Fast Fact Friday

It's Friday!!  Who doesn't love Friday?  It's like the best day of the week, and something we look forward to every week....the start of the WEEKEND!!

Today's topic:  The Early Years:

1. Where did you grow up?  Lewisville, TX

2.  What is your earliest memory?  It seems like everything that comes to mind for this question happened when I was about 5 (maybe 4-6).  

• I remember watching TV with my uncle one night and he was eating Doritos.  Apparently I wanted some, but rather than ask for some I just went up and took the bag from him.  He got really mad and swatted my butt!  I think it really hurt my feelings more than anything else, but he was always my scary uncle.  It could be too because he always talked so loud. LOL
• I remember when, I think I was 5 or 6,  my mom took my to my grandmother's hair dresser and they tricked me and I came out with that stupid Dorothy Hamill hair cut!  My hair had been 3 quarters down my back....I was MAD!
• I remember riding home from my grandparents house, lying in the back hatch of my dad's 1966 Corvette at night looking at stars. 

3.  What are some of your favorite childhood memories?  

• Going to the baseball games with my dad and uncles and cousins.  It's part of why I love baseball today!  Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Cheverolet!
• Going to the cabin in Lake Tahoe with my grandparents and cousins every summer.  My grandfather making pancakes for breakfast, making card houses, getting ice cream on the beach and lying in a hammock under these huge pine trees.
• The tree swing at my grandparents house...and the vegetable garden. Snapping peas with my grandmother while she watched Days of Our Lives.  Eating a big slice of watermelon in the back yard in the summer, and juice running down your arms, then grandpa hosing us off before we could go inside.  Oh and picking strawberries and eating them right out of the patch!

4. Which schools did you attend?

• Hedrick Elementary (K-4)
• Lakeland Elementary (5)
• Hedrick Middle School (6)
• Delay Middle School (7-8)
• Marcus High School (9-10)
• Lewisville High School (11-12)

5. Who were some of your best friends?  (Do you still keep in touch with them?)

• My first best friend in Kindergarten was Terri N.  (We don't really keep in touch, but are facebook friends).
• Later when I started playing soccer (3rd grade) I was best friends with Amy S.  (We don't keep in regular touch, but again are facebook friends, and occasionally do call or text  and can talk for hours). 
•  Through middle school it was Michelle C.  (We don't really keep in touch, but are facebook friends).
• The summer before 5th grade is when I met Janice, and we kind of had a rocky start and didn't really like each other at first.  But by middle school we were BFFs and have been ever since.  We still do stuff together and talk almost every day!

What do you remember from your "early years"?  Leave your comments or link to your blog below.

Tell Your Story Tuesday...Challenge #11

Perfectly Imperfect

This week’s challenge is another deep thinking one.  The hardest part in this challenge really, is to truly be honest. We are all human, and therefore imperfect. It’s hard to embrace our imperfections sometimes. We want others to think we are perfect, right?  But it’s okay to embrace our imperfections, as much as it’s okay to admit that we’re doing pretty good in other areas as well!
What are 5 things you have (or almost have) perfected? What are 5 things you are far from perfect in?

(almost) perfect…

• Cooking – I like to cook and I’m one of those people that always use a recipe as a “guideline.”  I usually try to customize it to fit things my family likes, like omit onions or add garlic, etc.  I ALWAYS use more spices than most call for.  It seems to me a lot of time, especially those you find on the internet or a church cookbook seem to be a bit bland for us.  I like to bake too, those you can’t play with too much, but my family loves when I bake.

• Making Lists – I’m a list girl.  For one thing, if I don’t write something down I tend to forget about it.  Plus I love getting check something off that has been accomplished, it makes me feel productive.

• Crafts – I love crafting.  I have gone through spurts where I’ll do one craft a lot, then try something else and get all addicted to that, then just stop for a while and not do anything.  But I’ve tried lots of different things, and with instruction I can usually do a pretty good job of it.  Plus I like being able to say “I made that myself.”   Although I can always find flaws in my stuff, most people are always impressed with my creations.  I guess I’m my own worst critic.

• Washing My Hands – I’m almost OCD about this.  I wash my hands at least 20 times a day.  Before I start cooking, after I get home from someplace, after using the restroom, after cleaning.  I don’t know maybe I’m a  germaphobe, but I will say, I hardly ever get sick.

