Ten Things About Me

Since only a handful of you know me personally, and the rest of you lovely folks only know me by way of technology, I thought I would take a moment and tell you a few things about myself, so we can become better acquainted. So here are ten things you may or may not know about me.

1. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. When I was five years old at my first ever church camp, I asked Jesus into my heart, and I have never looked back. Through many people and events, my walk with Him has deepened over the years, and I have a very sweet, special love affair with my Creator.

2. I am married to the man of my dreams, Brient. He is in no way perfect, and there are many days I tell him such. But I cannot imagine spending this life on Earth with anyone else.

3. My four children are my favorite kids ever. They are my delight and my joy, though, at times, they are my biggest trial and aggravation. But I am so thrilled that God thought enough of me to give these kids to Brient and I to care for while they walk this journey of life.

4. My favorite afternoon snack (and morning snack, for that matter) is chai tea. Chai is the perfect blend of spices, and not all brands have the blend quite the same. The ones with black pepper and star anise are definitely superior to the rest, as they add just the right amount of "bite" to your cup. My favorite brands are Celestial Seasonings, Tazo, and Full Circle organic. So if any of you would like to send me a box, I will be more than happy to send you my address so you can ship it!

5. I am a recovering coffee-a-holic. Last January, I knew God was telling me to give up anything that was an addiction for me, and that pointed straight to the four to six cups of coffee each day that I was drinking. In truth, I feel like an alcoholic (or at least what I have heard they feel like), in that, every time I smell coffee, I still crave a cup. And even though people tell me it's OK to drink it in moderation, I know in my heart of hearts, if I ever take another sip of coffee, I will be addicted to it again. Once I start, I won't be able to stop. And I refuse to let any addictions rule over me!

6. I am 4' 10 1/2" tall. That has bothered me my entire life, because you would not believe how many people felt it was their job to make names for me regarding my height and pick on me throughout school. To this day, I have people come straight up to me and say, "Wow, you're short!" Duh! And it is amazing the number of people who will come and prop their arm on top of my head just to make a point of how tall they are and that I'm not. When I take my kids to town for groceries, the cashier nearly always tells me, "Well I thought you were one of the kids!" I HATE THAT!! But a few weeks ago, Brient said something to me that just really made it all come together. One Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for church (we teach children's church), he said, "You know, God made you exactly like you were supposed to be. He made you short for a reason. Because of your size, you connect with these kids at church. They love you. You were meant to teach them. God made you to teach kids from the beginning." The more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. Had God made me any different, I would not have the same connection I do with kids. Because I am the same size as them, they can look me straight in the eyes and talk to me. I don't tower over them. They feel safe talking to me because I'm on their level. So, even though I still HATE the short jokes and comments, I have finally come to understand that God made no mistake when He created me the height that I am. It was all part of his perfect plan.

7. My favorite colors are blue, yellow, and green. Blue reminds me of the sky. Yellow represents the bright sun. And green is the color of the grass, trees, and plants. My favorite place to be is outside where those colors are all around me.

8. My dream job is to be a taste tester at the Blue Bunny ice cream factory! I've always wanted to do that ever since I saw the commercial of that woman chopping the bucket in half to ensure there were ripples of chocolate all the way through. My next dream job would be to work with Ms. Betty B., our favorite librarian! She is so much fun, and I would just love to hang out with her and laugh and play all day long! But the truth of it is, I don't really ever want another job outside of my home, because I hate working on someone else's time schedule. If it is beautiful outside, I want the freedom to get out and enjoy it, rather than being stuck inside doing work inside of walls.

9. I am a gypsy at heart. I could move every 2 years, and I would LOVE it! I don't think I would ever get tired of the excitement. But alas, the fact that I married a man who has absolutely no desire to move around the world exploring and looking for adventure, and the fact that such a lifestyle would cost way more money that I have, I am stuck in the same town I grew up in, and I will probably be here until the day I die. ~sigh~

10. My least favorite way to spend my time is cleaning house. Several years ago, I looked at the household jobs that I was doing, and I cut out everything but what was absolutely necessary. Since I homeschool my kids, there is only so much time I have to do everything in my house, and I would much rather spend that time learning with them! So every few weeks, I take a day or two and go over the whole house to ensure that it is clean again. But after that, we go back to living and enjoying our time together, and we don't focus on a spotless house. Besides, you can't keep an entirely clean house with a two year old. So the point here is, if you want to come to my house, either call first so the kids and I can make a path for you to get in, or be sure to come right after my heavy cleaning day! And be encouraged! Your house WILL survive if it is not mopped! Trust me on this one!

So now you know a little more about me. Leave me a comment and tell me one thing I do not know about you. I would love to know a little more about each of you who read my blog! You are all very special to me!