You May Not Know...

A few random things you may not know about me:

*I can't stand to have the TV on all day.  As soon as the kids go to school, I turn it off.  Lily doesn't watch any TV yet.  The only time I watch it is when I run on the treadmill and when my husband and I hang out at night. TV background noise drives me CRAZY!

*I was a vegetarian from the time I was 8 years old until I was 21 years old.  I do eat some meat now, but avoid most of it.  Poultry and pork is it for me!

*I am a really fast reader.  I used to be able to easily finish a book in a few hours.  Unfortunately, my schedule doesn't leave much time for that anymore.  I also type really fast.  Often faster than my thoughts flow out!

*I am usually on the go from the time I wake up until the time the kids go to bed.  Even if I feel tired, I still have a lot of energy.  I have a difficult time sitting still!

*I don't drink.  I despise the taste of alcohol, and I hate the way it makes me feel. 1-2 drinks a year, tops, is my limit!

*I love musical theater.  Before we had kids, Grant and I performed in many shows together.  There is no time for that anymore, but I have to say, I really miss it!  I get my fill by singing along to soundtracks in the car!

*As a teenager/young adult, I rode my horse every single day.  Even when it was below zero, above 100 degrees, and even with a concussion and with my ankle in a brace!  I can't even tell you the last time I rode my horse.  It is very difficult to coordinate a good time for me to go to the stable alone to ride.  I always say that when my children are adults, I will buy another horse and begin riding every day again!

*I have a very low pain tolerance and a bad tolerance to medication.  Half a dose of my migraine medication gives me the jitters.

*I get very anxious when I have to drive on snow-covered roads.  I used to be okay with it until about 10 years ago, when Grant and I got stuck in a blizzard, driving home from Virginia.  Driving through the mountains, in a state that was technically shut down due to bad weather, was a terrifying experience.  By the time we made it anywhere near a hotel, we were almost home, so we kept going.  To this day, I get nauseous and shaky when the snow sticks to the roads!

*I constantly worry about my kids.  Constantly.

*I am very OCD about having the house cleaned up.  Clutter drives me crazy.  It is a constant battle keeping it the way I prefer!

*I did very well in school. I always carried a GPA above 4.0. Learning came easily to me.  Many people can't believe that I didn't end up with a huge career.  I, however, consider my current job pretty incredible.  Money would be nice, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I do keep my mind active, though.  I always stay on top of current events, research many things, and try to read and do a crossword puzzle every day.  I have to nurture my inner nerd! 

*I love dolphins.  Swimming with them on our honeymoon was an amazing experience.

*I despise gory movies.  Just watching them makes me sick to my stomach!

*I have a really hard time telling people no (except my kids...ha!).  I need to work on that. 

*I get light-headed when I see a lot of blood or a bad injury.  Quite often, I pass out.  This doesn't work out very well when you have kids!

*My favorite place in the world is the beach.  I don't get there often enough.

*I am almost always cold.  My feet and hands are always freezing.  I hate central air conditioning.  Even in the summer, I need a sweater or sweatshirt if I'm in AC or after it gets dark.

And there you have it!  A rare occasion where I actually talked more about myself than my kids!

Blog Award

I received this award from Erin at Every Day Brings Something New. Thanks, Erin! I love your blog, and appreciate the award!

What I have to do is confess up to five of my current obsessions, and then pass on the award to five bloggers.

* I am obsessed with lip balm/vaseline/lip gloss. My lips can never be bare. If whatever I have on them starts to wear off, I have to reapply immediately, before I go crazy! I have a large tub of vaseline that I take into the living room when I wake up, and keep next to my side while I sleep. On top of that, I always have at least 3 lip balms/glosses in my purse, and 1 in my pocket, at all times.

*I am obsessed with sweets. I could eat them all day long. I have a stash of Swiss Cake Rolls, Banana Twins, and Cosmic Brownies in my closet, and I eat one of those every day!

*I am obsessed with taking pictures. Really. I'm the mamarazzi. I have taken 3000 pictures in the past 6 weeks. I love my current SLR, but I'm ready to upgrade!

*I am obsessed with reading. I always have two magazines and one book going at the same time.

*I am obsessed with buying clothes for my kids. As long as they have closets filled with cute clothes, I'm happy.

Thanks again, Erin, for the award! You are so sweet!

I'd like to pass this award on to:

Jenny at Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Tiffany at Paging Doctor Mommy

Emily at The Pilot's Wife

Erica at Scottsville

Elizabeth at Small Town Blessings

GO MNM

Two of my sisters and I have recently adopted Girls Only Movie Night Monday. Our local movie theater offers $5 movies all day on Mondays, with free popcorn. Can't beat that!

