50 (yes fifty!!) Things You've Never Been Asked

They’re right. I don’t think I’ve done these before.

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? White
2. Name one person who made you smile today? People posting internet memes
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? reading internet memes
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? well, that was 8:05, so ...
5. What is your favorite candy bar? 3 Musketeers unless Reese’s cups count as candy bars
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Yep, for 5 seconds. Whoooopsie
7. What is the last thing you said?  have a good weekend
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Mint Chocolate Chip
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? water
10. Do you like your wallet? Yes its a Thirty-One and I have it in 2 colors
11. What was the last thing you ate? A Reese’s cup
13. The last sporting event you watched on tv? Some football game last weekend when Mike was here
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Some kinda cheese
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? My Honey
16. Ever go camping? Yes. I have video. And PTSD.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Vitamin D
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Not any more
19. Do you have a tan? No
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? Yes
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Yes but I rarely drink soda
22. What did your last text message say? Luvluv gnite
23. What are you doing tomorrow? Lesson plans
25. Look to your left, what do you see? Boris the Yeti
26. What color is your watch? Tan strap. Garfield and Pooky on the face
27. What do you think of when you hear Australia? G’day mate
29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive through? Drive thru always....
30. What is your favorite number? 13
31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? My Honey
32. Any plans today? Entering homework grades, grading quizzes, bingeing season 2 of 24
33. How many states have you lived in? 4
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Students who try to manipulate me to get out of homework. I should wear a bodycam so parents can see their kids in action.
35. Last song listened too? My playlist! I think Angel by Sarah MacLachlan
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Yes
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Are you kidding? I match my outfit.
39. Are you jealous of anyone? Ha! I’m living my life long dream!
40. Is anyone jealous of you? idk Probably people who hate their jobs.
41. Do you love anyone? A whole lotta people
42. Do any of your friends have children? & grandchildren. Yes (I think this might have originated with the younger crowd.
43. What do you usually do during the day? Classes, chapel, classes, lunch, classes, office hours, grading, lesson planning
44. Do you hate anyone right now? Hate is not a part of me. Now I can get riled up over uninformed or just mean people.
45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yes
46. What are you doing right now? Avoiding grading
48. Are you thinking about someone right now? My momma has been on my mind since Wednesday
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes
50. How did you get your worst scar? Falling down the up escalator at the West Springfield metro. That’s perpetual motion people. I have escalator marks in my knee. And PTSD.

A long-awaited present to myself

Since I was 15, I've wanted a scooter. Well, now I have one!
I found it on Craigslist, and it is street legal -- goes up to 60 mph.
Yay! Now I just need a helmet. And a backpack. And a jacket. And....

I'm totally a grown-up

One of my high school friends is a teacher at Reitz and asked for volunteers to judge senior projects. The firm encourages community service and I was interested in seeing what local seniors came up with. I had a great time (Joy looks exactly the same!) and heard about some great projects. Very impressive that seniors make time for community service, then put together a presentation to 'sell' it to the panel.
After my judging duties, I went to Subway for lunch with Mom. I think that is the first time I've done that on a work day. And then, I was off to DC for a work trip.
When I look back on the day, I feel totally like a grown-up. I guess I am.

Year in Review

I'd love to say that I create and send a yearly Christmas newsletter to our friends and family, but I can't even get store-bought cards in the mail. So, reviewing my blog, and our family calendar posted in the kitchen, gives us this year in review....

January
>A New Years Day movie with the family, and a bonehead move that gave us the first of our major dents to the car.
>I made some friends through Meetup.com and did some scrapping. Well, for a few months anyway.
>Zak turned 15. Yeah, that means 16 is now only a few days away.
>I was 17 miles from the Inauguration of Barak Obama. I wanted to go just for the historical importance. I didn't because of the zillion crazy people.

February
>Yet another basement flood. I don't miss those.
>We lost our beloved Buttercup.

April
>We spent Spring Break in Gatlinburg with Nana and Pawpaw!

May
>The van door shut on Aly's fingers and we hung out in the ER.
>We took some weekend trips and did lots of family stuff.

July
>As soon as the kids were gone to Nana's for a month, Mike and I both started traveling.
>We also started talking about moving back to Boonville.
>Then we did it!!

August
>We moved just before the kids needed to start school. It was an adventure.
>Moving back to Boonville means the travel stories will begin again.

