Thirty Random Facts About Me

With me turning thirty I thought it would be fun to write down thirty facts about myself.

30 Random Facts and Stories

1. I am very competitive. When Addie was just barely a year old Danny's family did a weight loss competition and I had been in second place the whole time until the second to last weigh in. I finally got in first place and I wanted to secure my position so I handed scissors on the night of weigh ins and told him to just chop off my hair. I was confident that it would take off extra weight since my hair was really long and it's always been thick. Well it made no difference on the scale haha. I had a bad haircut and ended up in second place. That's just one little story of how competitive I can be.
2. I'm OCD about a lot of things. One of those things are how the dishes are placed in the dishwasher. I often rearrange it after someone else does it.
3. I knew I was going to marry Danny before I knew I loved him. We were in his truck and I decided to ask him why he never got into drinking or drugs since his roommates were into it and it would be so easy to just say yes. He told me that it came down to his promise he made to himself in elementary school because of the D.A.R.E. program. That's when I knew I would marry him. In my patriarchal blessing I am told that my husband would be someone who was worthy of me and in that moment I knew he was someone who was. I knew that even if you took out the spiritual or gospel side to him that he was just an overall good person. It took me a little bit later before I realized I loved him.
4. I love all things LOVE. I love romantic shows. I love romantic stories. I love romantic gestures. I'm a sucker for it all. 
5. I need praises. I wish I didn't. But the honest truth is that I do. It makes me feel appreciated and noticed and like I'm doing something right.
6. I have a goal of visiting all fifty states by my 50th birthday year.
7. I am very frugal. Especially with myself. I can spend money on other people but I always hesitant if it's money going towards myself.
8. I love taking pictures. I love capturing moments that I can look back on later and cherish.
9. I do not like the smell of ketchup.
10. I admitted years later to Danny that I had help with the Aladdin lyrics. We were in his truck and parked in a parking lot when he started to play "A Whole New World". It was a song that he had mentioned previously that he wanted to sing with his future wife some day. I wanted to impress him and told him that I would sing if only he would look out the window because I was shy of him watching me sing. When he turned his head I quickly pulled up the lyrics on my phone so that I could have some help because I didn't want to mess up haha. He had no idea until after we had already been married three years.
11. I love games. I'm very good at them too and it makes me very happy that Addie has a huge interest in them and is a natural at learning how to play different card games, board games and athletic games. I can't wait until she gets older so I can introduce even more to her.
12. I'm not very punctual but I wish I was. It bothers me when I'm late.
13. I need to enjoy each season I'm in instead of waiting for what's to come.
14. I have met my biological mother and the story sounds so crazy I have to remind myself it really happened.
15. I love lists. I always make to do lists and if I do something that wasn't on my list I will add it on just so I can cross it off. 
16. I have lost a bit of myself. I'm trying to reconnect with who I truly am because so much has changed. I need a good answer for when someone asks me what I like to do these days.
17. My countdown to Christmas starts on December 26th.
18. I like to document everything.
19. I'm attached to a scruffy looking stuffed dog that I got as a kid and my husband hates that I still have it.
20. My clothes are hung in order of color.
21. While driving alone I have to be talking to someone over the phone. If no one answers I'll talk to myself.
22. I have to consciously make an effort with parenting. I have to try hard some days because it is not always so natural and I'm determined to give my children the relationships that I craved from my mother figures growing up.
23. I think about Halloween costumes all year long.
24. Messes stress me out. I cannot relax if I'm surrounded by clutter.
25. Someone tried to rob me during a visit to Brazil. I was on the beach with my 'sister' Giovanna when someone approached me and tried to take my cell phone from my hands. We played tug of war with it and he finally left when he saw I wouldn't let go. I know now that it is safer to surrender whatever the robber wants but that phone was brand new to me and I was not going to lose it.
26. I smell the inside of my cup before drinking from it.
27. When I was a kid I really wanted a middle name because I didn't have one so I would tell people that my name was Gina Gene. If I have any more kids and I end up with another girl I would love to use Gene as a middle name for her.
28. I love musicals. I think going to plays is fun and would love to experience watching more Broadway shows. 
29. I am a people pleaser. It is very hard for me to say no and if I do get the courage to say no then I will constantly second guess my decision and let it worry me.
30. I want my kids to grow up with a lot of happy memories. I want to create and carry on happy traditions that will become important for them to continue on and look forward to.

Hello Thirty

I'm
T*H*I*R*T*Y!

I feel like this is a big birthday and I wanted to do something big to celebrate it. Unfortunately that didn't happen and I won't go into details about it but yes I was very sad and disappointed with how it went. I tried to keep my spirits up though and I ended the day at the park with my family. I enjoyed myself as I chased my two older little kids around the playground and it was nice to act carefree and young even though I was hurting inside.

I will say though that my dad came through for me in a very big way. Weeks ago I had asked him for a special gift. I told him that this year my wish was to have him record his thoughts with my adoption and birth story. I really wanted to know from his point of view how it went and wanted that story documented for my own personal records. He definitely delivered and it made me so happy. In fact he stayed up until past 2am getting it done for me so that he could personally hand it to me on my birthday eve. I love my dad and I love that he did this for me. :) 

St. Patrick's Day

St Patrick's Day was on a Sunday so after we got home from church and the boys had taken their naps we decided we'd go for a walk by the lake. These are my favorite kind of evenings. Addie asked to ride in the stroller and next thing I knew she had fallen asleep. That is very unlike her because she doesn't take naps. Turns out she wasn't feeling well. Poor girl. She was so excited to go to bed that night. I love my family.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Unicorns and Capes

I love that my kids love to be creative and dress up. They usually play the best together when they are pulling out costumes, capes and masks and it makes my mama heart so happy.