3 Things Tag from FaceBook

Since I am (a) FaceBook challenged and don't know how to make a "note", (b) a bigger fan of blogging, (c) slightly narcissistic and want my answers printed in my blog book, and (d) want you all to do this on your own blog, I am accepting Emily and Trish's FaceBook tags and doing it on my blog.

Three (or so) more things- Now, here's what you're supposed to do (if you so feel like it)...and please do not spoil the fun. Create a new note (or post on your blog), copy and paste this message, delete my answers and type in your answers. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known things about your friends and family. Have FUN!

THREE NAMES I GO BY-
1. Elena
2. Lenes
3. Mom

THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE-
1. Sod Mower for my Dad's Sod Farm
2. Micro Fiche Developer
3. Janitor
4. Domestic Engineer (Mom)

THREE PLACES I HAVE LIVED-
1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Boise, ID
3. Nampa, ID

THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH-
1. LOST
2. American Idol
3. Deadliest Catch

THREE OF THE COOLEST PLACES I'VE BEEN-
1. Singapore
2. Yellowstone National Park
3. Hawaii

THREE PLACES I'VE BEEN- (but never want to go again)
1. Downtown Amsterdam (Red Light District)
2. Trailer Park in Boise
3. Spinny Rocket Ride in Disneyland

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO-
1. Australia
2. Cape Canaveral to see the shuttle
3. Hawaii (again)

THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS-
1. Chocolate desserts
2. Homemade bread
3. Good Mexican

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO-
1. Warmer Weather (Idaho Falls Summers are the best!)
2. A new kitchen table...someday.
3. The day when my house stays clean.

THREE PETS THAT YOU HAVE OWNED-
1. Kitzi, Teiko, Friend, and Molly (some of the bazillion cats I had as a kid).
2. Happy & Mercedes (crazy nut job basset hound and sweetest schnauzer ever).
3. Chee Chee and Cha Cha (Parakeets) (I had no idea what a "chi chi" was).
4. Dandy (my homing pigeon).
5. And the current Johnny (schnauzer) and Mimzy (guinea pig).

Good Times with the Letter G

I'm playing along with Kat's letter meme. She assigned me letter G and now I have to come up with 10 things I am thankful for that start with G.

1. Big G and Little G, my two very most favorite boys in the whole wide world. Both their middle names are G, just the letter.


2. And my GIRLS.

3. Get-togethers with dear friends from high school.


4. The Gospel. I don't post a lot about my spiritual side. I tend to keep those kinds of things private. But my religion is part of who I am and I am VERY thankful for it. It's my beliefs that pull me through those dark times.


5. Living near Grandparents is great!

6. Gifts, giving and getting (that should totally count for 3)


7. Okay, this is starting to get difficult. Let's see...there's grapes, gravy, goodness, gold (Ooo, I do like gold!), g-strings (Uh, not so much. Actually I think they're hideous.), guinea pig....hey guinea pig. I do love my little Mimzy pet. Okay, #7 my guinea pig.

8. Golden arches. Oh come on, don't pretend like you aren't thankful for their drive thru too.

9. Gum, I love to chew gum. I've been through an Extra phase, a Trident phase, and now I'm on an Orbitz Sweet Mint kick.

10. And lastly, Guitar Hero. It entertains guests so well and wearing a guitar while you bake pie just looks cool. :)

So now if you'd like to play, leave me a comment telling me so, and I'll get you a letter. It's actually really fun so I hope a lot of you will play! :)

Bits About Me

Okay, it's time for me to fulfill all the tags I've gotten lately. I'm going to combine them all into one giant thing and give you all some more bits about me.



1. I love to talk on the phone. I have loved it since I was a little girl. It just makes the house work go by so much more quickly. (So, if you ever need a chat, give me a ring. I'm up for it...always.)

