I've Been Tagged

This is for Amy and Robin, sorry it took so long.

I've Been Tagged!
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago: That would be January 1998, Mark and I were dating, I was living in Cincinnati doing and internship for graduate school (which I never finished). Teaching gospel doctrine and working at the Cincinnati Zoo. Wait a minute! This is all sounding very familiar, I guess I took a 10 year break in my life and now I'm picking up where I left off.

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. Finally do this post
2. Take a nap
3. Go to my last animal handling training at the zoo.
4. Do the dishes
5. Fold the laundry

Snacks I enjoy:

1. Hot Chocolate and Graham crackers
2. Salted almonds (with or without chocolate)
3. Artichoke dip
4. Chips and homemade salsa

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Pay off our debt
2. Buy the farm of my dreams
3. Make sure my parents and in laws could retire comfortably
4. Take Jackson to the "heart of Africa"
5. Make sure my friends and family had what they needed

3 of my bad habits:

1. Procrastination
2. Saying things I later regret
3. Clutter

5 places I have lived:

1. Slidell, LA
2. St. Cloud, FL
3. Provo, UT
4. Cincinnati, OH
5. Bronx, NY

5 jobs I have had:

1. Farm hand in an orange grove
2. Early AM janitorial at the BYU Tanner Bldg
3. Cincinnati Zoo, Misc. teaching jobs
4. Wheeler Historic Farm Camp Counselor
5. Naturalist for Cincinnati Parks

5 things people don't know about me:

1. Played soccer as a kid
2. I went to a Milli Vanilli concert in high school
3. I was stung by a Man o War while snorkeling in the Keys
4. I always got teased for being so pale
5. Sorry, that's about all I've got. I'm pretty much an open book.

I tag David, Sara Craven and Julie.

I Should Have Known

I should have known it was going to be a bad day when I woke up at 3 am and there were 4 in the bed instead of 2.

I should have known when I got all the kids up this morning, fed them breakfast and then found out there was no school.

I should have known when after a sustained amount of silence (I know, I should know better) I walked into the kitchen to find this:

I should have known when all this happened before 9:30 am.

If that wasn't enough to give you a laugh try these...

Savanna: Mom! I won't go to bed unless I have candy!

Mom: Savanna, I don't listen to ultimatums.

Savanna: You don't listen to tomatoes?


After Mark made some sort of smart comment Jackson said, "Dad, you've got smarties in your pants!"

Resolutions Revisited

Okay, I think I'm ready.
There are two things that I would like to do better this year. The first will allow me to improve a lot of other areas in my life such as exercise, scripture study, cleaner house, etc. And what is this miracle resolution? Getting the kids to bed on time. You see, the reason Mark and I don't accomplish the things we want to is because by the time the kids are asleep (notice I did not say in bed.) all we want to do is veg in front of the TV or just talk to each other (I know, a novel idea). So, by the time we go to bed it is midnight and then we don't want to get up early enough to do anything worthwhile. So, with the kids down by 8pm we have 2 whole hours to do non-constructive stuff and then get up before the kids and do the constructive stuff! What do you think about that?! The hard part is actually doing it, but it's a great theory.

The second thing I want to do this year is be more involved. I want to practice what I preach and "stand strong and immovable" for what I believe in. I thought I'd start by sharing some websites with you that I feel are worthwhile.

www.cp80.com This is an organization that fights internet pornography by pushing for change in legislation so that you could choose whether you want porn on your computer just like you choose if you want HBO on your television. I love this idea of protecting freedom of speech while also protecting my right not to have unwanted sites in my home. I think with enough people fighting for it it could happen.

www.purefashion.com "Pure Fashion is a faith-based program that encourages teen girls to live, act, and dress in accordance with their dignity as children of God. Pure Fashion focuses on guiding young women ages 14 to 18 to become confident, competent leaders who live the virtues of modesty and purity in their schools and communities." (I love this!)

I am completely out of my comfort zone with this. It's not something that comes naturally but I feel like it's something I need to do. Please feel free to share ideas and encouragement, that's what blogs are for, right?

Resolutions

Resolutions. That word brings fear and dread to my heart. Actually, I take that back. It all depends on my mood. Today it does. When I'm feeling overwhelmed. When I feel in control and hopeful I love making resolutions. Maybe I should wait...I think I will.