25 Things About Me

Just following my brother's lead (I told you I was a Me Too Iguana, didn't I??) and using my Facebook note for a blog post. :)

25 Random Things About Me:

1. I am compulsively honest with my mom and husband. If there's something I plan to not tell them, it's almost guaranteed that I'll tell them anyway. That's why it's such a miracle that I was able to successfully throw a big surprise party for husband's 30th birthday.

2. I played the trombone through grade school and my first year of college, making it into district band and winning a jazz band soloist award. Haven't played since 2000, although I own two trombones.

3. I'm apparently completely predictable - anytime I play Loaded Questions or Imaginiff or any other game that requires people to guess what you'd say or how you think, everyone always automatically pegs me right on. I hope that doesn't mean I'm boring.

4. Playing the piano is one of my best stress-relievers, but I absolutely cannot perform for people (even my family). Unfortunately, we don't have a piano, and I haven't played in years. Maybe that's why I'm so stressed...

5. When I was 8 or 9, my mom and I got into a car accident just minutes after I'd asked her if she'd ever been in an accident before, and she had said no. Someone crossed a double yellow line in front of us. Scary.

6. When I was 6 or 7, I was in my grandma's car with my brothers and a cousin or two, and we were listening to the story of Bambi on tape and hit a deer. (Hm, I must have bad car karma.) We automatically switched the tape to Alice in Wonderland, but one of my cousins mentioned that we'd probably hit a white rabbit (luckily, we didn't).

7. I never had a real honeymoon. We drove from Indiana to SLC in three days. Sigh. [Update: Yeah, we did get to stay at a wonderful B&B, and we did have a lovely time on the three-day drive. We could have taken our time on that drive and/or stayed at nicer places or tried to sightsee a bit, but we didn't. My pity party is over. :) Someday, though, I'd like to travel somewhere with just my husband - a cruise, or Europe, or somewhere. Guess that's what I'm really getting at here.] :)

8. I got married in the Nauvoo temple in Illinois - husband's ancestor had designed the original Nauvoo temple, and my ancestors had helped build it. Husband and I stayed in a bed and breakfast there for a couple nights and had some of the best food I've ever eaten, but I haven't been able to track down the manager (who is no longer at that B&B) to get the recipes.

9. I am learning to cook, slowly branching out and experimenting with recipes and seasonings. This is thanks to husband's family, who seasons things so well, and especially husband's mom, who is an amazing cook. I want to be an amazing cook!

10. I love planning parties and vacations almost more than I enjoy the parties/vacations themselves. I'm working on not being that way.

11. When I was really little, my mom and stepdad were worried I'd grow up to be a stand-up comedian. I was a real ham.

12. I got 1st runner up in the Little Miss Clarkstown pageant when I was 6. Probably because I improvised a ballet dance to Mozart that went on and on (they hadn't realized when they were supposed to stop the tape and I just kept going and going and going).

13. I did NOT only eat Pop-Tarts and hotdogs growing up, as most of my family will tell you. But it's true that I didn't eat much beyond those. (I didn't even like pizza! How is that possible?!?) I'm much less picky these days, but still don't like seafood, cooked mushrooms, or pork (most of the time). But I can stomach any of the three if I have to! :)

14. If I hadn't married my husband, I would very likely be 50-70 lbs heavier than I am. Thank you, husband. Also, I thank The Firm.

15. I am a homebody. I enjoy going out with friends, but have to force myself to do so.

16. I spent almost my entire engagement to husband at a big cat sanctuary in Texas, caring for 66 exotic cats (lions, tigers, cougars, jaguars, etc.). A lot of it was picking up poop (you've never seen/smelled poop like that before), but a lot of it was really amazing. It would have been better if I hadn't been engaged during that, though, because I would have been able to enjoy/absorb it more! I was living my dream.

17. I've also done internships with reptiles and birds. Both have much more personality than you'd think. I would LOVE to own a snake (not sure what kind...maybe a rainbow boa) and a toucan.

18. I can't stand scrapbooking. I've only ever done two pages in my life, and will not do any more. Bless my wonderful husband for hating scrapbooking, as well.

19. I would love to brush up on my Appalachain basket weaving skills (took a course with my sister-in-law my last semester at BYU and made some pretty dang awesome baskets!).

20. I usually complained when my family traveled for vacations growing up - now, I am SO grateful for all the places I got to visit (England, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland), and I'm worried I'll never get to travel again.

21. I would love to have my own little business - that might happen someday when I'm home with our kidlets. The type of business is yet to be determined.

22. One of husband's and my favorite things to do together is read. We've read The Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter series and Twilight series, The Life of Pi, Ender's Game, and The Goose Girl together (maybe more - that's all I could think of currently). Right now we're reading The Last Lecture.

23. Husband and I are possibly the most indecisive couple on the face of the earth. A solution we've found is to trade off Friday date nights - one of us at a time picks everything. Neither of us can decide which turn is better - getting to choose everything or not having to choose anything.

24. I'm slowly ticking off things on my must-do-while-I-still-live-in-Utah list - went skiing, hiked to the summit of Mt. Timpanogos, hiked to the Y, hiked to the Timpanogos caves. We still need to do some trips - Yellowstone, Bryce, Zion's and the Grand Canyon, Shakespeare Festival, Capitol Reef...the list could go on.

25. I credit my success in school with my two older brothers - they were and still are amazing and I'm consistently motivated to keep up with them.