• Cleaning My House – I’m not talking about scrub the baseboards, spotless clean, but I try hard to at least keep everything picked up and presentable.  I cannot stand to leave dishes in my sink, I vacuum twice a week, swish the toilets often and wipe down the sink and counters.  With 2 teenagers, it’s not always an easy feat.

• Yelling – This wasn’t my answer, I asked my kids for suggestions while making this list and both of them said this and didn’t know the other had offered it up.  I do not yell all the time, they exaggerate…but maybe if they’d pick up after themselves once in a while.

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(far from) perfect…

• Budgeting – I make a budget every month.  My problem is actually FOLLOWING it.  It seems to turn out more of a track my spending kind of thing.  I can tell you where all of my money is going….it’s just not always where it’s SUPPOSE to be going.

• Exercising Regularly – I go through spurts, where I will exercise pretty regularly for a while…then I forget, or get busy and there goes my good habit.  Then I’ll go weeks before even doing it again.  I wish this was something I could get addicted to, like lip balm or baseball.

• Listening – I think I’m ADD, and I am horrible at actually sitting quietly and listening.  Someone will be talking to me, and something they will triggers a response and I have a hard time waiting til the end to give it without interrupting.  And if I do wait….I usually forget what it was when it’s my turn.  Or if I’m in the middle of doing something and someone tries to tell me something, I have a hard time stopping mid-task and giving my full attention, then I’ve missed half of the story.  If you know me, I’m sure I’ve probably done this to you and I’m sorry.

• Multi-tasking – I use to think I was good at this….I’m really NOT.  I’ve come to realize that when I’m trying multi-task, none of those tasks are really getting my full attention.  So then one gets partially done, while I start another, then I flip back and forth, taking twice as long to finish….or each is only getting a partial effort and I’m not really giving a good quality product….like that listening thing.

• Calling My Parents – I really stink at this.  They both live within about 15 miles of me, but I hardly see them or even talk to them.  I just get busy doing my own thing and when I get free time, I don’t usually use it to talk on the phone.  I need to start making more of an effort.  I don’t want my kids to grow up and ignore me…treat others and all that.

• Cleaning My House – I have 2 teenagers…it’s an effort to keep the house clean.  And I don’t dust every week or scrub the baseboards.  I have too much stuff in my house, so you run out of places to keep things, or there’s that spot on the bar that tends to collect mail and sunglasses and keys.  There are rooms I try not to even walk into if I can help it (the girls rooms), my closets aren’t neat.  I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever try to sell my house…

What about you...what are your perfect imperfections?

Link up and play along.

Fast Fact Friday

Here's another challenge I'll try to randomly complete as I have time.

It's all about recording your personal history, I'm not sure what exactly I will do with that, but it does get you thinking, and it would be fun to look back on later.  Feel free play along, but don't feel obligated, post your link in the comments, I'd love learn some Fast Facts about you too!

Today's Theme:  Today’s theme is religion.  For many, religion is central to how life is lived, and it’s important to record this!  

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1.  What is your religion? Christian

2.  How did you come to be a part of that religion? I was raised Catholic and always considered myself a Christian, but later joined the Baptist church and recognize a need for a much deeper personal relationship with God.

3.  How has your religion helped you in your life? I think it helps me through difficult times.  God never promises that we won't have trouble, in fact He points out that we will, but that He will bring us through.  He protects me and gives me hope to look toward a time past my strife, strength to get through it and peace while on my journey.  I am 100% confident that I am never facing my problems alone and that He will get me through them.  Nothing is impossible for God.  Ever notice how something seems SOOOO hard while you're going through it, but then later you can remember it and think..."that really wasn't that hard now that I think about it." and are able to encourage others through something similar?  Or how you somehow narrowly escape some dangerous situation, that you statistically shouldn't have?  Only God.  He is able.

4.  What religious ceremonies have your completed or participated in? I got baptized the first time when I was about 6, Then being raised Catholic I attended Sunday School each week and went through my first communion.  Unfortunately I pulled away some in my teen years and never completed confirmation.  However, when I came back to Christ later I did recommit and get re-baptized again in October 2006.

5.  What do you love best about your religion?  What I love about the christian religion is the fact that everyone is welcomed.  My pastor is so awesome and admits his own "human-ness" all the time.  He does not judge.  The good thing is that God can use ANYONE, and in most cases He chooses to use the weak and sinners, to accomplish His miracles, and demonstrate our need for Him.  So others will know that an unlikely or impossible feat could be ONLY GOD.  We all have flaws, and problems, but the good news is that nothing is impossible for Him who gives us strength!