100 Things About Me

Okay, so Alison tagged me to do this blog, so here we go..

1. I was born in Montgomery, AL on December 8, 1977.
2. I have one older sister, Chrissie, and one younger brother, Scott.
3. I was typical middle child -- my parents said I tried to be the peacemaker.
4. My parents also called me "Mother Joy" from forever because I was always trying to take care of other people, but also because I always told everyone what to do!
5. We moved to Birmingham when I was 6.
6. I don't have too many memories from those two and a half years we lived there.
7. We moved to Anniston when I was nine.
8. I was in the same third grade class with my husband, Alex. We should probably write our teacher, Mrs. Phillips, and tell her that we are married!
9. I started playing piano when I was about this age.
10. I hated practicing, but my mom made me stick it out for a year, and by that time I loved it.
11. I LOVED my piano teacher, and was broken hearted when she died from a stroke when I was a junior at Auburn.
12. I had just began taking organ lessons from her the summer before she died.
13. I don't really want to ever have another piano teacher. I just don't think I could.
14. My dream is to have a Baldwin baby grand piano in my own house, but Alex says unless I practice the way I used to, then it wouldn't be worth it. I agree.
15. I played flute in high school, mostly because my mom was the band director. I was pretty good, but I hated the flute and never practiced.
16.I played piano in college for symphonic band, and filled in as accompanist for concert choir and women's chorus.
17. I loved doing this.
18. I went to Auburn University (WAR EAGLE!) and got a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education.
19. I met most of my best friends at the BCM.
20. I found my church, Pepperell Baptist Church, through the BCM, and still keep in touch with many people from that church as well.
21. Other than my friends, my most missed Auburn experience is Concert Choir -- having the same instructor and basically the same 100 classmates for 3 years was wonderful.
22. Right before I graduated, I realized how much I hated teaching. Yes, my parents were thrilled with this decision.
23. I decided (with the order from my parents) to just "go get a job."
24. I moved to Nashville with one of my best friends, Carmen, and I went to work doing, of all things, teaching 2 year olds. 14 of them at a time to be exact.
25. I loved this job, but I have never been so tired ever.
26. I have also never laughed that much in any job.
27. I then started working as a nanny for some RICHY RICH people in Nashville.
28. Ever read The Nanny Diaries? Throw in some harrassment from the children's father, and that was my job.
29. I did so love those 2 kids though, and still miss how funny and smart they were.
30. I started realizing that I really needed a real direction, and started pursuing the idea of being a nurse while I was still nannying.
31. My bosses told me that I could move in with them and still take care of the kids and they would pay for my nursing school. Ha. Yeah, that would be fun.
32. After much much thought and prayer, I decided to enroll in nursing school.
33. I moved home with my parents at the age of 24 after having lived on my own since 18.
34. This was as difficult as you can imagine it was, but my parents were wonderful about it. It had to be hard on them too
35. I worked teaching 4 year old kindergarten during the day and going to school at night at the beginning.
36. Then nursing school started full-fledged during the day, so I started doing the bookkeeping for the daycare in the afternoons.
37. So far at this point, my jobs had consisted of being: a receptionist at age 16 for a lawyer in town.
38. A waitress for LoneStar Steakhouse where we had to do line dancing (so embarrassing).
39. Daycare teacher
40. Nanny
41. Kindergarten Teacher
42. And now, bookkeeper -- which is a joke is you know me. But it helped pay the bills and I did a good job if I do say so myself!
43. I finished nursing school in May 2005.
44. Alex and I started dating about that time. But we kept it a secret for months.
45. I took a job at UAB Medical Center as an RN on the Trauma Burn Nursing Unit.
46. Never have I ever seen such pain in my life.
47. The trauma part was so fascinating and I loved that.
48. The burn patients were heartbreaking. You just can't get that kind of pain under control.
49. Alex and I got married April of 2006.
50. I took a new job at Long Term Care Hospital of Anniston in June 2006. The hour drive (each way) along with a 12-hour shift at UAB just got too much for us newlyweds!
60. I love being a nurse -- I hate sometimes what that job entails. But I love my coworkers and wouldn't want to wade through it all without them.
61. Alex and I moved into our newly built house in March 2007.
62. Our son Charlie, was born Aug 19, 2007.
63. I always thought I would be married at 22, and have three kids before 30.
64. I got married at 28.
65. I had my first baby (and only one so far) at 29.
66. This post is much more difficult that I thought it would be. Okay, here goes with the random thoughts.
67. I love to sleep more than anything.
68. My current favorite TV show is Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TLC.
69. I also like to watch any dateline or msnbc investigates about serial killers. My husband is actually scared of this.
70. I am afraid of scary movies though and have nightmares very easily.
71. I have been out of the country just once for a mission trip to Mexico.
72. Plain and simple, it changed who I am.
73. Alex does all the cooking in our house. I have seriously maybe cooked five meals since weve been married.
75. I am doing weight watchers right now. I've lost 10 pounds so far, and still have about 25 to go
76. That "baby weight' and 'happily married' weight is difficult to get rid of!
77. I can recite the words to just about any episode of "Friends." Alex hates this show (but secretly he laughs when he watches it with me).
78. I have always been scared of cows. And we have almost 80 of them on the farm. At least I'm not actually scared to go into the pasture anymore.
79. Alex and I went to private school. We will never send our children to private school.
80. I have had way too many surgeries.
81. My stomach actually looks like a game of connect the dots. Gross.
82. Thank goodness we don't have to walk around showing off our bellies!
83. I've almost dropped my scrub pants during a code -- darn those drawstring pants! And bless the nurse behind me that pulled them up and retied them for me (you get a little too close for comfort sometimes!)
84. I think feet are gross - especially my own.
85. I love having a pedicure more than anything.
86. Ross and TJ Maxx are my favorite places to shop. I hate to pay full price for anything.
87. It is very difficult to shop with a baby in tow.
88. My favorite food is macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers. Maybe that is why I am on Weight Watchers now.
89. I hate to iron, but since I am anal about getting it done right so I don't let Alex do it.
90. Hiring a housekeeper (while I was on bedrest during pregnancy) and keeping her even now was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made.
91. I would love to stay home full-time with my son.
92. Alex says I shake in the mornings when I wake up (that's a weird fact, I know).
93. Alex videotaped me sleeping several times when I was pregnant because I snored so loudly. Ha ha ha. I still can't believe I was that loud.
94. We have lots of animals, and I am not an animal lover.
95. But I am learning to be.
96. I can't stand to touch velour or velvet. I have some kind of tactile issue, I think.
97. I don't like my food to touch on the plate. I don't eat the part of the food that is touching.
98. I flop around in my sleep. I think my husband just LOVES this and sleeps very well because of it.
99. I am more than blessed to have married my best friend who is obviously very patient with his quirky wife!
100. Most important fact -- I am a Christian, and I believe that Christ died on the cross for my sins, and it is only by His grace that I am saved.


Whew --- that was exhausting!! Okay, now I tag Carmen C, Jason and Lindsey C. Avery and Jennifer M, Brooke S, Kendra E, and Holly G. Oh, also, I really want my husband to post his 100 as well. We'll see about that!!

I'm thinking we need to start the "Ten on Tuesday" tradition that so many bloggers do. We'll see how this week goes for that.