2. I think my most favorite thing to do, besides eat, is laugh. I really love to laugh. And sometimes at night when I'm almost asleep, my belly tightens up and I get that tickley feeling and I just have to giggle...at absolutely nothing. It used to drive my poor roommate in college nuts. Sorry Jennie.

3. When I was a senior in highschool, I wore a retainer. I was eating a piece of chocolate and kind of sucked on the retainer to clean it off (sorry I know that's sort of gross). The retainer slipped to the back of my throat and speared me. The back wire somehow hooked itself through the flap of skin in front of my tonsil. I had to go to the emergency room to get it out. AND I had to have a tetanus shot. It was so embarrassing. Now I know what the poor fish feel like when they get hooked. (Yes, feel free to laugh at me.)

4. Oh good heavens...I think you all know just about everything there is to know about me. I honestly can't think of any more.

I know this really doesn't fulfill any of the tags you all gave me, but it's gonna have to work cause my brain has stopped working.

4th picture Tag

Jeni tagged me with a fun quick tag. (I know, I know, I still haven't done a few of your tags, but this one is quick and easy.) Go to My Pictures and into your fourth folder, click on the fourth photo in that folder. Now describe it.

See quick and easy.

My 4th folder is labeled Elena and this was the 4th photo hanging around in there. That's me in my Junior year of college. With my pre-baby waist, nose, and arms. Seriously, I don't think I could fit one arm into my beloved Eddie Bauer sweater I once owned. Who knew arms could get fat?

And as always with a tag, I urge you all to do it. It's fun to see what you've got hidden in the archives of "my picture" land.

Some more tags.

Jewelle tagged me a little while ago to give a few quirky things about myself. And before that Julie tagged me to do a similar thing. Then I saw Kat's 7 things list which I thought was kind of fun. So I've decided to sort of combine my quirks into a 7 things list. Hope you don't mind me tweaking a bit Jewelle and Julie.

7 things I can't do

• draw or paint or color or anything artistic; not even stick people
• the splits; never have been able to
• remember song lyrics; crud I don't even HEAR the song lyrics
• decorate; I just don't have an eye for what would go well together
• remember historical facts; even after I've visited a historically rich place such as Boston
• watch sad animal movies; Born Free is seriously the worst movie I've EVER seen, next in line is Fox and the Hound
• keep my bedroom clean, or my laundry room; I just shut the door to those rooms

7 things I do well

• keep my blog updated
• find the good in people
• laugh
• procrastinate
• cook
• irritate my husband (but he still loves me)
• remember phone numbers

7 things I have never done

• eaten caviar
• been skydiving
• been hospitalized for an illness, knock on wood
• held or touched a tarantula or any kind of spider
• been scuba diving
• cooked a turkey or whole chicken
• run a 5K, 20k, or any type of K

7 things I want to do

• go to Australia
• lose weight
• sing with a talented choir again
• see a show on Broadway
• learn photography
• get organized
• live a long healthy life with my hubby by my side

The House Plan Tag

A little while ago Elise did such a fun tag and shared a picture of her dream home. I am a LOVER of house plans. (It's a disease I inherited from my mother. She had several drawers full of house plan books, grid lined papers sketched with her own versions, rulers, pencils, and protractors, and my dad even made a couple of miniature scale models of their dream homes.) I probably own half a dozen books with house plans in them. I have even created several of my own plans. Sneaking in to half constructed homes or peaking in to uninhabited houses is a favorite past time of mine.

I'm being honest when I say that I feel like I live in my dream home. It has everything we wanted and then some. But I'd be lying if I said it put my house plan fetish to sleep by living here. And of course after living in a place, I can always think of something I would do differently next time around.

This is the current house plan of choice. I've printed it off and it sits affectionately in the top drawer of my night stand. I can't really say that I'm "dreaming" of the day I get to live in it, because I honestly don't have that desire. But if I ever do build a house, I hope to get to build this plan. (Today anyway, it could change tomorrow.)


plan #17-2133 from houseplans.com

I would love to see all of your dream home plans. So tag you're all it! (Especially Lee Ann, I would LOVE to see the home you'll be building. If you have a plan yet.)

