I'm 36 today!
In the past, on my
33 and
34 birthdays I've written lists with random information about me. They included the basic info like I'm left-handed, I went to Texas A&M, Fall is my favorite season, blue is my favorite color, I love to travel, etc. I'm having to get more and more random the older I get because my lists are getting longer, and I've already used up my go-to trivia, ha!
Surely I'm not the only one who likes reading these lists. I don't expect people to be waiting in expectation for my birthday each year so they can read this information about me, but I'm fascinated by these lists. I love learning more about my blog friends. Hopefully you don't mind this all-about-me-post and you might even find that we have a lot in common.
Before I start my list, you must know that Mark, Will and Ben are the center of my world.
I love them so very much! I am blessed to have these special guys in my life.
Now, on to my list.
1. Top 5 favorite cities that I've been to:
Seattle, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin.
2. I really like lists. As proven by #1 above where I created a list within a list. Lists help me mentally organize things.
3. I didn't become a coffee drinker until this last year. I was always a hot tea person. So finally at the age of 35, I found out what I'd been missing. I'd always enjoyed the occasional coffee drink from Starbucks, but as far as buying my own coffee and having it at home, I was never interested. I starting drinking coffee at work, and then I bought a Keurig. I'm usually only a one cup a day kind of girl, but I do enjoy it each morning, especially when it's cold outside.
4. I started teaching junior high social studies and Texas History in the 2001-2002 school year. This is the start of my 13th year of teaching. I'm still in the exact same classroom almost 13 years later. I can't imagine doing anything else in the world. I know the teaching profession is not perfect, but it's perfect for me.
5. I'm 5'5", but I have freakishly short legs so that makes me feel shorter. I usually have to have pants and jeans hemmed so they don't drag the floor.
6. I like clothes. I always have liked shopping. That was one of the things that my grandma and I always did to bond. She liked to shop too. She was always willing to take me to the store to find a new dress for church. To this day, I still have clothes that are basically "church clothes" and I have the same mindset when I shop for my boys. I think, "Oh, this would be nice for them to wear to church.". Also, I inherited my thriftiness from my grandma. I hardly ever buy anything that is full-price. Show me a clearance rack and I'm all over it!
7. Mark doesn't have a problem with me shopping. I would never make a purchase that I knew wasn't being responsible with our money. Also, I never hide purchases I make from him. With that said, I sometimes complain to him about other ways we spend our money (the utility bill). I'm by nature not bothered by the heat. Mark is the exact opposite. He has no tolerance for it so he runs the air conditioner at a much cooler temperature than I would. I've been known to sneak by the thermostat and turn it up a few degrees. This just wasn't working for him. He finally broke it down in terms I could understand. He said, "You spend money on clothes, and I spend money on air conditioning." Enough said. I've never messed with the thermostat again. It's a compromise that works for both of us. That's why we have a happy marriage.
8. I have a fear of any creature that scurries--mice and lizards are at the top.
9. If I had to pick 5 restaurants to eat at for the rest of my life, then I'd choose: Chipotle, Grimaldi's Pizza, McAlister's Deli, Chick-fil-A, and TaMolly's (it's Tex-Mex).
10. Our family has been on a frozen yogurt kick for about 3 years. We can't get enough of the tart, frozen goodness! We started out with Pink Berry and then became huge fans of Yumilicious and Sweet Frog. My favorite frozen yogurt toppings are mochi and fresh fruit.
11. I really like being a "boy mom". This summer I embraced America's favorite pastime and learned to love baseball. Mark's always loved baseball and now Will is a huge fan. Now I can watch a game and enjoy it. In the past, my experience at baseball games included people watching and trips to the concession stand and gift shop.
This photo is from the last Rangers game we attended on September 1.
This is the first Rangers game Mark and I attended together in the Spring of 2005.
12. I have gray hair now! I didn't notice it until this year. When it gets worse, I'll definitely be dyeing my hair.
13. In the last couple of years, I've rediscovered my love of reading. I prefer to read on the iPad using the Nook or Kindle app. I love a good classic, but I'm not ashamed to admit that chick lit is my favorite genre. I really like books by Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner, Kristin Hannah, and Elin Hilderbrand.
