5 things tag

I was tagged by Ashlee to list 5 Joys, 5 Fears, 5 obsessions/collections, and 5 surprising facts, and tag 5 people.

Joys
1. Hanging out with W.
2. Photography.
3. Family.
4. Vacations.
5. School (this is both a joy and a frustration right now).

Fears
1. W dying.
2. Getting in a car accident. I am really freaked out about this.
3. People seeing my house a mess (Ashlee had this as one of her answers and I had to keep it. I have actually had nightmares where people show up and my house is a complete disaster. Apparently it stresses me out.)
4. Break in.
5. Family dying.

Obsessions/Collections
1. Organizing stuff for my scrapbook room (from thrift stores / garage sales).
2. Before I can go to sleep I have to wash my face, take off my eye makeup, brush my teeth, and floss. I call this my "routine."
3. Computer - reading blogs, emailing, posting on my blog.
4. Getting into the Advanced Standing Master's program. I guess I'm not obsessed but I think about it a lot.
5. Making sure my hands are clean before I eat, whether it be with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

Surprising Facts
1. I once flashed an entire gym full of my peers, including the guy I had a crush on, with my blue underwear. I had just slipped while dancing with him and was in a kneeling position with my dress and slip over my head at a Stake youth dance. Nice.
2. I don't like meat very much. I rarely eat it and hate preparing it (but I do it anyway for W). I do, however, like fresh fish and occasionally pork (depending on how it's prepared). I know, weird.
3. Swing dancing was one of my favorite things to do in my earlier college days. I went at least once a week, usually more, and even enjoyed performing in front of people. Lindy Hop was my favorite.
4. I really don't like playing volley ball.
5. My autograph was requested before I was born. It's a long story, but it is in fact true. I still have the letter, along with a picture of the man who requested it.

Now I tag Jaimie Shaver, Stacey, Mamie, Britney, and Meagan.

the memory game

I have seen a few people do this and have been meaning to post it here on my blog.

.................................................................

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is the most memorable for you.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you.

..................................................................

I have lots of stuff to post about...will be back soon with some fun pictures to share.

a little marriage tag

Mandy tagged me. There were a few more questions but they were ones I answered in a different tag recently (for those I tag, you can go to her blog and see the full list of questions if you want).

How long have you and your husband been together? Kind of a complicated question...we've known each other for for 11 years, dated a little in 1999...but we've really been together since 2002 so that would be six years, and married for four.
Who eats more? He does.
Who said I love you first? He did. I was trying my best not to fall in love with him, resisting the thought at every turn. I was pretty much scared to get married. After he said it, I was finally able to admit that I felt the same way.
Who pays the bills? I pay the ones we mail out and he pays a few online.
Who cooks dinner? I usually do but occasionally he cooks out on the grill for dinner, especially in the Summer.
Who is more stubborn? That would be me but sometimes he gives me a run for my money, so to speak.
Who kissed who first? He initiated it but I was hoping he would so it was pretty mutual.
Who is more sensitive? I am; I cry at movies and stuff like that, but we are both sensitive people.
Who wears the pants? We both do in different ways.

And now I tag Lindsey, Jamie, Melanie, Crystal, and Chanthoeun.

disney princess quiz

Okay, kind of silly but I decided to join in. I've seen this on a few friends' blogs. This message actually is quite amusing to me as I've been struggling a little with patience this week and wanting to jump ahead to the next phase of my life.

You Are Cinderella!

