Taking a quick break from telling our foster care journey (which will continue next Monday), here’s a little list of some Fun Facts about myself …

1. I am a sucker for containers and organizers. I love them. I use them. I figure out ways to accumulate them.
2. In general, I prefer the look of raw wood over painted wood. Oh, and the smell of wood. aaahh. Home Depot and Lowe’s lumber departments … they smell so good!
3. Speaking of stores and smells, I really like the smell of shoe stores. I went into Payless Shoe Source the other day and absolutely loved the smell of the store. I breathed it in, literally. I’m not sure if it’s the leather, the rubber soles, the canvas shoes, or a combination of it all? Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoy it. Side note – I bought Bro some new shoes while there … size 15! Wowza.
4. My favorite numbers are 2 and 22. But, not 222 or 2,222. Keep it simple. 2 and 22.
5. I dream of doing a nation wide road trip with Papa after the kids move out. It sounds too stressful to do it with kids in such a small of space for long stretches of time. Yes, after they move out sounds like a lovely time to do an RV/trailer road trip.
6. I eat peanut butter almost every single day. It’s pretty rare if I go a day without eating it (whether on toast, in a sandwich, or by the spoonful).
7. I feel fancy when I wear fingernail polish. I don’t wear it often as it always chips or gets messed up on the very first day. But, I do enjoy it while it lasts.
8. I use a “Happy Planner” for my every day to-do list. It has taken me some time to find my groove with it, but I’ve finally found it and it’s amazing. Super simple. No fluff. No stickers. No fancy colored pens or designs. Just my good ol’ mechanical pencil, some check-off boxes, and my planner. Makes my life so much easier to manage!

Here is the latest addition of my Fun Fact Friday series where I share various (and often random) fun facts about myself. Enjoy!

1. I love taking pictures to capture a moment, not to be artsy or creative. I’m all about the memories.
2. I enjoy journaling so I can look back and remember where I’ve been.
3. I naturally have a pretty poor memory, so facts #1 and #2 come in quite handy.
4. Every Tuesday is “Taco Tuesday” for our family. Tortillas (soft or fried), meat, beans, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, ranch dressing, avocados (if we have them), rice and tortilla chips. Yum. It never gets old, which is why we have it every Tuesday.
5. I have love writing utensils. I have a big collection of pencils, pens, sharpies, and such. I usually use my favorites, but I do love a good writing tool. It’s the simple things in life that bring me joy.
6. The hardest habit I have to break in my typing is double-spacing after ending my sentences. With learning to type on an old-school antique typewriter, we had to double-space after a period to give more visual spacing and distinction between sentences. Apparently, only one space is done these days with the beauty of computers. If you find a double-spacing in my writing, now you’ll know why. Double-spacing is a difficult habit to break!
7. If I could own any car right now for free, I just might choose a fancy new 12 passenger van. hahaha! It’s true. I am more than happy and content with what we have (a minivan) … I just think it’d be fun to have a huge rig to drive.
8. Bundling up in a huge fluffy comforter is one of my favorite things to do. Well, unless I’m already too warm and sweaty.
9. One of my favorite card games to play is Wizard. So fun!!
10. Our dryer has been broken for a couple of weeks now, but Papa (with a tiny bit of my help) fixed it this week with the new parts, yay! Mount Laundry, here I come!

Here’s another little list of “fun facts” about me … 🙂

1. My hair is curlier now, than ever before. I like it.
2. I cross my legs, at the knee or ankle, pretty much every time I sit down. It feels weird to have my legs perfectly straight, level, or balanced. I need some angles and imbalance.
3. If I go to a county or state fair, the two foods I purchase more than any other, are elephant ears and cotton candy. Yum!
4. I’m a piler, by nature. I make piles of things all throughout the house. Sometimes this is helpful, sometimes it is not. Most of the time though, it is not.
5. I like to participate in playing card games and board games. One of the most recent board games I played was called “Agricola.” It’s a bit complicated to learn, but it’s worth learning. I really enjoy playing it.
6. I tend to be drawn toward more rustic, cabin, woodsy feeling homes. They have so much character and often make me feel cozy and relaxed.
7. One of my favorite stages of childhood development is the 12 months to 3 years old stage. They are learning new things daily, developing their personalities, still snuggle-up close, and talk so adorably as they learn to communicate. aaah. So cute!!
8. I love laughing, but don’t do it nearly as much as I’d like. I am thankful to be married to a man who makes me laugh, especially when I need it most.
9. I enjoy trying to figure out what the next step in our journey is going to be. We/I plan the path to the best of our ability, but it truly is the Lord who guides our steps. I am eager to see the amazing things He has in store for this year.

