About Me

Some of you say all I do is talk about my kids. Or about books. Or about my family. Or about places I visit. Or about my church. Or about anything other than myself. Well, that's on purpose.

I'm hearing you say that you don't know much about me. Like the things I enjoy doing, the places I enjoy going, the things I like eating, the things I find annoying, the things that motive me, and on and on.

So, enough is enough. Lest I leave anyone wondering any longer what really makes me me, this post is entirely about me. I'm bored already just thinking of how boring this post will be. But I'm finding relief in knowing that at least the pictures will be semi-entertaining because, lucky for me, I don't have self-portraits to include and you'll see my darling kids instead.

Without further adieu, here goes nothing. Here's a glimpse of, ahem, yours truly, based on questions you've asked.

I like to wear the color black. I hope to never wear a maxi dress or a shrug. I never wore red until college because growing up my mom told me I "looked best in cold colors and not warm colors." I don't like wearing sandals because I have ugly feet. My feet could pass as a pair of skis. I wish I could wear jeans and boots everyday. New pajamas make me feel like a million bucks. My hair has never been short - short as in not able to be pony-tailed. I would die without chapstick. Wearing earrings makes me feel pretty. Being tall is my greatest asset because I've discovered height can hide a lot of blemishes. Being tall is my greatest blemish because I've discovered height can highlight my lack of assets. I want to get back into jogging. I don't want to work out - ever.

If I wasn't a stay at home mom, I'd love to be writing again. And if no one would publish me, I'd be a professional organizer. I don't have patience for clutter. I can't relax until a mess is first cleaned. Doing a load of laundry everyday is soothing. I don't allow gadgets in my kitchen unless it serves more than one purpose. Lysol wipes are the greatest invention ever. I'd rather clean toilets than a tile/glass shower. I'm a compulsive Goodwill donor. Organized closets and drawers are my specialty. If you moved a single shirt in my closet and placed it elsewhere in my closet it wouldn't take me long to notice. Dirty dishes belong in the dishwasher and not in the sink or on the counter. The Dust Buster is my best friend. I long for a kitchen island. I need new sheets and towels. I want a Kitchen Aid mixer. Every home should have wood floors.

Fall is my favorite season. Low 70's is the perfect temperature. North Carolina has the best landscape and climate. I'd rather a week at the lake than a week in the mountains or the beach. I enjoy rainy days and love the sound of thunder. Nine times out of ten I'd rather be outside than inside. I don't know how to garden or landscape but I sure wish I did. I can find a cute factor in frogs, toads, turtles, and lizards but snakes deserve the end of my shovel.

If it were physically possible, I could live on pizza and ice cream and strawberries. And Q'Doba. Ice water is my favorite drink. I hate the taste and texture and smell of milk. Nothing beats a grilled burger. I like my steak medium-rare. Sea food is my last choice for eating out. I never had a salad (by choice) until college... and that's only because I realized it was the girly and feminine thing to do. I enjoy baking. I'm not a short-order cook. I think being a picky eater is selfish considering 90% of the world exists on rice and beans and corn. I think that peas and beets are a result of The Fall in Eden.

I can't make myself do crafts because I can't make myself cut a straight line or paint without spilling or imagine an end result while staring at the supplies sitting in front of me. I can't remember the last time I watched a TV show, unless something on PBS Kids counts. I long for the days of reading one book a week again. I prefer nonfiction over fiction. I really like touring homes or looking at pictures of homes and their decor. I can see something and know instantly if I like it or don't like it, but I can't tell you where it should or should not go in my home. Craigslist has partially furnished my home. I look forward to the day I no longer have particle board furniture.

Someday, I'm going to take my family and hop around the globe supporting and encouraging and assisting missionaries who are striving to make Jesus famous in really tough places. If I were given a million dollars of disposable income right now, I'd do everything I could to persuade every person I could that life begins at conception and that every life deserves a chance. Neglected children break my heart. Abused women crush my spirit. My church and its ministries hold a central place in how my time and money are spent. I say I'm willing to suffer for Jesus and his cause but sometimes I wonder if I really would. I am who I am today because of Jesus and his gift of parents that made each day a sacrifice so that I could learn and be and do.

I love the chance to be a mom. I love, even more, the privilege to be a wife. I wonder what it will be like to be married longer than I was ever single. My husband and kids reveal the ugliest parts of me. My husband and kids are the innocent recipients of my ugliness. My husband and kids love me nonetheless. I've known Jesus personally for 29 years. Unfortunately, I've followed Jesus intentionally for a lot less. Waking up each morning is an undeserved gift. Breathing each day is undeserved favor. Resting each night is undeserved kindness. Enjoying the multitude of blessings in between is exponential grace and mercy.

And this concludes my longest soliloquy ever. I think I've answered most every question and then some. Are we still friends?