Memory Game

Okay, I've seen this memory game going around and I've even played it a few times with people. You already know that I am a self proclaimed narcissist, so I decided it was my turn to play the game. (Hopefully some of you will have memories of me.)

**As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!**

And as always, if you want to play, post this on your own blog and see what people remember about you.

THANKS for playing!

Tagged By Kat

Kat tagged me a while back and I am just now getting around to getting it done. So here you will learn six more random facts all about moi.

1. I LOVE the shows Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers. There's just something about those crazy rough men that I love. I think it would be a RIOT to hang out with them just for a day. Jarom thinks I'm nuts.

2. I like the wind. The city we live in is always windy. I never knew that was not normal until I moved away. I couldn't figure out what was "wrong" with the air. It just felt strange. Then I realized there was no breeze. I really enjoy a good breeze. I don't even mind the messy hair that comes with it.

3. I do not believe that fruit is a dessert. If it has fruit in it, it's considered a side dish or maybe a breakfast meal. To qualify as a dessert it must be chocolate or ice cream and a combo of both is the best. The only exception to this rule is cheesecake. I do enjoy a nice piece of cheesecake occasionally.

4. I play the piano and sing. I have my bachelor's degree in Music Education. Unfortunately I'm almost embarrassed to admit to it. I haven't done anything for so long that my poor trained voice, is no longer trained. :( (P.S. Don't tell my bishop, I do NOT want to be choir director.)

5. I'm paranoid about running out of gas. If my gas light comes on, I make a mad dash for the gas station. (And I panic the whole way there.)

6. I once had a pet pigeon that I rescued as a baby. (My rotten neighbor boy was going to shoot him.) He lived in a cage in my bedroom and thought he was human. (I'm not joking.) We tried many times to let him free, but he would fly to the telephone pole, and turn right around and fly back into the house only to land in front of the t.v. (Where he would spend hours watching.) I would put him on the handlebars of my bike and ride for hours with him. He loved it and would spread his wings out and pretend to fly. Sadly one of our cats eventually got him. He was too tame for his own good. What a great pet Dandy was.

Now, I think most of you have done this already, but if you want, or if you haven't done it yet, please do so. I love learning all about you!

Scaredy Cat

So, Jennifer P. has posted yet another hilarious post that I had to copy. It's all about things she's afraid of (moths being one of the top items) and I got such a great laugh out of it, I thought I would share my ridiculous fears for all of you to laugh at. I also am kind of using this post as a journal entry so feel free to skip the details if you want.


#1 SPIDERS- Uggghhhhh.....I HATE them and hobos are at the top of the hate list. (Even posting this picture made me sick to my stomach. ) I can handle almost all types of insects, but not spiders. And don't even ask me to step on one. I physically CAN NOT do it. I would rather stick a jar on top if it and wait for someone else to get it. Of course getting close enough to stick the jar on is a scene within itself. I scream/hyperventilate the entire time. I even scream when I vacuum them up. And it makes me feel better to scream while I do it, so leave me alone.



#2 Aliens-

The most ridiculous thing about this fear is that I honestly don't believe in their existence. (Not that I don't believe in life on other planets, but I don't think that they are freaky weird alien looking things.) But it is a sad fact, I've been afraid of aliens since I was very little. I think Close Encounters might have set things off for me. Every once in a while when I am alone outside at night, I get that creepy feeling that something is watching me and I run as FAST as I can to get inside, cause I just KNOW its an imaginary alien waiting to get me.

#3 Buffalo (Bison, whatever)-My family goes to Yellowstone National Park every year and for as long as I can remember I have been afraid of the buffalo. I think all the stories of people being gored and such has made an impression on my mind. I am getting better and can actually think straight when I get near one (probably because mommy mode clicks on and I fear for my kids), but I still get that gut wrenching belly drop feeling whenever one is near.