September
>If there's school, there must be drama.
>If there's school, there must be germs.

October
>More travel, weekends with family and a road trip with my momma. Less blogging.
>Started homeschooling Zak. He takes shop class with Beau and Pawpaw, English and History with Dad and Math and Science with Mom. He is SO much happier.

November
>Mike and Zak decked the house with thousands of Christmas lights. I'm pretty sure you can see it from the air. You can definitely see it from the highway.
>Attended the Warrick County Senior Citizens Center fundraiser auction and bought some really cool stuff like a game table and a party for twenty at Show Me's.
>Went to a Tupperware party and had fun. Does that make me old?
>Thanksgiving at Nana's, the way it should be.
>Mike and I had a romantic few days in Gatlinburg after Thanksgiving.
>Jamie and Matt moved home with my neice and nephew!

December
>Zak took a driver's ed class and got his permit.
>Mike and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary.
>Mom helped me get some pictures and decorations on the wall. It's beginning to look a lot like a home!
>We have plans to spend Christmas Eve with family at our house this year.
>We are leaving Christmas Day for Gatlinburg. We have plans to visit the aquarium, the Black Bear Jamboree and various hiking trails. This might be our last family vacation since Zak is only tolerating us at this point.

So that's our summary. And we saved a tree by not printing it.

What do your kids say about you?

Copied from Perri on Facebook.
Cut and paste these questions and ask your kids their answers....it is a RIOT!

Disclaimer: My son is 15 years old, has had a cold for a week and has been home from school. Some answers are PG-13.
(And I can't *not* comment on some of this stuff.)

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Zak - Is all your homework done?
Aly - She calls me Booger head.

2. What makes mom happy?
Zak - When everything goes the way it was planned to. (When has that ever happened?!)
Aly - Her pupper and kitty.

3. What makes mom sad?
Zak - When she gets overwhelmed with stuff.
Aly - When we are frustrated.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Zak - By being her silly self, which happens quite a lot.
Aly - She's just weird like that.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Zak - dorky
Aly - I don't know. I didn't know you back then.

6. How old is your mom? (38)
Zak - 38
Aly - 39 in two months (nice how she's looking forward to my birthday)

7. How tall is your mom?
Zak - 5'8"
Aly - Apparently 5'8" (after Zak blurted out the answer)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Zak - scrapbook
Aly - do puzzles and watch COPS

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Zak - The same stuff she does when I am around.
Aly - She does puzzles and watches COPS.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Zak - Brutal double murder of her children. (He's JOKING!)
Aly - Being the best Project Manager she can be.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Zak - her job.
Aly - Setting the microwave on fire.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Zak - Wii
Aly - Cooking

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Zak - She consults with a firm thingy.
Aly - She is a project manager and she gets to fire people.

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Zak - Mexican
Aly - Reese's Ice Cream from 7-11

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
Zak - How much money she makes.
Aly - She helps get all the money, and keeps us going.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Zak - Garfield
Aly - Snoopy, cause she's cool, foo!

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Zak - Answer blog thingys.
Aly - Do puzzles and watch COPS. And play Mario Kart.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Zak - We're both smart.
Aly - We both like putting on comfy clothes and hanging out.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Zak - She has bazongas. (Yeah, he had nothing to say except boobs.)
Aly - She's better at science and I'm better at probability.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Zak - 'Cause she tells me. And because she hasn't killed me yet. (Again with the JOKING)
Aly - She spends time with me and she takes care of me when I'm sick.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Zak - His sense of humor (only after I told him I wasn't typing "his sexy bod")
Aly - He's funny.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Zak - Mexican restaurant
Aly - Myrtle Beach

Personality & Intelligence

I took the personality test through Perri's blog.
It compared her to Lucy van Pelt.

I had six American Presidents, the Queen of England and Jesus's Disciple, Thomas. Doubting Thomas.
Fictional characters? Eeyore and Darth Vader.
good gravy.

Here are the results for the other free test at this site. No surprises there.


ETA: Mike's info. No surprise there either. They say opposites attract.

