100 THINGS ABOUT me

A friend of mine prompted me to try this myself so here's my feeble attempt to come up with 100 things about me. It was a lot harder than I thought! I really had to dig deep mainly because I'm on a journey to find out who I really am. It's been fun learning more about myself. I hope some of these bring a smile to your face as you hear some of my funny moments and read about my quirks.

Here goes...

1. I LOVE silly romance movies.
2. When I was little, I wanted to be a bus driver and would drive up and
down our driveway on my bike pretending to pick up and drop-off kids.
3. I could eat a whole bottle of Heinz ketchup!
4. I've always wanted to travel to Ireland and Australia.
5. I ran the Nashville half marathon a few years ago and haven't run
since!
6. My imaginary friend growing-up was Jenny Myer Pencil Diaper! Don't ask...
7. I love, Love, LOVE sunsets!
8. My favorite getaway is on a beach somewhere, listening to the waves
crashing, smelling the salt in the air, walking along the shore and hearing the
seagulls overhead. The beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are breathtaking! White, sugar like sand, crystal clear blue/green water.
9. I detest the word 'secretion'. Makes my toes curl every time I
hear it!
10.I secretly wish I could sing. I mean, really sing like a Faith Hill kind of voice.
11. Chocolate is my favorite pasttime. Frango mint brownies are the ultimate! Or I could eat a dozen Peppermint Patties. Actually I have!
12. I felt most small and at the same time most in awe of God standing in
front of a massive, peaceful lake surrounded by monstorous mountains in
Alaska.
13. I want to start my own Professional Organizational business on the side.
14. I LOVE typing! I could type all day...
15. Strawberries are my favorite fruit. Blueberries are a close second.
16. I'm addicted to food, always have been. It's my "drug".
17. Skating at Rockefellar in NYC with Chris is my favorite Christmas memory
(before Britain).
18. I adore being a Mommy.
19. Baking muffins with Britain is a fun tradition.
20. My favorite memory when I was pregnant, was the sensation and
indescribable feeling I got when Britain kicked inside my belly.
21. I wrote a poem called Fancy Fish in 8th grade and can recite it (to this day) on command.
22. I can say the alphabet backwards faster than you can say it forwards!
23. I love rainy days. Those days when all you want to do is curl up
on the couch with a good book and read by candlelight.
24. I'm not a big animal lover but we have the coolest (and craziest!) mini-schnauzer, Scout. He's a good buddy! I grew-up with fish in a tank,hamsters and a stray cat that only stayed around for a few weeks.
25. I love camping in a pop-up camper.
26. I consider myself to be girly but I'm not a diva by any means. I
don't spend a lot of time on my make-up, nails, toes or hair. Very simplistic.
27. I dream about writing children's books one day.
28. I am best friends with my sister who's 3 years younger than me.
29. My favorite Starbucks drink is a toss up between a Coffee
Frappucino Light and a Pumpkin Spice Latte - my favorite fall treat!
30. I was born in Panama City, Florida.
31. I LOVE flying! The longest flight I've been on is from Houston to
Alaska - 7 hours!
32. I'm a sucker for Hannah Montana & Gigi God's Little Princess!
33. I'm not much of a thrill seeker or adventurer. I worry too much! I'd love to take more risks when I grow-up.
34. I signed a True Love Waits commitment card when I was 16 and
honored it to my wedding day.
35. I didn't really start living life until I turned 30!
36. One of my driving pet peeves is when people forget to turn their blinker off.
37. When I was learning to drive, my mom said I could back-up our
family station wagon (you remember the ones with wood paneling?) in the church parking lot and instead of putting the car in reverse, I accidentally put it in drive and momentarily forgot which pedal was the brake. The car flew out over a brick wall
and into a busy highway with oncoming traffic. I had enough wit about
me to turn the car around, put on my blinker and drive back into the
parking lot. I cried for an hour. But played flawlessly at my piano recital later that afternoon.
38. I took piano lessons and started learning how to play the guitar
but gave up on both. I don't stick with things very long. I get frustrated easily and give-up too quickly if I'm not good at something immediately.
39. I love making crafts. I'm just realizing I enjoy painting and making little girl hairbows.
40. I've been to Tijuana on a mission trip with my sista and to Cancun on our honeymoon.
41. I'd have a million shoes if the world was perfect! To date, I "only" own 10 pairs.
42. I'd love to adopt someday. Chris and I have talked about it and are
praying God will give us the opportunity one day.
43. I'm not a huge concert gal but I love music!
44. I would rather serve people than be in the lime light. I prefer
to be behind the scenes.
45. I enjoy journaling my thoughts about life and love. I mostly
journal about what God's teaching me and keep an ongoing journal for
Britain that I TRY to write in every night.
46. My favorite workout is on an Elliptical machine or Treadmill. I'm
enjoying my moments on our treadmill...no more excuses not to workout!
