair lying about.  Especially wet loose hair. It grosses me out.  It can even whig me out, give me the heebie jeebies.  So gross.  *shudder*
14. Bryan and I went to Ecuador last year but if feels like 10.  I loved those kids and I would love to visit them again.  (V got to go with us in utero!)
15. I'm a worry-wart but not as much as I used to be.  I used to have a form of OCD with a hint of germaphobia.  I couldn't leave my drink out of my sight, no one could touch or even breathe on my food or silverware, I was afraid of contracting some disease if I touched clothes or items that I didn't know who they belonged to like those from goodwill.
16. I have a tattoo on my hip.  Two hearts.  I want another one.  I want to have a sparrow.  I've wanted one before everyone had them.  When I was pregnant with A I would constantly worry (see #15) about the baby inside of me.  Since I couldn't see her I worried about how she was doing, how she was developing, if she was really a she or if she was a he and the ultrasound just missed it.  So I focused on the verses in Matthew 6:25-27  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"  So, I want to get a sparrow to remind me that God is always watching out for me, for my children.  ..She turned out perfect, btw ;)
17. I went to college initially to study sign language for Deaf Missions.  After struggling with the (hearing) people I worked with as well as my self and my own attitude, I gave it up, deciding it's not what I loved.  I did two years of it but didn't graduate.  I did eventually returned to school for arts.  I took classes in photography, pottery, painting, and art history.  I L-O-V-E-D it.  And I graduated at 5 months pregnant with A.  (She got to walk with me in utero!)
18. I love shoes.  Love them.  Probably because they always fit no matter how I'm feeling that day!
19. Our house in now on the market and I am now realizing that I really do like my house.  It has it's flaws but it's our first home and where both of my babies have been growing up thus far.  It'll be sad to sell it.
20. I never had to really use deodorant until after I had V.  Now I have to be SURE I use it!  Crazy body hormone madness. The stinkiness! haha

30 things

I saw this list on pinterest a few weeks ago and thought it would be fun to try.  One thing for each post. I think you're suppose to do this all in one month, one blog post every day for 30 days but we'll see how I do.  Y'all know taking care of babies isn't for the faint of heart.  That and I don't have my own computer so I have to steal my hubby's every now and again and we all know that that is a challenge of it's own.

1. List 20 random facts about yourself
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe the family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.