I'm not the only one with a great idea

I've been jonesing for a motorcycle since I was little, but I finally decided that now is the time to get one. Apparently, so has everyone else, since they get 70 mpg. I drug myself to Falls Church to test one out and they didn't have anything smaller than a 650. The salesguy was nice though and encouraged me to check out a 500 vs the 250 I was looking at. I just don't know if the bigger ones come in this really cool shade of blue. Tough decision!
Mike suggested I shop in Evansville when we're there for my cousin's wedding. That might be worth a shot. I need to enroll in the VA motorcycle course to learn to ride. The 650 I sat on today felt gi-normous and a little scary. Different than the 150 'cycle PJ used to have or the scooters I used to ride. We'll see. Maybe it is better to wait for the winter anyway. Is that motorcycle sale season?


... in other news, Mike and I decided to go on an adventure drive to Georgetown and ended up on the campus of George Washington U. On move-in day. Not a good move. But we ended up at a great little Irish pub for lunch and that made the whole trip worth it.

Google ain't all THAT

I'm a big proponent of Google. When someone asks me a question at work, I say "Google it". When I hear something on the radio that I want to know more about, I Google it. When I need to research most anything, I Google it. But Google isn't always the answer. While there are lots of retro sites on the web that have old TV shows, commercials, and the like, I've yet to find one that has captured the snippets of my childhood. Oh, yes, you can find information on the Blizzard of '78, when I got stuck in a snowdrift over my head on the way home from school. You can see that Brownsburg won the state football title in 1985, beating Boonville at home in the semi-state. But here are two things you can't find.

1. When I was in elementary school, there was a ventriloquist that visited during an assembly that had a frog puppet. The frog sat on a log and told a story that built a song.
"Sittin' on a log
In the woods
Eatin' flies
Munchin' on skeeters
And runnin' from snakes!"
The wacky comedy of Jeff Dunham is what comes to mind, but I can't find anything on the web that indicates that Jeff started his career on the elementary school circuit in southern Indiana.

2. During my teen years, I went to church at First Assembly of God in Evansville. In college, I attended First Assembly of God in Bowling Green. It was at one of these churches that a traveling singing group sang a song that incorporated my favorite bible verse, Phil 4:13 (the first one I ever remember memorizing, on the way to Peoria with Aunt Linda).
"I can do all things
Through Christ who strengtheneth me (yeah, me).
There's nothing more I want to be
Than to be what he wants of me.
Anyplace or anywhere I go
I can go with this in mind,
My God is there beside me
And He's there with me all the time."

I'm hoping that the thous... hundre... doze.. couple of readers that visit my blog might remember these and set me in the right direction. Faithful readers, even if you can't, is there something from your youth that isn't on the web? Post it and link back, so others might find it too.

Two by Two

When people ask me about my family, I like to say
"Two kids, two cats, two dogs, but only one husband. Who'd want more than one of those?"
I used to also say, "two cars and two houses", but thank goodness I've only got one house now.
I also realized I have
2 parents, still married after 40 years
2 sisters, Pam & Jamie
2 brothers-in-law, Joe & Matt
2 new nephews, Nick & Ryder

That is all. Carry on.

My O-kay!

When Aly was small, and playing in another room, we'd shout out "Aly, are you okay?" and she'd yell back, "My O-kaaaaay!"

I just wanted to let you all know I made it through my first week back at work. I was surprisingly mellow (the client mentioned how different I sounded on the phone) and I talked a couple of staff down from a ledge or two. It was better than I expected, but I did bite off 4 fingernails over the last two days.

Speaking of Aly, we are now counting down the days until she hits double-digits. It's like she's 9 going on 25.

The ABCs of Me

A. Aromatherapy? lavendar and vanilla pillow spray that I got from the Crowne Plaza
B. Best Buds? my hubby and Sherri
C. Can't eat just one? of anything, really
D. Roller Derby in your future? only if I go to see Andi
E. Essential item? sweatpants
F. Favorite thing to do in your spare time? read
G. Gotta love it when? Scrappy snuggles in my lap
H. Home town you grew up in? Boonville, Indiana (yes, really)
I. Favorite indulgence? Reese's Ice Cream
J. Just what where you thinking when you said? Let's move to Virginia
K. Do you have kids? What are their names? Zak & Aly
L. Life isn't complete without? Jesus!
M. Marriage Date? 12/19/92
N. Number of brothers and sisters? 2 sisters, I'm the oldest
O. Oranges, apples or other? pears, bananas or fresh pineapple
P. Phobias? drowning
Q. Quotes? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)
R. Reasons to smile? see (B), (G), and (K)
S. Speed Dial Numbers? new phone, so I got nothing, but previously, Home, Ma Honey, Nana
T. TV shows you don't want to miss? Lost and COPS, and anything with a Yeti
U. Unknown fact about me? I want to be a motorcycle mama
V. How do you Veg out? playing Spider Solitaire
W. Worst habit? biting my fingernails
X. eXperience you don't want to do again? bury a child
Y. Your favorite food? eggs & cheese
Z. 'Zactly what were you thinking when you said? Sure, I'll post it on my blog; no one will look there