I had a great time the first Monday we went. We saw "The Proposal" and it was so nice to get out with my sisters, without our kids, and just relax and laugh. This Monday was our second night out. I wasn't planning on going, but decided to at the last minute, and I'm so glad I did. We saw "The Hangover" and I haven't laughed that hard in years. Well, except for tonight, when we were watching "Arrested Development" and Grant kept backing up a funny scene over and over again. ;)

You see, I have a supermom complex. I hate leaving my family, and handing over control of the kids. But I'm finding that I really do need the time away. It took 4 1/2 years for me to admit that fact. I need to get out alone so I can keep my sanity and feel like someone other than just a mom. I adore being a mom, and wouldn't change that for anything, but sometimes mom needs a break!

I'm looking forward to our next GO MNM. We need to convince our other sisters and our mom to join us!

Plus, I came home on Monday to a fixed garage door and the kids were in bed. (Way to go, G!) This GO MNM thing is so worth it!

Honest Scrap/10 Things About Me

I received this award from Ali at The Blessed Country Mom. Thanks, Ali!!!

Here's what you have to do: First, you have to tell your readers 10 things about you they may not already know, but are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, you have to let the people you've given the award to, know that they've received this award from you. Finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you.

So, 10 things about me...

1. My 6 sisters named me. My mom wanted to name me Alexandra Kathryn or Kathryn Alexandra, but handed it over to my siblings. I don't think my lone brother cared to be involved. My sisters picked Stefanie Kathryn. I loved the name Alexandra, but gave it a twist: Alexandria. Grant and I had our daughter's named decided on before we were even engaged...and 8 years before she was born!

2. I am closer in age to one of my nephews and two of my nieces than I am to my next youngest sibling. I really was the baby, and became an aunt at the young age of 5.

3. I have a hard time swallowing pills/vitamins. I gag them up. I can usually get one down, but if I have to take more than one, things get difficult. Same goes for liquid medication.

4. I was a vegetarian from the time I was 8 until I was almost 20. Grant convinced me to try meat again. To this day, I eat very little of it, and prefer fruits and vegetables. I also stick to just a few kinds of meat.

5. I am a fainter. Lots of blood? I faint. Bad injury? I faint. Some medical procedures? I faint. I have actually fainted during Dylan's big head wound incident, and after my horse stepped on my toes. With my kids present. I fainted when my dad told me he cut his thumb off. I didn't even see it, but I was imagining it. I have to struggle to keep myself from fainting when my kids get hurt.

6. I have a weak stomach. If I am chewing something and I find an unknown substance, I have to spit it out before I vomit. Say, an eggshell in a cooked egg...that's a common culprit. Or a hard broccoli stem in cream of broccoli soup. I also can't stomach the gross movies my husband watches...they make my stomach turn, and I have to leave the room.

7. I'm not a drinker. I have less than 5 alcoholic drinks a year. I'm just not into drinking, and don't like the taste.

8. My pregnancies were HORRIBLE. I had hyperemesis through both pregnancies, lasting the entire way through. My contractions started before 18 weeks with Dylan, I was in the hospital with pre-term labor at 30 weeks, and had to struggle to keep him in until 35 1/2 weeks. The contractions started at 14 weeks with Lexie, and got progressively worse. Had several scares, but made it until 38 weeks. So, bad morning sickness, early dilation, and pre term labor seem to be my thing.

9. I got great grades in high school, had a GPA over 4.0, and was accepted to many colleges. I hardly ever studied, either. I just did my homework, and had a really good memory. I never actually attended college. It was a last minute decision, which worked out for the best...

10. While taking the year off, to have fun with acting and modeling, I met my husband. We were cast as Adam and Eve in the musical "The Apple Tree, " and our relationship took off. We started dating on 3-21-99...we were engaged on 5-17-99. A little over a year later, in September 2000, we got married. Our minister said that we truly met in the Garden of Eden. We will be celebrating our 9th anniversary this year, and we have two, amazing kids. I'd say that things worked out for the best. ;)

I want to pass on the Honest Scrap Award to (it was so hard narrowing it down to just 10...can I give it to everyone?):

1. Kameron at A Wrinkle in Time
2. Kylee at The Kerby Family
3. Becky at The Holloway Clan
4. Elizabeth at Small Town Blessings
5. Sara at Domestically Challenged
6. Kimmy at baby yahyah
7. Tiffany at Paging Doctor Mommy
8. Erica at Scottsville
9. Julie at Tales of Two Ts
10. Erin at Every Day Brings Something New

I realize that some of you have probably received this award already, and summer is busy, so no pressure. I just didn't want you to go unrecognized! I look forward to reading your blogs every day!

Thanks again, Ali!