#4 Gorillas-
This one is actually a fear that I have finally conquered. I used to have a reoccurring nightmare about gorillas with red glowing eyes that would try to get me. Apparently when I was about 2 my cousin jumped out at me wearing a gorilla mask and it scarred me for life. I think I was almost more afraid of gorillas than I am of spiders. Not even baby gorillas were cute to me (and for animal loving me, that's saying a lot).

When I was 14 I was at a zoo and got talked into going into the great apes display by some boy that I had a crush on. I went in and quickly walked past the gorilla display and went straight to the orangutans. However, there was a HUGE crowd in front of the gorillas and I kept hearing a loud boom and then the crowd would gasp, scream, laugh, etc. I just HAD to see what was going on. So I carefully crept to the very edge of the cage and leaned on the farthest pane of glass to get a glimpse of the gorilla inside.

He was in the center of the cage staring at the crowd with the meanest eyes I had ever seen. Then a man from the crowd pounded on the glass to make the gorilla mad and without skipping a beat the gorilla bounded to the window and beat the glass as hard as it could. The kicker is that it chose the far window I was leaning on to beat on. I felt the glass bend, the gorilla hit it so hard. I don't think there has been a time in my life where I have been more scared. I flew to the back wall (seriously I don't think my feet touched the ground) and froze and instantly started sobbing. I couldn't even talk about the stupid incident for several years without crying.

Then one day I started to feel really sorry for the gorilla. All those people staring at it and teasing it, he had no choice but to try to defend himself. I started watching documentaries about them and finally I wasn't afraid of them. The nightmares stopped and now I think they are beautiful creatures. (But don't ask me to come face to face with one without bullet proof glass between us.)

*Now that you've gotten a good laugh at me, I would love to hear your fears (and maybe laugh a little at you too). ;)

Google Tag: Picture Me

Rules: You have to answer the questions with a Google image search. NO using your own pictures. Even on the picture of you. Let's see what happens.

Favorite Color: (Earth Tones)



Favorite Animal: (Love 'em all)



Bad Habit:(Talking on the phone.)



Favorite Food: (Too many to choose from, but I thought the buffet of desserts was a good place to start.)



Favorite Hobby: (Blogging, shhhh....)



Place I Live:



Favorite Song:



Job: (Mom, Wife, Maid, Cook, Taxi Driver, Nurse, Secretary, etc.)




Favorite Author: (Don't have just one, but I love to read.)



Favorite Dessert: (White Chocolate Molten Lava Cake from Chili's.)



Picture of Me: (Yikes, I should have waxed before this was taken!)


This was fun, (thanks Stevie) give it a try. Can't wait to see what pops up for the picture of you!

American Idol Girls

So here are my top three picks for the ladies. (Thanks to Becky for miraculously NOT erasing her DVR'd copy of the show, so that I could watch it. Somehow my DVR turned off after the 3rd girl performed. I was so annoyed!)

First up, Asia. I think she gave a nice performance, good voice and nice stage presence. Fun to watch too.

This girl has a great voice as well and was fun to watch too. Plus her big hair is memorable.

I think Carly has a really nice voice, but she does a weird thing with her mouth that makes her look like a vampire or something. And her performance was a little boring. But as far as voices go, she's in the top three to me.

Overall, I wasn't that impressed with the girls. There was nothing REALLY amazing about any of the performances. Hopefully they'll get better as they go along. I am in complete agreeance with Becky about who will go home tonight. Let's see if we're right!

American Idol

Yes, it's true I do LOVE American Idol. (My friend Dayne says its the choir nerd coming out in me. He's probably right.) I thought it would be fun to put my top 3 picks of guys and girls and see if any become the winner. So here are my top 3 guys.

Love this kid! He's just so cute. I was saying that last night and my girls said, "Do you have a crush on him?" I told them that I only had a crush on Daddy, but if I was 13 again, I'd probably hang this kid's picture on my wall. I love everything about him. His raspy voice, personality, cute little face, perfomance skills, I just think he's great. Plus he's from nearby UT, so that's a bonus.