Fun Fact Friday:

1. I drink more water throughout the day if I have a straw in my glass.
2. I learned to type on a very old, heavy, black metal typewriter. If I typed too quickly, the key bars entangled before they hit the ink ribbon.
3. Unintentionally, my window blinds are closed more often than they are open. If I open them too early in the day, our house becomes a sauna in the hot sun. However, once the sun passes overhead, I simply forget to open the blinds amidst the hustle and bustle of the day. Therefore, they default to staying closed majority of the time.
4. I have a hard time using and managing digital calendars. I do much better with good old fashioned pen/pencil and a simple $1 calendar.
5. I’m toying with the idea of scrapbooking my hard copy pictures by using a page protector-type method. I am still learning about this concept, but it seems a lot easier than the cutting, trimming, stickers, ribbons, gluing, stencils and background decorating I’ve tried in the past. I’m leaning toward using the companies “Project Life”, “We R Memory Keepers”, or “Simple Stories.” I still have some research to do in order to know what I truly want and/or need. Have any of you tried these methods? Are there any pros and/or cons I should know about them?
6. Our kids earn their “screen time” minutes by completing their daily chores by 9:00am.
7. I prefer viewing a majestic mountain setting over looking at a beautiful ocean view. I like the varying shadows, interesting textures, rich colors and sharp angles that make up a mountain scene. It’s incredibly breathtaking to me. I am blessed to live in a place where I can actually view both, if I so desired.

To God be the Glory, He has created such beauty for us to enjoy!

It’s Fun Fact Friday!

You know what that means? A “fun” list of facts about me, my life, my likes and dislikes, as well as any other random fact I find to be interesting to share with you.

Enjoy!

1. Currently, I am teaching a class about William Shakespeare to 5th and 6th graders at our local homeschool co-op. I am learning so much right along with the students!
2. Papa and I are in our 11th year of homeschooling our crew. Wowza.
3. I love Frixion brand pens. Why, you ask? They are erasable (using friction)! I value being able to use ink while maintaining the flexibility of erasing my (many) mistakes.
4. I don’t especially like the words butt, fart or moist. I disliked even typing them out for this list, haha!
5. Even from a young age, I have dreamed of going to Africa and serving in an orphanage. I have yet to make it there, but still hope to do so some day.
6. My hair is the curliest it has ever been. It amazes me how much it has changed over the years.
7. I am pretty competitive. I can be a gracious loser, but I sure do love (and expect) to win!
8. I love my label maker, laminator, and Costco-sized package of page protectors. They help me organize the chaos in my life. 🙂
9. From as far back as I can remember, I have always planned to have 4 children.  Little did I know, God had different plans and we currently have 6 children in our home (by birth, adoption and foster care). Who knows what the future holds for our family. We may make our plans, but it is the Lord who directs our steps.

To God be the Glory!

When I shared with the Facebook world that I wasn’t going to be on there for a year, I was shocked to find a theme among many of the comments: Fun Fact Fridays.

I had no idea, but many of my friends and family enjoyed my weekly “Fun Fact Friday” posts. On Fridays, I would share random “fun facts” about myself. Sometimes they were silly or practical, involved childhood memories, or listed various things I liked or disliked. They were always meant to be engaging (maybe we’re exactly the same or polar opposites!) and also to help others catch a little glimpse into my life.

Earlier this week, it dawned on me, I can do Fun Fact Fridays on the blog!

So, here is my very first Fun Fact Friday list for the 2017 year, enjoy!

1. I like chewing gum, especially the minty flavors.
2. When I was little, I had more fun setting up the Barbie’s house, clothes, furniture and hair, than actually playing with the Barbies (talking for them, creating stories and scenarios, etc.).
3. I had Bell’s Palsy when I was 9 years old. It lasted for about 4-5 weeks.
4. I love eating Grape Nuts, especially when they are extra crunchy, drowning in milk, and with a sprinkle of sugar on top. I try to eat them quickly so they don’t get soggy.
5. I know it’s a common fear, but I really do not enjoy heights. Watching people stand on the edges of cliffs, bridges and buildings freaks me out. My heart starts to race and have a strong urge to grab them before they fall.
6. Unknowingly in the moment, I will stare at people when I am really thinking or processing something. My kids can tell when I am writing/typing something of value if I blankly stare at any one of them without saying anything. haha!
7. Even though we live in a warmer climate, my hands and feet are often cold.
8. Dove milk chocolate is my favorite chocolate. So smooth and creamy.