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

a fun little tag

My friend Jaimie tagged me a while ago and I've been meaning to get to it. I think this is a really fun one. I use this blog for a type of journal as well as a way to keep in touch with friends, and I think this entry will be fun to look back on.
What were you doing 10 years ago?In May of 1998 I was eighteen years old. I had just come back home to AZ from Minnesota, where I had been nannying for nine months. I was sad to leave but also so happy to be back with my friends - we hung out all hours of the night and I slept in until at least 11 every day until I eventually got a job at a doctor's office. My two best friends told me about a month before that they were both engaged (within days of each other). I was pretty crazy about a boy I had previously been "just friends" with and he pretty much consumed my thoughts day and night. One of my best guy friends actually got set apart for his mission ten years ago from tonight and I was there to watch (I've been consulting my journal - I didn't just know that off the top of my head). I was looking forward to starting my first college classes at the nearby community college. Spending time on the Arizona Temple grounds was a big part of my life. Basically, ten years ago my life revolved around my friends (most of them being guys). It was relatively care-free and very happy.
What were you doing five years ago? May of 2003...I was engaged to W. I was feeling marriage anxiety (many of you who read this know that I had a lot of anxiety about marriage, not W, and that I had to work through that before I could get married. This was part of that difficult time). Five years ago from today Elizabeth Smart was found. I was living in Utah, working in SLC, and this was huge news there.
What were you doing five months ago?
December 2007...not too much has changed since then. Still going to school, but further along in my program.
5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Go to aerobics
2. Set up a Dr. appointment for W for his foot.
3. Prep for class presentation.
4. Straighten up the house.
5. Call newspaper and change to Sunday paper only.
5 snacks I enjoy:

1. avocado on toast with lemon pepper and a little salt.
2. chocolate covered granola bars
3. popcorn
4. salad (especially with avocado in it and Light House Bleu Cheese Dressing)
5. sugar snap peas
5 things I would do if i became a billionaire:
1. Donate a lot of money to various charities. Seriously, I think we have a lot of our priorities mixed up in our country and I really want to help to change that.
2. Give some to a certain friend of mine who is struggling through school as a single mom.
3. Take W to Australia and have him take me to Russia.
4. Go to Ireland (this has been a dream of mine for many years).
5. Pay off our houses.
5 bad habits:
1. Going to bed late, getting up late.
2. Spending a lot of time on the computer.
3. Running late.
4. Letting my scrapbook room fall apart while I'm in school.
5. I have a difficult time saying no to people, which has caused a lot of stress in my life.
5 places I've lived:
1. Blacksburg, VA
2. SLC, UT
3. Sydney, NSW, Australia
4. Rexburg, ID
5. Minneapolis, MN
5 things people don't know about me:
At least some of you know some of this, but I'll type it out anyway.
1. I have 64 journals.
2. I almost died in a plane crash when my mom was five months pregnant with me.
3. My first kiss was when I was 15.
4. W and I were engaged three times on account of my aforementioned marriage anxiety.
5. I have attended seven different colleges/universities and I am still working on my Bachelor's degree. Sad, but true. (Moral of the story - don't play the transfer game if at all possible.)
5 people I am tagging:
1. Crystal
2. Mamie
3. Marci
4. Lindsey
5. Krystell

PS Andrea, I would love, love, love to read your take on this on your blog but I know you are super busy with moving. If you have a minute, indulge me.

tagged

I forgot that I was tagged a while ago by Michele.

4 jobs I've had:
1. Administrative Assistant at a bank
2. Little Caesar's delivery driver
3. Nanny in Minnesota
4. Adoption Secretary

4 movies I've seen:
1. Star Dust (I liked it, W thought it was a a little too cheesy at the end)
2. Dan in Real Life
3. Mansfield Park (based on a Jane Austen novel - just saw it the other night)
4. Across the Universe

4 places I've been:
1. Australia
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Williamsburg, VA

4 places I've lived:
1. Rexburg, ID
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Mesa, AZ

4 tv programs I watch:
1. LOST
2. The Office
3. Friends (love the re-runs)
4. Sometimes we DVR Everybody Loves Raymond and I watch that from time to time.

4 radioshows:
1. Star 101.5 (I love the Jon Tesh radio show in the evenings)
2. KMPS (country)
3. The End 107.7 (but I turn it off when the djs are talking because they can get crass)
4. And whatever the oldies station is (I have it preset - don't remember. I love it for Beatles Wednesdays)

4 favorite foods:
1. Avocados
2. This sandwich
3. Breakfast at Sunbreak Cafe
4. Salmon at Anthony's
(I could go on and on...)