Memoir Meme

Yet another cool blog thingy from Perri.

1. Write your own Six-Word Memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

Now Perri didn't play by the rules and I don't plan to either. I'm not tagging anyone, but I thought of this before I saw any of Perri's or Mari's.

Letting God drive, enjoying the ride.

Maybe I'll add that to my blog title.

and please don't mention to my husband

that while visiting those chubby cheeks, I cooked, cleaned, did laundry and shopped for groceries. See how a baby changes your life?

Blog Challenge: TV Nostalgia

From my friends at ScrapFreak: What were some of your favorite TV shows as kid? Was there a female character you wanted to be? Did you have any teen heartthrob crushes? Do you ever catch reruns of those shows today and maybe laugh wondering why you liked them so much? Share your trip down TV memory lane with us!

I loved Saturday Mornings between cartoons when they played Schoolhouse Rock (and yes, we have the full set on DVD now). Plus, Speed Buggy, Scooby Doo, Land of the Lost, Superfriends
I remember all those Brady Bunch moments - Marcia's nose, Jan's glasses, Cindy's lisp, Greg's room in the attic, Peter's voice change and those trips to the Grand Canyon and Hawaii.
I remember Dad watching All in the Family, Barney Miller, Sanford & Son and Taxi. Mom watched Alice, Soap & Benson. Before CSI, there was Charlie's Angels, Kojak and Starsky & Hutch.

I can't say there was any character I wanted to be, except maybe IceMan on Superfriends. I definitely had a crush on Shaun Cassidy from the Hardy Boys. I'd love to see all of these shows again!

More Q&A

Perri shared these things with the world on her blog, and I like that they aren't the usual "about me" questions. Enjoy!