This guy has a great voice and I think he looks really professional while performing. He's naturally fun to watch. Plus that Australian accent isn't bad to listen to either!

I can't decide if this dude is cute or creepy, but I do enjoy accoustic guitar and he did a nice performance with his. His voice was very nice, so as of last night, he's in my top three. We'll have to see how he does as time goes on.

So what do you all think? If you watch American Idol (and I SO know I am not alone) post your top 3 picks and lets see if we get it right. (YES, this is a tag to all American Idol watchers, let me know if you do it so I can hear your opinion.) Can't wait to hear the girls tonight.

Answered Tag

Here's the link to my answered tag for Deanna. Who's your man? I actually did this one a while ago, but it's fun so you can all read it again if you want. And be sure to watch the video clip, it's one of my favorites.

No more posts for me until the end of the week. We're leaving for our annual snowmobile trip in Island Park today. Lots of fun, lots of people, lots of snow, lots of memories. Everyone have a great week and keep those blogs updated so I'll have LOTS to read when I get home.

4 Things

All right, I am taking Jennifer's tag since I still have no new pictures to put up. (And I like to do a tag once in a while. They make me reflect a bit about myself, and you all know, I am narcissistic.)

SO:
4 jobs I've had:
1- My first official paid job, was as a house cleaner for a neighbor. I would go there a few times a week and vacuum, dust, do dishes, and clean her bathroom. (I think this is probably the most hilarious job ever for to me have held. I do not enjoy cleaning; I SOOO wish I did, but I just don't.)

2- When I could finally drive I got a job at a place called United Micro Data where we put companies' paper records on to micro-film. I transferred with that small company to Boise and held that job until I got pregnant with Alyssa. (Ammonia is used to develop the film and to this day the smell of ammonia makes me dry-heave.)

3- I taught piano lessons off and on from the time I was 14 years old. I got a little more serious about it after I graduated from college, but when we moved back to I.F. I quit. I claim to be teaching my own children, but I am so BAD about it. It makes me sick when I think about it. (Note to self: Give girls lessons today!!)

4- When we were first married, Jarom and I were midnight janitors for several buildings. We cleaned a dentist office, several car dealerships, a psychiatrist office, and a big machine office building. (Again, I just about loathed this job, but it kept food on our table.) I must admit, that after I got pregnant with Alyssa, poor Jarom did a lot of these buildings by himself.

4 movies I could watch over and over again:
1- Gone With the Wind (LOVE Scarlett O'Hara)

2- Father of the Bride (the second is my favorite, but I love them both)

3- Meet the Parents

4- Shrek (the first one) I think it is so hilarious and I love the music.


4 people I email daily:
Hmmm... do people really still use email? Mostly I instant message Jarom, and any of you that are online the same time as me. And of course communicate through comments on blogs. And let's not forget the phone line. ( I love to chat with friends while I clean. It takes the drudgery away.)

And I do email my mom pretty regularly.

4 favorite things to eat:
This will be tough as I really do LOVE to eat just about anything (as long as it didn't come out of a lake or the sea)
1- Chocolate desserts of any kind. (But not a plain chocolate candy bar, it has to have nuts of toffee or something good in it.)

2- Deep dish pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut (Yes, I love all that greasy goodness!) Jarom worked there as a kid and refuses to eat the deep dish. He says he's seen how it's made and he just can't stomach it, but I love to be able to smack my lips together after finishing a piece and feel like I just put lip balm on. Mmmmm...

3- When I am pregnant (which I am NOT) I LOVE to eat Sonic's ice. Those little soft pellets are to die for. I used to go through the drive through and order nothing but a 440z. cup of ice. I am sure they thought I was crazy, but I didn't care. (I have recently found out that you can buy the ice by the bag from them. Wish I would have known that little tid-bit a couple of years ago.)

4- Bread. I love good bread. Thick, chewy bread makes the best toast!

