10 Things...

This post is in honor of Hailey Kemper, who asked us to write 10 things about ourselves that most of you don't already know. It's actually an award, and I am pleased to accept this, Hailey! I tend to speak before I think, so my life is somewhat of an open book. I will try to dig deep to come up with the 10 nuggets of truth!! Perhaps, I will try to go in chronological order to keep myself on track.

1. I ate a Christmas ball when I was probably a little over 1 year old. It was one of those old-fashioned metaly things. I was crunching away on this ball when my poor mom found me. The doctor told my mom to give me bread and watch me. I guess this may be where my addiction to eating began....

2. In kindergarten, I stole blocks AND convinced the other girls to steal them as well. If asked why we did it, we were to say we got them for our sisters. We put them in the pockets of our peter pan blouses. My parents found out, and I think I probably got spanked. I also had to return the blocks to Mrs. Elam, our teacher, along with a note my parents had written about forgiveness. After Mrs. Elam read the note, she tore it up (which the instructions on the note said to do) to symbolize that when you ask forgiveness, Jesus remembers your sin no more. Obviously made a big impression on me.

3. In 4th grade, Mrs. Emmrich asked me to sing "Trust and Obey" as part of our chapel program. That was the beginning of my love to sing.

4. I was in the Charlotte Children's Choir for a good while. We wore plaid skirts, red vests, and ties. Despite the wonderful attire, I thoroughly enjoyed singing with them (soprano) and can still remember alot of the songs by heart.

5. After years of taking piano lessons, I quit and regret it to this day. My parents still supported me in the decision, and I am thankful they didn't force me to continue even knowing now that I wish I had continued.

6. I knew I was going to marry Patrick the first time I saw him, and I didn't even know his name. That is another story, and some of you may not believe it, but it's true!

7. I never wanted to be a nurse growing up. Even starting college, I was taking classes that were prerequisites to the physician assistant program. My sophomore year, the PA program was changed to a Masters level degree. It is then I decided to major in nursing, as this would open up a wide range of opportunities.

8. In high school, Pastor Mike taught some P.E. classes. I remember running through a park near the school with him leading us. I enjoyed it, and I began running at home. I never really did much at all until two years ago. I got the nike+ system, and I started running around our neighborhood, slowly increasing the time and distance. Since getting pregnant and having Jonah, I would probably keel over trying to do this. I'm tired of making excuses, and I want to fulfill that dream of mine to be a runner. A real one, not one that does a few laps and is done. No wonder my favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31...

9. If money were no issue, I would open a cutesy shop with unique gifts, monogramming, etc and a coffee shop connected. It would be located downtown somewhere (either Greenville or Winterville for now) in an old shop. there would be big overstuffed couches and chairs to plop on. It would be a refreshing haven from the business of life. there is more to life than just working 8 to 5.

10. Last but not least, my left front tooth is half fake/half real. The top half is real. The bottom half was cracked off when my dear sister swung a metal ring from a swingset towards me while we were hanging out after school waiting for my mom to get ready to leave. I didn't know it had chipped, and I went inside to ask my mom why my mouth felt so funny. She sorta gasped/screamed, and we got in to see the dentist pretty quickly. I really need to have it redone, but I hate the dentist...


Thanks, Hailey, for providing an activity that was thought-provoking! Hope you all enjoyed my candid tales...