1. Do you like blue cheese? No. But that is the only kind of cheese I don't like. I like my cheese with a side of cheese.
2. Have you ever read a book in one sitting? Is there any other way?
3. Do you own a gun? Not anymore, but I'm a good shot with my old BB gun at Dad's. Much to the surprise of my son.
4. Your favorite song? From my teen years, Lean on Me by Club Nouveau.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Nope
6. What do you think of hot dogs? I don't just randomly think of hot dogs. If I'm going to think about food, it's going to contain chocolate.
7. Favorite Christmas song? "Mary Did You Know?"
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Starbucks Coffee, but I usually have a diet Coke
9. Can you do push-ups? Can I, yes. Will I, no.
10. Favorite thing about the person who sent this to you? She's such a great mom and fun blogger
11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement ring, which fits with my wedding band and matches my anniversary band exactly.
12. Favorite hobby? Scrapbooking. Or Shopping. Or shopping for scrapbooking stuff. On eBay.
13. Do you put butter on your popcorn? No. Cheese. See Question 1.
14. Do you have A.D.D.? Um, NO. And for my friends at ScrapFreak, do NOT comment on A.D.D. or T.D.D.
15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? That I'm too outspoken. I need to learn to be more conversational
16. Middle Name(s): Denise
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I'm sleepy. I love my comfy chair in my living room. I wonder if I won that eBay auction.
18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday. A Longaberger Pumpkin basket on eBay. That's all. I didn't leave the house.
19. Name 3 things you drink on a regular basis. Diet Coke (with vanilla or cherry or lime), coffee, cranberry juice
20. Current worry right now? I broke the washing machine. Should we pay for a new motor, or pay a handyman to disconnect it and bring in the one from the garage?
21. Current hate right now? I truly don't hate anything
22. Favorite place to be? In a sweatshirt, in my waterbed, with the pups and the kids. Or on the beach.
23. How did you bring in the New Year? Home with the kids. We make hors d'ourves and watch movies.
24. Where would you like to go? Boonville, to see my sisters. Or an all inclusive beach resort.
25. Name three people who will also do this? Um, only Mike reads this thing, so no one that I know.
26. Do you own slippers? Many pairs. Bumblebees, ladybugs, blue ones.
27. What shirt are you wearing? My blue jammies with bumblebees all over (but not the slippers)
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I never have, so I don't know.
29. Can you whistle? Not as good as my Daddy
30. Favorite color? Purple
31. Would you be a pirate? Yes! A Dread Pirate!
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? From this Moment (Shania Twain), Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood)
33. Favorite girl’s name? I like Zoe, Chloe and Sophie.
34. Favorite boy’s name? Val Kilmer. KIDDING!!!
35. What’s in your pocket right now? nothing
36. Last thing that made you laugh? Both of my kids at dinner tonight. They are a HOOT.
37. Best bed sheets as a child? Garfield
38. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Broken feet. Or maybe the "Metro knee"
39. Do you love where you live? You know, I think I am starting to.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 8
41. Who is your loudest friend? Definitely, Mike
42. How many dogs do you have? 2
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Maybe one of the dogs
45. What is your favorite book? This Present Darkness, by Frank Paretti
46. What is your favorite candy? lately, reese's cups
47. Favorite Sports Team? Detroit Redwings
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? I'm planning on hanging around till Jesus comes back
49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I'm late!
51. Do you have a dishwasher? yep
52. Is your living room carpeted or does it have hardwood floors? hardwood
53. What room is your computer in? Whichever room I'm in. It's a laptop.
54. Are there pictures hanging in your living room? Not yet, but we're planning to buy some
55. What personality trait gets on your nerves the most? Selfishness
56. What decade were you born in? 1970's
56. Do you like to entertain? No
57. What were you doing exactly an hour ago? Eating dinner at the Silver Diner
58. Do you like to wear hats? Not so much.
59. Last thing you read? The Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, Third Edition
60. Favorite website? Yahoo!
61. Last person you emailed? Someone at work about the report that was due today. Oops.
62. Last person who emailed you? Someone at work. Asking if I was done with the report that was due today.
63. Do you own any season DVDs? Lost 1 & 2 & 3, Friends Entire Series, Monk 1, Moonlighting 1 & 2, Quantum Leap 1
64. Last thing you ate? Cajun Chicken Pasta
65. Favorite toy as a child? My Tonka truck that Mom backed over with the car.
66. Have you ever ridden on a train? The Metro, all the time. The NY Subway. The little Mother Goose Train at Holiday World. But never a real one.
67. Favorite subject in school? Math
68. What do you see out your window? Our quiet neighborhood with the yard lights shining on the wet streets.
69. Baths or showers? No thanks. KIDDING!! A bath if it has jets.
70. Name of favorite cousin? Rick. He's serving in Kuwait and I chatted with him yesterday. Man, I love the internet.
71. Worst movie you ever saw? Cannonball Run. Or Flight Plan.
72. Biggest change this past year? Bought a house. In Virginia
73. What hurts you the most? People who are lost, but think they are "good".
74. Biggest regret? No regrets!
75. Person from your childhood that you remember most fondly? Miss Boultinghouse
76. What is the third digit of your current weight? let's say 6
77. How many personal snail mail notes or letters have you sent in the past month? none
78. Favorite form of art? scrapbooks
77. Worst date you ever had? I can't remember a bad one. I'm probably in denial.
78. Second favorite color? black
79. Have you ever met anyone in person that you had first met online? Our landlord in Virginia. People from work.
80. Funniest person you know? Aly or Zak. They are a HOOT
81. Last word you googled? imdb
82. Favorite author? Sue Grafton
83. Favorite fictional character? Jim Qwilleran
84. Last time you ate out? Tonight
85. The hardest thing you have ever done? Remove life support and tell Isaiah to let go.
86. Talent you wish you had? I wish I could play the piano
87. Are you a good cook? Good gravy, no.
88. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, with cheese
89. Favorite vegetable? anything is fine. As long as it has cheese on it
90. Are you a good speller? Yes, I am.
91. What should you be doing right now? That report for work that was due today
92. Pet Peeve: Rude drivers
93. Who is your hero? Jesus
94. Nicest thing that happened to you today? My family invited me out to dinner
95. Favorite way to eat a potato? au gratin (that means with cheese)
96. Do you have a blog? Yes, but no one reads it
97. Is your hair long or short? Medium length. I like it long for a pony tail and short for curls. It's in the middle now.
98. What did you do last night? Played on Webkinz with Aly.
99. Are you glad this is about done? Yes. I'm sleepy. And I still have a report to do.
100. Favorite question? The first one. No one's asked me that before.