4 places I'd rather be:
1. In Arizona (I miss the warm weather)
2. Shopping (clothes, thrift stores, consignment, scrapbook stuff...)
3. Hanging out with my family
4. Hawaii (never been)

4 people I'm tagging:
1. Crystal
2. Becky Householder
3. Aleisa
4. Jaimie Shaver

tagged

I made cupcakes today. I pretty much read from the book The Pursuit of Happyness all day and needed something to break it up. I'm reading it for a class but if I wasn't I don't think I would finish it. I loved the movie but the book is very different from the movie.
So I should be in bed but W is working late and I'm waiting up for him. I was tagged recently by my friend Marci so here goes:

Donuts or bagels? Bagels

Rice or noodles? Noodles

Soup or salad? Tough choice but I'll go with salad (but not with iceberg lettuce).

Mexican or Italian? Mexican

Purse or shoes? Hmm...shoes.

Morning or night? Night. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a morning person.

Summer or winter? Summer

Candy or chocolate? Chocolate

Going out or staying in? Going out is fun but I love watching one of our favorite TV shows on the couch with takeout. I can wear my pjs and be more comfortable.

Laundry or dishes? Laundry.

Skirt or dress? Love both but I'll go with dresses. I love finding a cute, modest dress. They're so fun.

Flip flops or tennis shoes? Flip flops. Wish I could wear them year round here like I could in Arizona.

Hot chocolate or chocolate milk? Hot chocolate.

Water or juice? Water. I pretty much only drink water. It is my beverage of choice.

Tv shows or movies? TV shows because I like that there's more time for character development.

Cats or dogs? Cats. Love our boys.

Diet or regular soda? I don't drink soda. I honestly don't like it.

Cake or pie? Depends, but nothing beats my mom's lemon meringue pie.

Hair up or down? Up on most days.

Mountains or beach? Beach, but I don't like going in in the water as much as just enjoying the atmosphere.

Pink or blue? Blue.

Drama or comedy? Comedy.

Hamburger or hotdog? Neither.

McDonald’s or Burger King? Neither. I really don't like fast food unless it's a place like Chipotle or a sandwich place like Quiznos.

Football or baseball? Baseball

Epidural or natural? I don't have any kids but plan to go for the epidural when I do.

Carebears or my little ponies? I liked both as a kid. My carebear's name was Sunshine.

Cd or radio? Cds. I really don't like commercials.

Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Umm, I liked both as a little girl. Maybe Sleeping Beauty a bit more.

Okay, this was just a silly little questionnaire but it's kind of fun. So now I'm tagging Jamie Stringham, Crystal, Shannon, and Melanie.

more than you ever wanted to know about me

My friend Crystal sent this to me in email form and I was supposed to respond and email it back to her and others. I've done similar email type things in the past, so I thought I would post this one here on my blog (minus a few things that might not be safe to post for any random person to read. I took out #6 after finishing everything and didn't want to retype all of the numbers.) So there is a lot of random, likely boring stuff to follow. I won't be offended it you would rather do anything else with your time.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds, but I love both.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Transformers and Hairspray on the same night at the dollar theater a few months ago...it's been a while.

4. What is your favorite TV show(s)? The Office, Heroes, Friends (I never saw all of the episodes when they were originally aired so I'm loving the reruns)to name a few... and even though it has been canceled, I have to list Gilmore Girls because I think it's my all-time favorite.

5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? An everything bagel with butter and garlic powder on it because our cream cheese is reserved for a meal I'm making.

7. What is your favorite cuisine? It's such a tough choice, but I'll go with Thai.

8. What foods do you dislike? Ground meat of any kind and mussels come to mind pretty quickly.

9. Favorite chips? These are pretty good.

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I don't really listen to cds much anymore, but today I came across one that I loved years ago and I am remembering why. It is Hear My Praise by Kenneth Cope. Such a beautiful cd.

