100 things about me

I got this idea from my sister-in-law Lindsay's blog http://knowwhatimeanandeverything.blogspot.com/ -thanks! and thought it was fun. So while I was trying to get through a tough day at work talking to crazy people , I made my list!

1-I love exclamation points!!!
2-Purple is favorite color.
3- I love music-especially piano music.
4-Bandon, Oregon is my favorite vacation spot!
5-I go to bed early-like 9ish-if I am lucky.
6-I love HOT FUDGE!!
7-I love colorful ink pens.
8-I like getting all dressed up.
9-My toenails are almost always painted.
10-I am not patient....surprise I'm sure!
11-Mary Engelbreit is my favorite artist!
12-I used to like to talk on the phone til I started working at Discover Card.
13-I love everything crafty!
14-I minored in photography in college.
15-My Uncle Bil called me his Busy Bee casue he said I was always buzzing around and being busy!
16-I love getting mail-email or snail mail.
17-My favorite cold cereal is Cocoa Pebbles.
18-My big rebellion was my 1st weekend I was at BYU I got a second ear ring because my Mom said,"You can not get another hole while you are living under my roof." So I figured I was not under her roof-even though they were paying for the dorm-so I did it and thought she would not notice. When we went home for Christmas break, I gave Mom a hug and she noticed...how did she know?
19-I love to dance.
20-Even though I don't have an accent, I am still a southern girl!
21- In 1st grade I made C's in handwriting.
22-I got my first perm in 4th grade.
23-When I get sad, I like to shop-then I am sad I spent money that I should not have.
24-I love to make lists and check things off!
25-My dream job is to be a stay at home Mom!
26-I like things to be fair.
27-I took 2 years of ASL at BYU.
28-I played the saxophone in 6th grade.
29-I love shoes, especially flip flops.
30-My first job was at Piggly Wiggly and I did not even apply. It was a small store and there was usually not a bagger, so when we shopped there I would bag the groceries to speed it along-refer back to 10-and one say the manager said they needed a new cashier and wanted to know if I could start the next day! So I got my first job in a pair of cut off jeans and a t-shirt.
31-My Mom & Dad were going to name me Natalie because I was due at Christmas. When my Mom saw me, she said I looked like a Jill and that is how I got my name.
32-I did not declare a major until I was a Junior in college.
33-I love the smell of rain.
34-I am addicted to vinyl letters.
35-I was a huge NKOTB fan, and Joey Joe was my NKOTB boyfriend.
36-I <3 peeps!
37-I bought my cherry dinner dishes when I was in the 10th grade with the money I won from the Alabama Stake Beef Cook off. I won the essay contest, my beef stir fry did not win.
38-I have not jumped double dutch in over 2 decades, but I remember loving it!
39-I don't like to loose.
40-I love maraschino cherries.
41-I love watching our wedding video.
42-I love fruit and it is hard to choose a favorite-peaches, grapes, strawberries, or is it fresh pineapple?
43-My favorite animal is the panda.
44-My all time favorite movie is While you were sleeping.
45-I am afraid of dogs.
46-I love being married to my love, Kim!!!
47-I love holding babies and I love the way they smell.
48-I love to watch the news, 48 hours and 60 minutes.
49-I absolutely LOVE roller coasters.
50-When I was 8 I got my tonsils and adnoids removed over Easter break. I ate all the banana popsicles in the entire hospital-they were the only ones I would eat.
51-The Carol Duvall Show on HGTV is one of my favorites.
52-I love to sing in the shower.
53-I do not like being late-even one minute.
54-I can not stand nails on a chalkboard.
55-I like to cook and bake.
56-I do not like cleaning up after cooking-or really at all.
57-I love to burn candles.
58-I am really bad at math.
59-I roll my eyes, but I don't really like that about me.
60-My favorite pizza is Papa Murphy's Gourmet Veggie with red sauce.
61-I am very indecisive.
62-I enjoy camping with Kim.
63-I grow my hair out, cut it off and start the cycle again.
64-I enjoy a good laugh.
65-I do not like being tickled.
66-Chocolate is my friend.
67-I love a good drive in the mountains.
68-When I was about 5, I had a caterpillar house I kept in the front flowerbed and was determined to get them all to turn into butterflies. Yeah, that did not work. But playing with the caterpillars was fun.
69-I like surprises, but I like to know about them first.
70-I do not like any type of pain.
71-I have the best husband in all the universe! Hi Kim!!
72-I do not like shots, or medicine in general. I did not swallow my first pill til I was 13!
73-I love presents!
74-I don't like to drive in the dark, snow, sleet, rain...you get the idea.
75-I do not like having my picture taken.
76-I am very sentimental.
77-I don't like being wrong.
78-I love to be organized and to organize.
79-I often read magazines from the back to the front.
80-I do not really know how to swim.
81-I like to read cookbooks like a book-chapter by chapter.
82-I can not ice skate, but love to watch it.
83-I took modern dance when I was 4.
84-I enjoy shopping on the internet.
85-I like to have a plan and don't like when it is changed.
86-I love to learn new things.
87-I am a romantic.
88-I still have my Barbies.
89-I love hardwood floors.
90-I am a really bad speller.
91-I am very detail oriented.
92-I love growing things in our garden.
93-Kim says I worry, I say I am concerned.
94-I am a slow reader.
95-It is often hard for me to be spontaneous.
96-I am addicted to Google.
97-I love gravy!!! I could eat many as a soup.
98-I love things that sparkle.
99-When I was in 4th grade I wanted to change my name to Beth.
100-My High School graduating class had 58 people.