14. If I could spend the day doing anything I wanted, I'd float in a swimming pool while reading a book.
15. I really don't like surprises. I'm not angry if I'm surprised, but a surprise doesn't make something more special.
16. I don't like suspenseful movies. I have a bad habit of going online and reading the plot synopsis, including the spoilers, of most movies that I watch. It's annoying to my husband, but he loves me despite this flaw, and will still watch movies with me.
17. I have terrible eyesight. I wear contacts and keep my glasses on my nightstand so I can grab them as soon as I wake up.
18. I cry when others cry. I cry when I read emotional books and when I watch sad movies.
19. I'm sentimental.
20. I collect milk glass.
21. I take a lot of photos. I'm sure you're shocked! Since I'm a blogger I know that wasn't a big surprise. I have a routine that I strictly follow before any photos I've taken are deleted. First, I add the photos to my computer and organize them in folders by date. Next, I upload the photos to a website like Shutterfly or Snapfish. Finally, I back up the photos on my external hard drive. Once that is done I will format my SD cards and erase all the old photos. I've been known to get behind almost an entire year because my photo method is so OCD. It usually takes me several days to get it all organized, but so far I haven't lost any precious photos. (Knock on wood!!!)
22. I like to exercise. I started an exercise group/class in August 2012. The workout was at 5a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I love the workouts but the early mornings are rough. I took the summer off so I could stay up late and enjoy time with my family. It's been a challenge to get back in the routine of getting up so early. I'm hoping that I can find the motivation to keep going.
23. My two favorite holidays are Halloween and Christmas. Odd combination.
24. I can remember turning 16 like it was yesterday. My grandpa took me to get my drivers license. I can't believe that was 20 years ago!
25. I don't keep in touch with very many friends from high school. Most of my life-long friends were made in college or after college. Angela at
Unexpected Elegance is one of those special people.
26. Two of my best friends from ETBU are Kelly and Andrea. We constantly keep a group text message convo going. Our discussions are always random--sometimes serious and other times silly. We're all busy, but that little bit of communication is a bright spot in my day.
27. I didn't have a smart phone until May 2011. I don't know how we survived without it. I'm joking!
28. On one of my previous lists, I told you that Claire Elizabeth was our girl name, but since we had boys we didn't use it. Other girl names that were runner-ups included Catherine, Caroline, Anna, Lily, and Olivia.
29. I like to camp, but I'm terrified of wild animals. I once thought I'd want to do backcountry hikes, but the fear of bears, snakes, and other animals has made me realize I'll take the comfort (and safety) of a lodge instead. We're still interested in going to as many National Parks as we can, but I'll stay on the well traveled paths and take in the beauty of nature from a scenic overlook.
I don't think I've ever blogged about our trip to Big Bend National Park that we took Spring Break 2004. Here are a couple of photos from that trip.
30. I've been to 38 states in the United States.
31. I've seen a falling star.
32. I like cats. As a child, I was afraid of dogs. Now that I'm older, I like dogs, but I still prefer cats. When I was little I would dress my kittens up in baby clothes and push them around in a baby carriage. This is true. Those poor kittens. (The story about the kittens in baby clothes is about as random as it gets. Sorry if you've read all this way, and now you think I'm a total weirdo!)
33. Building our future home is closer to being a reality. We've approved the floor plan and the architect is currently working on the exterior elevations. We don't plan to start building for a few more years, but I'm beyond excited to have accomplished this much so far.
34. The only way I can think of describing our future home is that it's a New-Old-Farmhouse. It reminds me of my great-grandmother's house in the country. Just a simple, white farmhouse.
35. If I had to describe where I spend most of my time, it would have to be with family, teaching at school, and activities that involve our church.
36. My faith is really important to me, and I've struggled with how to share it on this blog. Two posts that I've been really proud of sharing are here.
This
post is about sharing the Gospel. This
post is about Bible study.
Thanks for reading and hanging out here! You guys are the best!
