Answers...

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I’m task-oriented and find it hard to relax unless my work is done. I have a several questions hanging over my head that I still need to answer from this post, so here goes. And Julie, I skipped yours (for now) because your question requires it’s own post.

Carrie asked me to introduce you to my siblings, wondered what my major was in college, and asked what I would do if I weren’t a stay at home mom.

I am the oldest of three children in my family. I have a sister, M, who is fifteen months younger, and a brother, JP, who is about 4 years younger. They are both married and live in Arkansas. I’m being purposefully vague to respect their privacy!

And about my college major. Well, I started out in Business Administration, thinking I might like marketing. I hated all my business classes, and my grades are reflective of that dislike. I really love history, so I gave that a shot too, but my dad who was footing the bill at the time convinced me that unless I wanted to teach, a degree in history was useless. I ended up majoring in Religious Education. Let me be clear that this is NOT a teaching degree. I am thankful that God calls some to teach, but I am definitely not one of them. It really is more of a church education/administrative degree. I chose Religious Ed because I thought it complemented John’s pastoral ministry well and it was something I was interested in at the time. I often joke that I should hang my framed diploma in the laundry room where I can view it daily and remind myself that I really am trained to do something besides laundry.

What would I do if I weren’t a stay-home mom? Well, I’d cry a river of tears. If I ever do go back to work, which I hate to think about, but is probably likely in the next few years, I probably won’t do anything that would use my degree. And I have no idea what I might do. If I could do anything, I’d love to be a librarian. I love books and I love order, and the two just go hand in hand. I also think I’d like to be a meteorologist because I am fascinated by weather. I wish there was a way to do/be those things without having to return to school.

Moving right along, Susan wants to know what I am passionate about.

A couple of things come to mind here. I’m passionate about my family and home and living simply. I’m passionate about recording the story of our lives (primarily through scrapbooking/journaling), and I’m passionate about my faith in Christ, and teaching my children to know and love Jesus.

Jenn asks… Through your posts on your ornaments I know you like to travel. Where is your favorite place to visit? And if you could travel anywhere (money and time not a factor), where would it be?

Easy. My favorite place to visit is Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado. I love, love, love that place and never tire of visiting there.

If I could travel anywhere, I would choose Italy. I doubt I could get enough of the history, the art, the architecture, and the food! It would be the trip of a lifetime!

My friend, Renee, who is going to hike Pikes Peak with me this year, wants to know… What's your biggest pet peeve? What has been your most embarrassing moment? In what way is your life different from how you expected it to be when you graduated from college?

My biggest pet peeve is waiting on people. I think if you tell someone you’ll be there at 4:15, then you need to be there at 4:15. Sure, there are reasons that prevent us from being on time, but I strive to be respectful of other people’s time, and I appreciate it when people return the favor. Another big peeve is stepping in something wet when I’m wearing socks. Really, Renee, I have many pet peeves, and when I experience something that bugs me, it usually gets bumped to the top of my “biggest pet peeve list”.

I don’t know how to choose my most embarrassing moment because I have so many. There’s the time I asked a lady when her baby was due only to find out she wasn’t pregnant. Believe me, I really needed the earth to open and swallow me whole at that moment. Another time I was going somewhere with my friend’s youth group and we had a long bus ride. Unbeknownst to me, I sat on some chocolate candy that melted and got all over my jeans and looked like I sat in something much more disgusting. I didn’t have a change of clothes, so I had to walk around like that much of the day. I was sixteen and mortified. Truthfully, embarrassing stuff happens to me all the time. Just last week I called my friend while I was running an errand. I thought I was talking to her husband and that he was being obstinate when he kept telling me that “J” wasn’t there and that I had the wrong number. I finally said, “Okay, would you please cut it out and just let me talk to her already”. Turns out I really had the wrong number and I hung up really fast. I’m smart like that.

Lastly, I was 25 and had been married almost 5 years when I graduated from college, and I don’t know that my life has really turned out too differently than I expected. I guess I thought that I’d be married to a pastor forever, and that is different now. I didn’t realize how much I’d love each of my children, and how different they would each be. I probably didn’t expect to live in Colorado one day. And I probably didn’t realize how incredibly blessed I would be. I really, really am blessed