So, here are a few things about me you may not have known. Have a very Merry Christmas too!

i heart fridays

I love fridays that are followed by two days off. But at work it is better as I only have to work 1 in 4 saturdays now...so I have come to love fridays!! It is raining and almost snowing outside now...I'm just glad we are home. Kim does not mind driving in the snow, but I do not like to drive in inclement weather conditions including, rain, snow, sleet, hail, darkness, and a really bright sun shining over the mountain in the morning. So basically, I do not enjoy driving unless the weather is perfect-which is not often! I do like to drive and sing to the radio, but I like clear days with no traffic. Also, I just wanted to say that I am so thankful for fasting and prayer. This past fast Sunday I did a lot of thinking and praying and was given the answer that we may not know all the answers but if getting sealed for a man to a second wife in the temple is acceptable then it is part of the gospel and I have a testimony of the gospel. I don't have all the answers to lots of other things...so why should I get upset I don't have the answer to this. I just wanted to say thank you for all the prayers and kind thoughts, and I'm sure there will be days and occasions that are still hard to come, but I know it will be ok.

Congratulations?

Well, life sure changes fast. Kim and I are just working on going through another cycle of invitro sometime in the future and my dad calls up to share the news he is engaged!?! Ok, so he started dating a lady back in october-and I know I'm not the one to preach on the length of time it takes to fall in love-but come on! This is a time I need to focus on good thoughts and not have any stress, but that seemed to fly out the window. I know it sound selfish and it's all about me, but for second marriages there are a lot of other people involved. She has three grown kids and 4 grandkids already...dad has a house full of Mom's things and now wants to be sealed to another person. I'm trying to deal with this the best I can...and I don't want to get into too much of his person stuff. Guess I am making it more complicated than it is. But, i think that is a big step to choose to be sealed to another person..I was dealing with the marriage thing-which is what I was told-but then Jessica called yesterday and said that is was more than getting married. So, that was a big surprise. So, now I have to deal with it again-with additional info that would have helpful YESTERDAY!! Kim is being so sweet about it, but he is not in this position and does not know how it feels as he tells me often and before he gives me his opinion which is worth consideration...I love you sweetie you are the best! It's not like dad chose this path-Mom died back in 2002 and so it's not like they got divorced, although I've thought it would be easier to deal with if that were the case. But it is not, and that is life. Kim always says, "Life is choices." So, that leaves me with a few choices to make about how I feel and what I'm gonna do about it,which has seemed to change from day to day since wednesday when he called. I know it's his life and choice, but when he chose to get sealed again-it kicks it up a notch an makes it eternal. And this stirs up all kinds of other feelings and emotions and gospel principles I don't wanna think about. Just writing this is causing me to get upset...I thought it would help to type it out, but now I'm thinking not. Why can't I just be happy that he is happy with someone other than my Mom? He has not set a date yet, but as he said don't worry, "It won't be anytime this year." Yeah, does he know the year is almost over?!?! When I get stressed and sad I want to shop and I am working hard not to impulse shop and buy a vinyl letter cutter, which is my newest crafty obsession. Anyhow- my goal is not to get too upset and let my emotions take over so I can keep calm and happy during this very important time in our lives as we try to have a baby again- during several month process that includes lots of needles and blood draws. But, I will gladly do it since the outcome could be a baby for our family. And if is not the outcome, then we will have to start our family another way. Either way, I can't wait to see what fun changes this new year has in store for our little family.