47. I wish I could go on vacation once a month. I love the thrill of
getting ready for a trip, the excitement of the unknown adventure that
lies ahead.
48. I love people-watching especially in airports.
49. I'm a terrible blogger. I've gone months without blogging!
50. I dislike seafood (all of it!). The older I get, the more I
realize that I'm probably missing out on some amazing food! I keep
telling Chris I'll try shrimp (again) for him soon.
51. I'm a weeper! When I get angry or frustrated, I just cry. I
always try to keep kleenex handy - you never know when I'm going to
bust out in tears. What frustrates me the most is that it tends to be over small or silly things. When something big happens, it's harder for me to show my emotions.
52. I've moved 21 times in my life.
53. I want to have a large family...I'd have 5 kids if Chris was on
board with the idea! Life is definitely challenging with just ONE.
I'm AMAZED at my mommy friends (and dads) who juggle life with 2+ kids. Truly
inspiring!
54. I love calligraphy. My mom does beautiful calligraphy. She
recently gave me some early 1900 calligraphy books that were my
great-grandfathers that I've enjoyed thumbing through.
55. I want to leave a legacy for my family. To be remembered as a
woman who served and loved well. A Proverbs 31 woman.
56. I'm so into the reality show "What Not To Wear". I keep trying
to figure out how I can get on the show. Maybe I can replace all of
my clothes with Thrift Store clothes and get someone to nominate me!
I could definitely do some damage with $5k bones in NYC and would love
a makeover by Nick & Carmindy!
57. I'm a Southern girl to the core. I love meat & potatoes, sweet,
sweet tea and biscuits! Or just give me a veggie plate at Cracker Barrell and I'm good to go!
58. My favorite birthday present from Chris a few years ago was the
gift of sponsoring a little girl in Bolivia through Compassion.
59. I'm learning to be more open to unexpected surprises and
interruptions. God is in those moments just as much as He is in the
planned ones.
60. I love Bath & Body soaps. I'd have a house full, if I could.
61. One of my favorite meals to make & EAT is Taco Salad!
62. Fall is my favorite season.
63. One of my favorite artists is Harry Connick Jr.
64. I love evenings on the front porch with my family.
65. Grilling out on the deck is a great pleasure!
66. I love writing with gel pens.
67. I love evergreen scented candles. Reminds me of Christmas!
68. I'm not the best cook but I love using my crockpot. You really
can't go wrong!
69. I grew-up wanting to be a Teacher but after a semester in that field, I decided to go into Social Work.
70. I'm a people pleaser.
71. I felt most fulfilled when I served at a homeless ministry during my college internship.
72. My first job ever was working as a receptionist in a Manpower office. That's where I got my start!
73. My first car was a seagreen Cutless Sierra; a hand-me-down from my sweet Grandmother.
74. I dreamed about having a Honda Accord and was able to purchase my own right out of high school. It was a 1991 White Honda Accord with a spoiler and sunroof. Although it's long gone, it's still my favorite car to this day!
75. I've lived in four states - Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.
76. My middle name is Elizabeth after my grandmother. And we gave Britain the same middle name. We both share the same initials - BEB.
77. My favorite colors together are pink & brown.
78. I like going to yard sales and thrift stores. I'm always up for a bargain!
79. I love taking Sunday drives in the country.
80. I'm really good with directions when it comes to go places.
81. I love Japenese steakhouses where they cook in front of you and you get to share a big table with people you don't know.
82. I once shared Christ with an atheist on a plane. My heart still aches for Richard.
83. I love singing silly songs with Brit.
84. Mary & Martha – I definitely have more Martha (busybody) qualities but I’m slowly learning how to be more Mary-like and linger at Jesus’ feet.
85. I joined Color Guard in High School because a guy I liked was in the band. We broke up and I stayed in it because I found a non-sport that I enjoyed.
86. I love reading books about becoming a better wife and mommy.
87. I have always been known to grind my teeth when I sleep. It's definitely kept Chris up a night or two before!
88. Hats and sunglasses look goofy on me.
89. I've never had any broken bones.
90. The only time I've ever been in the hospital was to give birth.
91. The craziest thing I've done recently is gone down a zip line with some of my high school girls at camp.
92. My favorite Praise song is "Beautiful One".
93. Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda. And DP jelly beans are the best!
94. I'm starting to be a coupon mom!
95. I have learned so much from my husband and am a better person because of him.
96. I marched in the 1994 Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. For a Florida girl, it was BUTT cold!
97. I'm going to my first Keith Urban concert this week!
98. I worked as a waitress at a fine-dining restaurant the summer before college to save money. It was the hardest job I've ever done!
99. I'd love to live in a log cabin one day.
100. I enjoy spending my days assisting my boss at a counseling ministry for recording artists.