4 places I'd rather be: (assuming that home isn't the best place on the planet)
1- Hawaii- Oh how I miss your laid back style, your warm water, perfect temperature, sweet smell, I could go on and on.

2- Snuggled in my bed with a great movie on the t.v. and a great read in my hands.

3- Traveling the world with all my kids and my hubby and a permanent nanny by my side at all times.

4- At the spa getting a full body massage.

4 places I've lived:
1- Idaho Falls, ID

2- Boise, ID

3- Nampa, ID

4- Idaho Falls, ID
So to sum it all up, I've never left Idaho. It's been an exciting life.

4 things I look forward to this year:
1- Going camping with my family

2- Maybe taking my kids to Disneyland

3- Visiting with friends who live far away and who might come visit me. (HINT HINT!)

4- Planting a garden. (I say that every year, and so far I've actually gone through with it twice.)

Now tag, tag, tag, you're all it!

8 things that drive me CRAZY!

So, I've been tagged. (And it's actually a pretty good thing since I don't have a lot to blog about.) I am supposed to list 8 things that drive me crazy, so here goes. This is actually kind of hard for me, some things that are at the top of my list are NOT blog appropriate and then I can't remember other things. I know I say, "That drives me CRAZY!" all of the time, but when I sit down to think of what those things are, I just can't remember.

1. Not remembering things! (Post children, this problem has increased dramatically.)

2. Slow, old people drivers who take their half of the road out of the middle.

3. When people don't return my emails or phone calls.

4. Know-it-alls who give unwanted advice. (Although sometimes I find myself doing this very thing and then I just cringe.)

5. Seat belts that tighten just when you need to bend and reach for something.

6. WalMart (Just click on that and everything already said is exactly how I feel.)

7. Laundry & dirty dishes (They just NEVER go away no matter how hard I try.)

8. The smell of urine or throw-up. These will never go away no matter how much you scrub. (Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.) Oh--and stinky shoes too.

Now I am tagging Becky, Elise, and Rachel. Have fun guys, and I can't wait to read your lists.

How naughty were you?

So Jennifer did a tag on all the terrible things she did as a child. It's quite hilarious to think back and remember those awful things that must have made our parents want to hide under a rock. And although this really should be Jarom's post (peeing, pouring milk, and keeping bugs in the heater vent, hiding under his bed and eating an entire gallon of mint chip ice cream and then throwing it up, etc.) here are a few of the dirty deeds I pulled as a child.

1. I filled a BIG tree hole with water and then dumped an entire pallet of red kool-aid in it. It was probably 50-100 packages of kool-aid. Then, I was afraid my parents would find out so I solicited all the neighbor kids to help me bale the water out into the gutter. (Hmmm...I am sure my parents had no idea why I was red to my elbows and red water was running down the street.)

2. I jumped out of my second story bedroom window and made my LITTLE brother try to catch me. (Don't know how any of us came out of that without broken bones.)

3. I used to play "slaves" with my younger siblings. I would find anything I could to use as a whip/beating stick and make them clean my room for me.

4. I unwrapped my presents under the tree EVERY year to find out what I was getting. I got really good at using a razor blade to slice the tape perfectly so no one even knew the present had been touched.

5. I used to stick our cat in the big garage freezer, shut the door and then pretend to freak out while the freezer door would re-seal itself. The poor cat was probably in there for a full minute or so before I could re-open the door. And the poor food.....yuck. (And mom, No it was not me that put Bob in the freezer the time he slept in it all night. No one worry he lived.)

6. I used to ride the neighbor's horse bareback and used twine around her neck for a bridle and then would make the poor horse jump the ditch at a full run. If my kids did that now, I would have a coronary!

7. I would drive my dad's front-end loader tractor as fast as it would go, with all my siblings (and neighbor) in the bucket lifted as high as it would lift. Seriously, why aren't we all dead?!