What is love?

And let's just get this out of the way before I get all serious on ya, because that Superbowl commercial made it all fresh in your mind.



Now you might know that Mike and I don't normally celebrate Valentine's Day. It's a made-up holiday that gives people the out for not expressing their feelings to loved ones every day. So I thought I would make a list of what I love most. And they are in order of importance this time.

1. God. Yeah, I'll say it. I mean God IS love. It is His very nature. If you are reading this thinking "oh please", let me just say, you don't know what you are missing ... yet.
   For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
   
2. My husband Ah, surprised he came before my kids? Well, I wouldn't have kids if I didn't have him. I have lost a child; I cannot fathom life without my husband. I never thought I could love him more and more every day, but I do. Fifteen years and I can't wait for more.
   
3. My kids Crazy little monkeys that they are. They have taught me so much. I never understood the power of love until Zakary was born. Then, in an instant, I understood my parents' love for me. He's such a grownup now. And Aly is amazing... smart, funny, pretty. I want so much for them.
   
4. My family and friends Mom, Dad, Pam, Jamie, all those assorted cousins. I had a wonderful childhood and it makes me feel so loved to know that I could call any member of my extended family at any time and they would drop everything to be there for me. And I don't keep in touch with many friends from school, but I know this to be true too. One call and we're back together, because of the bond of love.

And Mike did bring me chocolates this year. Fifteen years. He's still learning.

Blog Challenge: Our Song

From my friends at ScrapFreak: Do you and a special someone in your life share a special song? It could be your husband, boyfriend, best friend, mom, etc. On your blog, share why that person is special to you and then share the lyrics to your song. Share a photo of the two of you as well if you want! A song can really connect two people and sometimes put into words what we feel in our hearts.

Mike and I saw Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and loved the theme song. We overcame many obstacles to be together, and the lyrics mean a lot to us. This was our first dance at our wedding reception too.



Everything I Do, I Do It For You - Bryan Adams

Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Blog Challenge - Firsts

From our friends at ScrapFreak

So it's the first of the year. Let's talk about firsts.

What was your first...
1. concert? Kenny Marks, with Sherri (no, not Richard Marx)
2. car? 1974 bright yellow Chevy Vega hatchback (apparently one of the Worst Cars of All Time); the car that shuttled Sherri and me to college and last automatic I drove for a long time (see #38 on my list of 100 things)
3. job? babysitting for the Metzgers, but the "real" one was at the Boonville DQ, about the time they introduced the Blizzard (see #31 on my list of 100 things)
4. scrapbook layout about? a church Mother's Day celebration
5. grade teacher's name? Mrs. Harris (see #7 on my list of 100 things)
6. pet? I'm not sure which came first ... Cottony the white (deaf) cat, Lacey the hunting beagle or Tiger the yellow tom.
7. vacation as an adult? Rye NH, with Sherri. This was the first time I went on a plane and the first vacation I paid for myself (with all that cash from working at Anchor all summer with Daddy ... and Anchor is the company that made the world's largest US flag in 1980
8. boyfriend's name? Ben, but I broke up with him on Valentine's Day because I wanted a different date for the Jr. Prom
9. living arrangement after moving out of your parents' home? Potter Hall at WKU, if a dorm counts. I got an off-campus apt the summer after my Sophomore year
10. scrapbook message board to be a member on? Scrapchat on EZBoard (now full of popups, so no linky for you). I was a member in good standing when I was suddenly banned and no one would return my messages. I think I wasn't scrapping enough. But now, there is only one place for me :)

2008 Blog Challenge

Well, I haven't scrapped in months, but I still lurk over at ScrapFreak, and here's a challenge I can still do. Answer these questions for 2008. If you do it on your blog, be sure to leave a comment so I can check it out.