"A thankful heart is a happy heart."

I don't know how many times we watched the VeggieTales movie Madame Blueberry from here to NC over Thanksgiving but it was too many to count! One thing I know is that the sweet theme song with the lyrics "A thankful heart is a happy heart" keeps going through my mind. I haven't been able to shake that line and I know it's God's simple way of reminding me to continually give thanks for what I DO have. I am a thankful lady today.

Surprises are the best!

So a few weeks ago my sister flew in for a surprise visit. Our birthdays are 5 days apart (mine is today and hers is the 22nd) and she told her husband she wanted a plane ticket for her birthday to come see us. CNB made up this truly incredible story about having to pick-up a manager from the airport and talked it up for weeks. I HAD NO CLUE we were actually going to pick-up my sister! It was a fabulous weekend with her!

And today, CNB left early this morning to go get the oil changed in the van before our trip to NC this week and ended up being gone for a few hours. When he got back, he made up a story about there being a stain on the backseat of the van and told me to go check it out. When he opened the back hatch, there in the well was my Mom crunched up and yelling SURPRISE! We spent the whole day together as a family and had a blast!!

I'm loving these surprise blessings!! CNB, on the other hand, is glad they're over! It's been killing him to keep them a secret for so long!!

Unexpected blessings

God is constantly stirring in me to cultivate a heart of gratitude. One of the things I started a few months ago is journaling unexpected blessings. I love reading over the list again and again as I remember God's goodness and faithfulness to provide not only the things we need at the time but also so many fun, amazing surprises. These are just a few....shoes, giftcards, numerous meals out, random checks in the mail, really great hand-me-down clothes, free Starbucks coffee, flowers from my hubby, steak dinner at a friends, books, surprise visit from my sister, bonus check, clothes and toys for Brit and so much more. The mere fact that I'm so undeserving, makes me so much more grateful.

"Action is GLORIOUS"

I was busy filing something today and when I looked up and out of the window in our office, I saw a precious elderly woman across the street raking leaves in the cold. My heart longed to help her but I stood frozen, just watching her for a good 5 minutes. I wanted to help but that would mean action on my part. Should I go, should I stay? I can't just leave work. Maybe someone else will help her? Then it went to thoughts like...well, this IS something I can do. It’s a small sacrifice. I’m not looking for recognition, I just truly want to help this sweet lady in need. So instead of talking myself out of it (like I frequently do), I took action. It was a sweet time of raking and talking with sweet Hazel about her life. A joyous time!

Deep blue sky with orange & red splashes of color

God painted a beautiful dark blue back-drop in the sky yesterday. It was the perfect background for the bright bold orange & red leaves dancing from the trees. My heart was captured as I took in the scenery around me everywhere I went. The drive down 3rd Avenue in historic downtown Franklin was captivating! I’m in awe of God’s breathtaking creation this time of year.