30 Things

Here are 30 things about me. I'm afraid I may be a little too candid here, but anyway, here it goes. Don't judge me too harshly!

1 I love the outdoors. If I'm inside I like the shads open and letting in the light so I can "feel" the outside. Weird, huh?

2 Loving the outdoors like I do, most of my favorite things happen outside; hiking rock climbing, swimming, camping...

3 I cannot play any sport that involves a ball. Not tennis, softball, football, pool, ping-pong, basketball, the list goes on.

4 I only like to watch sports if I actually know a player or coach. If I don't personally know anyone on the team I have no desire to watch, but if I do I am such a fan and can get really wrapped up in a game!

5 I'm not afraid of anything. Things I don't want to touch or think too much about, yes. But afraid? Nope.

6 I love being alone. A quiet place with no one around is my idea of heaven. I think that's why I love the wilderness.

7 I am a terrible house keeper. I have little places that I like to always keep tidy, but the rest of my house doesn't get touched until we have company.

8 Part of me loves to get all decked out with awesome hair, make-up, clothes, and cute shoes. But when I do I always feel a little guilty, vain, and wicked, like I'm doing it for attention. Whenever I look in the mirror and think "Man, I look GOOD!" there is this little war going on in my head trying to decide if I should. So it doesn't happen often. I know- I'm crazy.

9 Although I think of myself as young, at the rip old age of 30 I have arthritis. My knee aches and makes awful sounds when I bend it, my fingers get stiff, and my shoulder is a wreck. It's the one thing that makes me feel really old sometimes.

10 I am not a hugger. I don't really like to be touched very much, the exception being my husband and little babies. I love to cuddle with Josiah or snuggle a baby, but everyone else can stay at arms length most of the time.

11 I like to exercise. And if I'm bored, or can't think of anything else to do I just randomly do some sit-ups or wall-sits until I think of something else.

12 I LOVE to read. As a child books were full of my best, and sometimes only, friends. Like movies, only the enjoyment last for days instead of minutes!

13 I love action movies. I hate swearing and gore, so I usually have to wait for TV edited versions, but I like a good action flick better than romance or comedy.

14 When I was a kid I wished I was a boy. I thought they got to have way more fun! Now I know that I can be a lady and have fun- they aren't mutually exclusive!

15 I like candy bars and my favorite is always changing. In fact, I don't have a favorite for most things... That would be way to boring!

16 I like to cook, but not at my own house. My kitchen is painfully small and then I have to cleanup after all the cooking, so although I'm a pretty fantastic cook, I don't do it very often.

17 I think furniture should be pretty, not just functional. I would rather go without a sofa than have an ugly one.

18 I love fine art. Once upon a time I did lots of artsy stuff. Now I just think fondly of a day when my life won't be filled with diapers, laundry, homework, scouts, and all the millions of other things that get priority now. Someday I'll sculpt, paint, draw and craft to my heart's content. Now I just hope that the stuff I managed to make in the past doesn't get trashed by my adorable, but hyper, kids.

19 In May my husband and I will celebrate 11 years of marriage. He is my best friend in the whole world.

20 I'm not very good at making friends. I'm shy, in a loud way, and I tend to put my foot in my mouth when I talk to people... so yeah, I'm working on that.

21 I hated High School. It was the worst 4 years of my life. Thank goodness for good people who helped me through it, and THANK GOODNESS that what you are in High School doesn't have to be who you are for the rest of your life!

22 Blue and green are my favorite colors, usually.

23 I have four adorable children. Some days are great and I think I'll have a dozen more. Others I think "What was I thinking! Can I return these?" I have no idea if we'll have more or not. Right now I'm just trying to figure out how to be a good mom to the ones I've got. Ask me again in a few years.

24 I think life is pretty hard. It's not always fun. It's lonely, and sad, and confusing sometimes. Some days you may wish you were never born. I've struggled with depression in my life, but this is what I've learned: The happy moments make it all worth while. Cling to them! Hope for them! Don't give up on them! Today is NOT forever. And dwelling on the misery will not make you feel any better! Find a happy thought and keep moving forward. It'll get better someday, I promise.

25 I think most people are basically good. I think even the ones who do things we don't like or hurt us are wither clueless, damaged, or have some misguided idea motivating them. I like to think that everyone does the best with what they've got and I hope others will be understanding when I'm a bonehead sometimes.

26 I love animals, but I'm lazy. I don't really like to take care of them all the time. I like the idea in cartoons where the animals are wild and take care of themselves, but area friendly, so you can hold them and pet them when you want. Too bad real life isn't like that. You want the cute and cuddly buddy, you got to put in the work.

27 Someday I'm going skydiving. I have no idea when. My time and money are pretty much all accounted for these days, but it will happen!

28 I love food. Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Sushi, greasy cheeseburgers with grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon and extra cheese. And brownies, and pie, and cookies... This is why I love exercising, otherwise I would weigh 300 lbs. Food is yummy.

29 I'm a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If you don't know that about me, well, I am! And I like to think it's a part of who I am, not just a place I go each Sunday. I believe it's made me a better person, more loving, more understanding, more helpful, more honest, more forgiving. Of course, I have days were I'm not those things as much as I should be, but it's a process. As long as I'm a little better today than yesterday, or this week than last week, I'm moving in the right direction. Thanks to my Heavenly Father for His Son, Jesus Christ, and His atonement and forgiveness. Heaven knows I need it!

30 I've run out of things to tell you. Sure, there are a lot more things about me to share, but I'll save them or another day. Also, I can't think of a good one to wrap it all up, so that's all you get. I hope you don't think I'm too crazy after you've read all of this! :-)