1. Will you be looking for a new job?
Aw, heck no. I just got a promotion and a raise. It wouldn't be nice to leave now.

2. What will you do different in '08?
Um, try not to fall down so much?

3. New Year's Resolution(s)?
Lose weight, of course. This time it is mandated by the doctor. I've been thinking of doing hip hop abs.

4. Any trips planned?
See #2 ... I never plan to trip. OH. Um, yes, to Indiana to see my new nephew, once he breaks out. Mike wants to go to Gatlinburg. I'd love to go to a Beaches resort.

5. Wedding plans?
Beau and Tara are getting hitched in September and Mike is officiating.

6. Baby plans?
See #4. A nephew and a (probable) niece are on the way.

7. Major thing on your calendar?
Well, I can't find a calendar like I had last year. It had the dates down the side and then five columns, which I used for each member of my family (the pets had to share a column). Once I find a calendar, it will be full of kid activities and church meetings.

8. What can't you wait for?
Jesus to come back. No guarantees it will be in 2008, but I'm praying.

9. What would you like to see happen different?
Not sure how this is different from #2 unless its hoping for something out of my control. And I like to be in control.

10. What about yourself will you be changing?
See #3, my weight.

11. What happened in '07 that you didn’t think would ever happen?
I will say that the year passed much faster than expected. I can't believe we moved here OVER a year ago.

12. Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
I couldn't possibly BE any nicer, are you kidding?!

13. Will you dress differently in '08 than you did in '07?
Well, I hope to buy smaller clothes. Seems like brown is the new black. Purple is back in. I bought really high heels for this winter.

14. Will you better your relationship with your family?
Good gravy. See #12. I'm perfect!

15. Will you do volunteer work?
Yes, through church, work, and just on our own. Visiting the homeless shelter was really eye opening.

16. Do you expect '08 to be a good year for you?
No, it will probably be awful :P Of course! It is going to be our best year ever!

17. How much did you change from this time last year til now?
I'm definitely a Virginia driver. All those differences I blogged about (twice) don't seem like such a big deal anymore. I did just notice another one as we drove back from Indiana though ... there are fewer stars in the sky here.

18. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
No. I plan to alienate them all.

19. Major lifestyle changes?
We plan to stop living out of boxes.

20. Will you be moving?
See #19. We're still not done from the last one.

21. What will you make sure doesn't happen in '08 that happened in '07?
See #2 & #20. No trips or moves.

The Blog Year in Review

Now, I did this last year and only included a summary of the first blog post of each month. That really doesn't tell you what happened all year, so this time I'll include a quick synopsis of posts. Remember, I'm a less than faithful blogger, so this still is not going to cover all of our life events, but at least you get the flavor of our 2007.

• January: We had our hors d'ourve party for New Years and I committed to fit in the bridesmaids dress for Pam's wedding (see July for results). Zak became a teenager and punched someone. I scrapped, I traveled and ranted about traveling.
  
• February: Mike & Aly got glasses, Mike got a coaching job, I admitted to clinical depression and we scrapped some more. The big story ... before I went to visit Jamie in Bloomington, I fell down the escalator at the Metro station.
  
• March: Aly is a genius but doesn't know how to sit on the bed without falling off and lacerating her scalp. I didn't blog much.
  
• April: Nana and Pawpaw came to visit. You learned 100 things about me on my birthday.
  
• May: The RAV4 got crashed and I really didn't blog much.
  
• June: Zak played volleyball, Aly played piano and I played videos from YouTube. I traveled a lot and complained a lot about it. Ok, so I was attempting to be humorous on those posts. My iPod broke.
  
• July: Mike got a job at a church, I got a promotion, and Jamie got a peanut. The kids went to Boonville, Mike & I went to NYC and we all saw Ms. Pammie get married (and I fit in the &^%$ dress). My iPod lives but Zak's died.
  
• August: Light on blog posts, but I got official notice of my promotion.
  
• September: The kids went back to school, Mike & I went to see the Dolphins play the Redskins and we all had fun at the church retreat. Another crash happened to the RAV4 and I hung with the kids at the pool for a few days. The drama began with the mortgage for our new house.
  
• October: I worked, I traveled, I saw the Redskins again. We closed on the house.
  
• November: I have high cholesterol. We still have moving boxes. The holidays begin.
  
• December: Merry Christmas, and another blow (literally) to the knees.

Yeah, I could have linked all those back but if you want to remember that bad, use the search box up there at the top of the page. :P