11 Random Things

Several weeks ago, Andi from Bringing the Sunshine, tagged me for the 11 Things Blog meme.  This might be a tad difficult.  My husband always jokes that if someone meets me for the first time, they will know my entire life history in less than 30 minutes.  I'm a complete open book...I share my opinions and feelings openly and honestly...and newsflash...I'm not shy!

So...let's see if I can come up with some things that I haven't shared :-)

The Rules

1) Post these rules.
2) Post 11 random things about yourself.
3) Answer the questions set for you in the post of those who tagged you.
4) Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer. (I'll have to wait until part 2 for this...I had a hard enough time doing this!)
5) Go to their blog (or email them or tweet them) and tell the people you tagged that you’ve tagged them.
6) No stuff in the tagging section about “you are tagged if you are reading this.” You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

1. My husband and I met when we were 19 while working at an amusement park.
  He was working as a lifeguard and I was working in the office.  I thought he was the most arrogant male I had ever met.  Who would have ever dreamed 19 years later, we would be married 10 years with 3 fabulous children?!?!?

2.   The Midwest is in my blood.
  I was born and raised in Indiana and attended college in Indiana.  I lived in Kentucky for a little while but never caught on to "y'all", lived in New Jersey for about 6 months...some of them could have eaten me alive, and now have lived in Ohio for 12 years.  Some say that we are "backwards" or "behind the times" but I enjoy the Midwest and our hospitality.

3.  I have an odd list of employers.
  I have worked at an amusement park, the college library, as a middle school tutor, a coal mining company, a bank, a cabinet manufacturer, waterpark, production home builder, job & family services, and collecting urine for a drug testing company.

4.   I grew up in a very rural area.
We were green before it was "in"...we grew most of our produce during the summer and canned or froze it for the remainder of the year.  We didn't have air conditioning until I was in high school.  Most of the kids in my school had parents that attended school with my dad.  We helped my grandfather every year butcher pigs...don't worry, I won't go into detail with that one :-)

5.  I once fell asleep during a concert.
For my 18th birthday, friends and I attended a Metallica concert.  I'm not sure why I was so tired but I feel asleep midway through it!

6.  I have a horrible habit of starting projects and not finishing.
I am notorious starting an exercise program and stopping.  Getting the house organized and then having a few piles start accumulating.  Not matter how good my intentions are...I tend to get a little absent-minded :-)  I'm working on fixing this issue!

7.  Before having my daughter, I did not know anyone with Down syndrome.
I  was one of those people that looked at families with a child with DS and felt sorry for them.  I didn't know....I lived in the dark...  My daughter has not only made my life brighter but has opened a whole new world to me.  I want to share everything I've learned with the world.  I don't want others to miss out on what I missed out on before Hailey.

8.  I am an open book.
My husband is often floored at my openness.  I can strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere.  I can generally find something in common with anyone.

9.  We planned the date of our honeymoon around the ProBowl. 
My husband had a business trip the week after we were married so we had to postpone our honeymoon by a couple of weeks.  My husband then realized the ProBowl was scheduled for 5 weeks after our wedding and convinced me to postpone it for over a month after the wedding.  The plus side is that we spent Valentine's Day in Hawaii at a luau.

10.  I loathe peas.
I have never liked peas.  I think it is because we were always offered canned peas.  I think I might have enjoyed them fresh but now I can't get it out of my mind.  I once had to stay with a relative for a week while my dad was out of town.  Peas were on the menu that night....I refused to eat them.  I sat at the table until bedtime.  The next day, we had peas again.  I ate them (I was 6...I didn't want to miss playing with my cousins again).  Obviously, it scarred me for life...I still remember it all 32 years later :-)

11.  I have a bachelor of arts in mathematics.
I originally planned on being a middle school/junior high/high school math teacher.  Somewhere along the way, I changed my mind but it was too late in my major to change.  I find it ironic that two of my best friends also majored in math (no...I didn't meet them both in college, one was just in the last few years) and do did my brother-in-law.  



 
Tag!  You're It!  (A few of the blogs that I follow and some that helped me through the days right before Hailey's heart surgery).

1.  Elizabeth at 365 Days of Abby
2.  Leah at Our Cora Bean
3.  Jackie at Meeting Lauren
4.  Laura at Ben's Blessings: Our Journey with Down Syndrome and ACC
5.  Deborah at What a Team
6.  Karrie at Johannsen's Crazy Life
7.  Kerry at The Adventures of Ty the Toddler
8.  Shannon at Lifes Little Surprises
9.  Jennifer at Life as We Know It
10.  April at Small Lucky Package
11.  April at Living By Faith