11. What kind of car do you drive? We have two but lately I have been driving our Ranger. I love it.

12. What is your favorite sandwich? Bagel veggie sandwich.

13. What characteristics do you despise? I hate it when someone is rude to a person behind his/her back but nice to the person's face. Basically being fake.

14. What are your favorite clothes? I love wearing pjs when I have days off from school. When I am just hanging out at home doing homework I don't see a reason to get all dressed up. I am all about comfort! But in public, I like jeans, a long sleeved shirt (this time of year) and comfortable shoes. Again, comfort wins over anything cute and flimsy.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on Vacation where would it be? I will say Russia because that is a goal of ours but I would also like to go back to Australia. I am craving so many foods there. Rough, I tell you.

16. Favorite brand of clothing? Ideally, American Eagle. But I will settle for Old Navy to get three times the stuff for the same price.

17. Where would you want to retire? Arizona

18. Favorite time of day? It sounds cheesy, but I love it when W comes home and we can hang out.

19. What is your favorite sport to watch? Does dancing count? No? Okay, baseball then.

20. Pepsi or Coke? Neither. I don't like soda at all, actually.

21. Are you a morning person or a night person? I am such a night person. I love to stay up late and sleep in.

22. Pedicure or manicure? I would take either.

23. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I got all As last quarter in school. Yay!

24. What did you want to be when you were little? I wanted to be "a Veterinarian and live in Virginia." That's what I told everyone. Funny how things change drastically.

25. What is your best childhood memory? So many good ones. My family would often go to "the bike track" and ride our bikes or "the caboose park" and play. Basically spending time with family.

26. Piercing? Just one in each ear.

27. Ever been to Africa? No.

28. Ever been toilet papering? Too many times to count.

29. Favorite day of the week? Saturday. Usually sleep in, hang-out with W, get stuff done. It's a good day.

30. Favorite restaurant? There are so many good ones, but right now I am craving a salad from La Grand Orange. The Sonoma Garden Salad on their menu that I linked you to. My stomach just growled when I read the description, no joke. Too bad it is in Arizona.

31. Favorite Flower? Gerber Daisies.

32. Favorite ice cream? Dryer's Peppermint is one favorite. (I'm noticing a pattern of indecisiveness...)

33. Favorite fast food restaurant? Chipotle.

34. How many times did you fail your drivers test? None.

35. From whom did you get your last email? Becky

36. In which stores would you choose to max out your Credit card? Treasury of Memories, American Eagle, Pottery Barn, Target, and Home Depot, among others.

37. Bedtime? It is rarely earlier than 12.

38. Last person you went to dinner with? If breakfast counts, it was Josh and Laurel last Saturday morning. Dinner would be Jon and Christa.

39. What are you listening to right now? Hear My Praise.

40. What is your favorite color? Green


I will leave you with pictures of the boys. I was sitting here typing away and Squeak was laying next to me on my desk. Then I looked up and Kitty had taken his place. I hadn't even noticed. When I

turned to see what Squeak was up to, this is what I saw. He cracks me up. The other picture is of the two of them, Squeak on my scanner and Kitty right next to me on my desk. They're my blogging buddies.


PS Feel free to put this on your blog so I can read random things about you.

random things

Another tag! I was tagged by Elizabeth to list seven random things about me.
1. I have 64 journals. I started keeping a journal when I was eight and haven't stopped. It's fun to look back and "read myself."
2. I was a nanny in Minnesota for nine months after I graduated from high school.
3. Most of my life I thought that if I kept the car running while filling up my gas tank the car would explode. I know now this is not the case, but still usually turn the car off anyway.
4. I hate morning breath so much that even if I wake up in the night for a few minutes, I usually go and brush my teeth before I am able to fall back asleep.
5. I have never seen all of Star Wars all the way through.
6. I really don't like ground meat of any kind. Not a fan.
7. I have lived in six states and two countries.

I am tagging Chanthoeun, Josh and Laurel, Crystal, Mamie, Kim, Tami, Andrea, Becky, Marci, and Kamarah (and anyone else who wants to play along).