100 About Me

1. My parents did not name me Reginald. You'd be surprised how many people ask me that. I was however, almost an Erika.
2. Everyone in my family calls me something different though. (Shanny, Lucy, Rooster and more...)
3. I am an Aries.
4. When I was in high school, one of my favorite shirts was a No Fear t-shirt that said “The older I get, the better I was”. I do feel like the older I get, the better I am. :) Thank God!
5. I was surprised by how much I loved motherhood.
6. I married my high school sweet heart.
7. I like who we are now, way better than who we even thought that we could be then!
8. I quit smoking in 2008 and still want a cigarette!
9. I think that I was 8 when I wrote a letter to Bon Jovi and asked him to marry me. His stupid fan club had the audacity to intercept my letter and even send back a reply, inviting me to his "club". sigh...
10. I could go to school for forever to learn about different hobbies, like pottery, photography, glass blowing, etc...
11. I own a guitar but have never played.
12. I love a good excuse to get all misty-eyed.
13. I think my best feature is my heart.
14. I can't think of any surgery that I would like to have. I like me the way that I am. I just need to work out.
15. I cannot find time to work out.
16. I feel most like 'myself' when I am inside out.
17. I can't kill anything, except ticks and mosquitoes but sometimes even that makes me sad.
18. You should see my flailing ballet when I am carrying spiders to a safe place. They are so creepy.
19. I would be a vegetarian if I wasn't raised to eat meat.
20. Steak is my favorite food. ...The crispy fat around the edge of a rib-eye makes me burst into song.
21. When the kids were babies, the only song I could ever think to sing to them was "Danny's Song" by Loggins and Messina. I forgot the words to every other song.
22. Ethan would always cry the moment I started because I sing that "awesome".
23. Sometimes I drive like Bo and Luke Duke. ...at least in my mind.
24. I used to write poetry in high school.
25. Occasionally, I dabble in writing songs.
26. I think that I don't finish them because no one would want to hear me sing them. haha.
27. I hate using acronyms in place of words. (Ex: LOL and TTYL). Hence my "haha"
28. I'd like to have a retired animal farm when I am older and open it up as an opportunity for kids too somehow...
29. My bucket list only has about 50 things on it but I've started doing them.
30. The more I learn about God, the more I realize how much I do not know.
31. I feel like I've really come into my faith in the last year. The first big step toward that was fixing my prayer life.
32. There is no going back.
33. I had a small tattoo once.
34. I rejected the ink. It completely disappeared.
35. I hate to have my finger nails painted.
36. I do prefer to have my toenails painted and usually only have about 3 colors that I will wear. 
37. I was a tom boy.
38. Sophie makes me like sparkles.
39. I've even gotten to be more comfortable in dresses than pants.
40. I am a daddy's girl.
41. My sister in law and I truly feel like sisters.
42. I am an only child.
43. I've heard a rumor that I have a half-brother and struggle with whether or not I should find him.
44. I have two of my dogs' teeth inlayed in gold in charms on an anklet.
45. Yet, I am repulsed by the idea of having my kids' teeth hanging along side them. haha. Go figure...
46. I refused to have a DJ at our wedding because Colin and I don't like to dance and a DJ will usually make you.
47. I'd say my favorite flowers are Gerber Daisies and Peonies.
48. But I've REALLY got a thing for trees.
49. Orange, teal and red are my favorite colors.
50. My favorite bible verse is: "Above all else, guard your heart, for all you do flows from it."-Proverbs 4:23
51. I try to live by it.
52. One of my favorite quotes is: "This life cannot be lived apart from what it must forgive." -Robert Creeley.
53. Another is: "When you live your life believing that everything primarily depends on you, you become enslaved to your strengths and weaknesses." - Pastor Tullian Tchividjian
54. I have a list of affirmations that I read almost every day.
55. I had to adjust them when I overheard Sophie's version.
56. I LOVE getting older!
57. My favorite book is a collection of poetry by Rod McKuen titled "Alone".
58. Brown liquor makes me mean. -I guess it's a good thing that I don't like it.
59. I was always a beer girl but had to put that away too. I've been sober since 2014.
60. I was disqualified from all branches of the military for sleepwalking and eczema.
61. I'm afraid of leaving the country.
62. And going on a cruise ship.
63. My favorite singer is Van Morrison.
64. Jackson's middle name is "Van" after him.
65. I cried my eyes out at a Counting Crows concert.
66. No one was more surprised than me when I reacted that way.
67. I was crushed when I learned that I had a peanut allergy.
68. However, I prayed like the dickens that it wouldn't be dairy. Whew!
69. I think I might foster or adopt when my kids are older.
70. I am looking for ways to volunteer with my children. 
71. I believe in the "more the merrier"
72. I was so relieved to pass up deciding or trying to control who could and could not get along. "Come if you want to and stay home if you don't" is much easier to manage.
73. I can't tell you the last time I had an entire day to myself alone.
74. It's a secret covet.
75. But I figure that there's plenty of time for that later!
76. All of my family lives in Florida. I miss them in the most ridiculous way! I wish they lived here too.
77. God gave me the second best possible family to be close to.
78. I love that we live on a "compound".
79. I struggled with what item should be first and last on this list and if the order reflected anything about me. 
80. I don't care which way the toilet paper rolls or if it's even on the holder.  -As long as there is toilet paper, I am happy.
81. I can be a pretty gruff person but it's usually because I am in a hurry or because I am tired (which makes me want to hurry).
82. I am thankful to be slowing down.
83. I went to over 18 schools between the 4th and 12th grade.
84. When I lived in Key West, some kids and I were waiting for the bus and a dolphin came up. We all walked out in the water and played with him/her until the bus arrived. 
85. I hate pickles and more importantly that their juice contaminates everything.
86. I have about 5 pair of shoes and if an outfit won't go with them, I won't buy the outfit.
87. The minute that you and I make plans, I'm thinking about all of the places that we can eat while we're together.
88. Out of all of my children, I think that Ethan and I are most alike. :) Jackson's budding personality doesn't seem to be altering that status.
89. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
90. I used to hate holidays so, I started pretending to be excited about them and I started some things that would become tradition. It took a few years but now I am the most excited in our house.
91. I am learning how to embrace who I am, including owning my mistakes and what I am good at.
92. This list is part of that, I'm sure.
93. I am thankful that Colin married me.
94. I have recently fantasized about getting back into my wedding dress.
95. I played center on an all guys basketball team in school.
96. I don't really like chickens all that much but somehow I still collect funky ones. I think mostly because collecting chickens is completely ridiculous. haha
97. I do love and also collect old jars.
98. At this very moment Jackson and Sophie are playing in the rain in the front yard. I look up to see that Jackson has stripped off his diaper, pants and boots and is running through a puddle. For a millisecond I thought about going to get him but I don't because everyone should have mud between their toes, their cheeks and occasionally in their teeth. -Even if the last two happen in that order from the same puddle.
99. I wonder how many people flinched at that and I chuckle.
100. I deleted something off the list because 2 years later it still bothered me.
101. I am trying to give up excess but at the same time I believe that everything deserves a little extra. So here's a bonus!