8. I used to stand at the top of the slide in the playground and make people give me "tickets" before they could go down. The "tickets" usually consisted of rocks, leaves, sticks, money, candy, just whatever the poor kid had in their pocket to give me.

I am sure I have more things that I could add, but I can't think of them now. I am tagging all of you. Please share your terrible childhood deeds. (Quin you are SO tagged!) They're great for a laugh and most of the time a cringe.

Traditions

The holiday season always makes me think about traditions, as I am sure it does everybody. My sister-in-law Kaylin was talking about how her family eats homemade noodles in chicken/turkey broth on top of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. My family also eats noodles and potatoes (although not at Thanksgiving) and I have NEVER met anyone else who does so. I was so excited to learn that Kaylin's family shares in this tradition. So, I thought it might be fun to do a tag about our traditions. Here are a few of mine and I hope everyone will share some of theirs. I love hearing about other families' traditions!

1. Every year since I was born, my mom has given me an ornament for Christmas. She started me on the Frosty Friends series and they are still going strong. I have so many cute Eskimos and it makes my tree complete each year. I also follow this tradition and give each of my kids an ornament. We haven't found a series for any of them so we give them something that has to do with the previous year. For example, Halle got a little karate ornament last year because she took karate. I think finding the perfect ornament is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I also collect an ornament from every trip we go on. This has been a challenge in some places such as Singapore, but we still found something. I absolutely LOVE to get out my travel ornaments and remember the trip.

2. Sunday dinner is a big deal at our house. It's usually the best meal of the week where we can sit together as a family and talk and eat longer than on a busy weekday. A traditional Sunday meal for me is roast beef with potatoes and gravy, rolls, corn, salad, jello and if we're lucky, chocolate cake for dessert.

3. Every December we like to get a hotel in Salt Lake and tour the temple grounds to see the Christmas lights. My parents did this with us when I was kid and we always stayed in the Marriott that was connected to the mall. The mall is no longer there, so it's kind of sad to me, but I still enjoy Salt Lake at Christmas time.

4. Biscuits and Gravy has been a staple meal for me since I was tiny. My mom would make homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy from bacon drippings. (A little different than the Northern version of sausage gravy.) This is a favorite meal for my kids too. Looks like the tradition will continue.

5. Jarom's family has many fun traditions too and I don't want to steal from what Becky or Emily might say, but I thought I would post one of my favorites. Each Christmas season they hold a progressive dinner. They go to each family's house and have one course of the meal. Last year we started in Pocatello for drinks and appetizers and drove all the way to Rexburg to end with dessert. It takes about 5 or 6 hours, but it's really fun and a great way to ensure that we get to see each home decorated for the holidays.

These are just a few of my traditions. I sure hope each of you will share yours. Here's to a tradition filled, wonderful holiday!!!

More Elena-isms

Elise tagged me to do more isms about myself. So here goes:

1. I love animals and when I get a pet, I keep it for the duration of its' life. I am fully committed. (Much to the chagrin of my husband. But he puts up with me.)

2. I am a lover of people. I don't mean just people watching, which I do enjoy. (Especially at the fair; people come out of the wood-work there!) I truly love most people. It is easier for me to find the good in someone than it is for me to find the bad. (Don't get me wrong, I can still find negative things, I'm not perfect.) I even feel sorry for crazy murderer people if I see them give interviews on t.v. and I hear their side of the story. I could NEVER be a prosecuting attorney, I'd lose every case.

3. I am addicted to chocolate and sugar. The ONLY times I can make myself stay away from the stuff is when I am pregnant and have gestational diabetes. I guess worrying about my child's life is a lot more motivating than worry about getting my own self healthy.

4. I have a pretty good memory. I am not talking about remembering what's on my calendar. (My babies took all those brain cells.) I am talking about memories of people from my past. If I knew you at all when I was younger, I still remember you. No matter how little our relationship was. I can also dial a phone number once and have it in my head for forever. And I consider myself pretty good at remembering birthdays, however there are a few that I just have mental blocks on!