Count Your Many Blessings...

100 Things I am Thankful for

* my amazingly, wonderful husband *our beautiful home* family* Kim's patience * love-in general* kindness * Kim's personality *knowing what love is and having it *forgiveness * friends * my oh, so comfy bed * weekends *the internet * email *blogs *cameras * technology* cell phones * my faith in Jesus Christ *my testimony* fasting * prayer *the Temple *my calling in primary *music * the temple prayer roll *medical technology * doctors *artwork *creativity *traditions *Christmas music *snuggle time *color *rainbows *cars *airplanes *flowers * clean laundry *the sun *tithing *blessings *holiday cheer *memories *old family movies *butterflies *water *vegetables *fresh fruit *chocolate *band aides *my computer * my scrapbook program * trees *furnace * hot fudge *central air * the pioneers *clocks *plumbing* text messaging* grocery stores *ice scarpers* toilet paper* refrigerator* my nieces and nephews *dishwasher* clouds* online banking *grass *my debit card *ladybugs *the Sacrament *the ability to learn *dates with Kim *flip flops *my health *patience *hope *charity *life *insurance *scotch tape * photo printer *quiet time*porch lights *sunglasses *motivation *the way Kim looks at me * Kim's attentiveness * joy * smiles * calculators * slippers * marshmallows * and my marriage*

Happy Thanksgiving

Sometimes I wish we could make all year like the holiday season. Most people are more generous and kind than they normally are. I can see why we are encouraged to have the spirit of Christ in our hearts all year long...then more people would be generous and kind all year-myself included. I hope you get a change to sit down today and truly think about all the things you are thankful for in your life and the lives of those you love.

Check out my Slide Show!

Sunday and Scrapbooking

I think Sunday is a great day to work on my scrapbook. Afterall, it is a form of family history and journaling with pictures. I started out as a paper scrapbooker about 5 years ago, but since we are working on out basement I packed up my paper things almost 2 years ago. So our meeting and engagement-all 9 weeks-is on paper. Then part of 2005 is on paper, but Dad gave us a photo printer for Christmas '05 and after that I got a free digital scrapbook program. Loved it and have been using it since then. I caught up on almost 2 years in about a month and 200 pages of paper and 2 rounds of ink later. I have just figured out I think I can post my pages to a slides how and post them on my blog. That is my goal this week- to post some of the pages from this past year and work back words. Just to let you know most of the pages have our nieces a nephews...so no we did not magically grow kids overnight. Although I wish it were that easy. Anyhow, I keep saying that I want to get my paper supplies out again, but I fear that it will make me want to spend more money because I am 2 years behind the trends and all the oh so many very cute and must have new things. So I think for now I will stay digital, at least until I change my mind again and find a room to spread out in. Kim is going to build me a "crapbooking" area in the basement next to the laundry room which will be great, but there are just so many other things that need to be done and although I think that it is a need, in reality it is a want...a want high on the list, but a want none the less. I hope you have a great day and week and month and rest of the year doing what you love!