I've been tagged!

On Facebook, I've been tagged to tell 25 random things about me. I thought I would share it on the blog also. I have really enjoyed reading other's random facts about themselves.



1. I have been to 48 of the 50 states - just need to visit Alaska and Hawaii.



2. I LOVE cats!! We have 2.



3. I like dogs too and would have 1 if I could train it to potty in a litter box.



4. The first car I bought was a brand new 1984 Ford Thunderbird. I loved that car. We had to sell it, so we could buy a minivan for our growing family. My brother, Jim, bought the car and totalled it on a trip to Florida. (Thankfully, he wasn't injured.)



5. I love to laugh!



6. I spent 3 weeks in Haiti during my senior year in college.



7. I have 2 brothers - my younger brother Jim and my older brother Michael who is in heaven with my parents.



8. On August 1, we will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. (My parents were only married 19 years before my Dad passed away.)



9. I spent Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, Israel in 1986. My husband was stationed in Sinai Egypt and I had the opportunity to visit Israel and Egypt with him.



10. My favorite vacation was at the Grand Canyon! Absolutely the most beautiful place that God has created.



11. I'm very proud of my children and who they are becoming.



12. I like watching baseball and basketball. I still don't understand football - it just looks like a bunch of fat guys piling up like a bunch of puppies.



13. I have 3 screws in the base of my femur (thigh bone).

14. I'm in my 15th year of homeschooling. (1 more to go!)

15. I teach chemistry in our homeschool co-op.

16. I'm afraid of large bodies of water. Because of that, I don't know if I will ever go on a cruise.

17. I have seen Bob Seager, Barry Manilow, Phil Collins and Neil Diamond in concert. At the Bob Seager concert, my ticket was 7 rows from the stage!

18. I love to scrapbook!

19. I hate having my neck touched!

20. My heart breaks when I see people being mistreated.

21. I collect snowmen.

22. Certain smells trigger vivid memories for me.

23. My favorite job was being a labor and delivery nurse. Seeing a baby born is an incredibly emotional experience.

24. I hate going to the dentist.

25. I am very thankful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and I accepted Him as my Savior so I can spend eternity with Him.

Still celebrating Christmas!

Sometime during the Christmas season, we get together with my cousins. We tried to gather on the Saturday after Christmas at Edna's but it didn't work out. So we celebrated Christmas at our home this past Sunday. Here are some pictures of my extended family.




My little 3 year old twin cousins meeting Phillip. My cousin, niece and daughter relaxing!

Toddlers in the house sure add to the excitement. Aren't they cute!

I'm so thankful for a loving family!

Holiday Happenings!

As usual, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day was busy, fun and went by very fast! Here are some pictures and an update about the last 6 weeks.

We usually travel to Vicksburg, MS to spend a few days with Jerry's family during the week of Thanksgiving. We weren't able to this year because of Jimmy's job. His employers insisted that every employee work on 'Black Friday' or face losing their job. (He worked from 5am to 9pm!!) We enjoyed a delicious meal, using Mom's (almost 50 year old) china and spending the day together. We also enjoyed the movie "Bolt."

December 13, our first born turned 20!! ( I can't be old enough to have a 20 year old child!!) The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum had a free day and we took advantage of it. We enjoyed looking at the different displays and took the tour bus ride on the famous oval. After dinner at birthday boy's favorite place, Applebee's, he opened a Garmin GPS for his travels.



The Monday before Christmas, we treated ourselves to a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. I loved it. The first half was alittle slow, but the laser light show, pyrotechnics and incredible tweaking of classical music into rock was wonderful!

Christmas Eve we enjoyed home made fondue for dinner and then attended Christmas Eve services at our church. (For many years, we wanted to include Christmas Eve services into our family traditions and visited different churches. For the last 3 years or so, our home church has had a "carols and candles" service that we have very much enjoyed!! It's always better to be home!) Since the kids were babies, they have gotten to open 1 present on Christmas Eve and it's always pajamas!

Christmas Day, my brother and his family spend the day with us. We ate too much, played games, opened presents and watched movies. We had 2 movies playing at the same time, the family room tv was showing Prince Caspian, the latest Narnia movie and the basement tv was showing the The Dark Knight. Earlier in the day, my 2 youngest and their little cousins had an air soft gun battle!

Last Monday, we traveled to Vicksburg, MS to spend a few days with my father-in-law. He is always so kind and gracious to allow his quiet lifestyle to be interrupted by all the noise we bring!

I have really enjoyed the past few weeks. It was a time to reconnect with my family by playing table games, watching movies and talking. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family and I thank Him!