a list of sixteen

At long last, I am responding to being tagged by my friend Allison.
So, here goes...if I can think of 16 random things about me...

1. I am not a morning person. It takes me a good hour plus at least 2 cups of coffee to break through the stupor that I awake in each morning. To prove it, while typing this I typed "coughy" first instead of "coffee". Maybe it's because I was kept awake by a coughing child last night?

2. The summer after Jamie and I married we traveled to Israel and Egypt. It was an amazing, life changing trip. I would love to take our boys there one day when and if things are more peaceful.

3. I got beat out of the Homecoming Queen title by my dear friend Ginny in our senior year of high school. Our friend Jared loves to kid us about this and pit us against each other :) She is WAY cooler than me so it was no surprise. I was just happy to be standing up there with her sporting Amanda's green bedazzled formal gown. I'll have to see if I can't locate a picture of that...

4. I have known my husband longer than I haven't known him. I met him when I was 15, went on my first "car date" with him after I turned 16. We broke up and got back together many, many times during which we both dated other people off and on. But, alas, I never got over the guy and he finally came to his senses in September of 1998 and told me he wanted to marry me. We got engaged in Jan of 99 and married 11 months later. He is still my best friend.

5. I am a fiercely loyal person.

6. I am nostalgic and emotional to a fault. God bless the 4 men I live with.

7. I get really excited about Nutrition. I took a few nutrition classes in college that were required for my major and I've been hooked ever since. Also, the friend who tagged me was a nutrition major and has spurred me on in many ways. I'm not a Nazi about it and I don't judge people who take their kids to McDonald's twice a week! I want to avoid raising children who think certain foods and drinks are taboo and therefore binge on what they missed on early in life. My kids eat sugar and lots of it and drink soft drinks. But not every day. I just get really excited about giving them a healthy start to life by avoiding processed unnatural foods and helping them fight off disease. Antioxidants, Polyphenols, and Whole Grains are our friends :)

8. I get really excited about little things. I get really excited for people. I will be your personal cheerleader.

9. In somewhat of a contrast to the above, I am a complainer. Ask my husband. I really need to work on that.

10. A few random things I detest: doing the Laundry, Reptiles, Alarm Clocks, Frogs, T.V. crime dramas (there is enough evil in the world as it is, why watch shows about it? But that's just me.), Change, inadequate space for the aforementioned Laundry that is overtaking my home.

11. I love anything involving the arts. At some point, I've tried them all. Almost. Dance? check.
Photography? check. Calligraphy? check. Music? check.

12. Once when I was little, while vacationing in Georgia, we visited an old General Store. There were barrels of bulk items for sale, such as candy, drinks, and apparently the ultimate temptation to my young self, dried beans. Before leaving with my parents, I couldn't resist and grabbed a handful of dried beans (not candy mind you) and stuffed them into my pocket.
I was quickly found out by my parents as I was getting back into the car. What gave it away I wonder? My bulging pocket? The trail of beans between our car and the entrance to the store?
What a shameful day having to walk back in and confess my sin.

13. Also, while young, I had a minor obsession with the Country Western star, Crystal Gail (Gale?) and would answer the phone as if I were her. Did I mention my Dad is from Texas? If I were going to aspire to be something back then, it would have been a country star or a cowgirl. Funny how things have changed.

14. I have little to no will power.

15. I am a procrastinator.

16. And possibly the most random thing on this list, while trying to come up with a name for our youngest sweet little boy, we searched our ancestries looking for family names we might consider. I found out my mother's father's side of the family is directly descended from Geoffrey Chaucer. pretty cool.