5. I have to sleep with one leg hanging out of the blankets. I also HAVE to have my pillow. I take it anywhere I go. (Except on my big trips, I am too afraid I'd lose it.) I've had this particular pillow for 14 years and the one before that I had since I was a baby. Jarom tells me this not something to brag about. But I LOVE my pillow. It's made of squishy foam and the exact firmness is hard to find. I actually lay on the pillow in the store before I buy it. Crazy, I know.

6. I don't believe in letting kids cry themselves to sleep and I do believe in a family bed. Hence the reason we had to finally give in and buy a king size bed. As much as I complain about Carter not sleeping in his own bed, I really quite like to cuddle up to him and my other kids during the night. I know they won't be around for forever and the time seems to keep moving faster and faster.

Now, I am supposed to tag more people, but I don't know how you all feel about being tagged. So if you want to do this I would love to read more about you. (Please, please!) And thanks to Elise; I kind of like these silly things.

I got tagged.

Rachel tagged me (which means I am supposed to answer the following questions), and when a faithful blog friend tags you, you do it. :) Actually I found it pretty fun to reminisce about all these things.



1. Who is your man? Jarom G Manwaring

2. How long have you been together? We met when I was 12, started dating when I was 16, got married when I was 21. So if you start from when I was 12, that's 19 years. We joke about how we've known each other longer than we ever didn't know each other.

3. How long did you date? Technically, 5 years, but two of those he was on a mission. We got officially engaged a month after he came home and were married 3 months after that.

4. How old is your man? 31, soon to be 32 at the end of September.

5.Who eats more? Oh boy, I do. Sad isn't it!?

6. Who said "I love you" first? He did when I was only 15 years old and I told him he didn't know what he was talking about. But he really did and often reminds me of how wrong I was.

7. Who is taller? He is; he's 5' 11" and I am 5' 4".

8. Who sings better? He has a great singing voice but doesn't use it very often.

9. Who is smarter? The answer to this question is based upon subject matter. If it involves any type of math, computer skills or politics, he is BY FAR smarter. However, if it comes to medical questions, food, or kids, I win.

10. Whose temper is worse? I am going to say his temper is worse, although I am sure he'll disagree. :)

11. Who does the laundry? I do.

12. Who does the dishes? I do, although sometimes on Sundays he finds it therapeutic to do them, I think that's just plain nuts! :)

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

14.Who pays the bills? He does and we both know it's best that way. I am NOT so good in the accounting area.

15. Who is better at the computer? He is, it's his profession. People seriously underestimate how stupid I am when it comes to this stuff. With a hubby who does it for a living, there really is no need to learn how.

16. Who mows the lawn? He used to, but now we pay to have it done. (I LOVE that!)

17. Who cooks dinner? I do and I really do enjoy to do it. I just hate the cleaning up part.

18. Who drives when you are together? He does and if I ever do, the kids ask how come Dad isn't driving.

19. Who pays when you go out? He does.

20. Who is more stubborn? We are equally stubborn (again I think he is going to disagree with this answer).

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Oh boy, neither of us are very good at this one. :(

22. Whose parents do you see most? I think this is fairly equal since both sets live only 15 minutes away.

23. Who kissed who first? I kissed him first (just on the cheek).

24. Who asked who out? We always hung out together, but our first official date was to his Jr. Prom and he asked me.

25. Who proposed first? He did.

26. Who is more sensitive? Me; I am a regular old girl about things. But he is sensitive too and it was one of things that attracted me to him most.

27. Who has more friends? I do, I am more of an extrovert and he is an introvert. As long as he has his family around he is completely content.

28. Who has more siblings? He does, 7 siblings. I have 3.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? I like to pretend I do, but I really think he does. (Yet another one that he would have answered opposite.)



Since Rachel posted a cute video of Johnny and a water slide, I figured I would continue with the theme. Now, I tag Natalie Smith, and new to the blogging world, Emily Hanson! :)