All about me, me, me

I’ve noticed that other bloggers have used their 100th post to list 100 things about themselves. So in keeping with that tradition:

1. My parents are still married – to each other.
2. I am the 2nd of 5 children.
3. I have one older brother and three younger sisters.
4. I am the only child in my family not named after someone. This is something of a sore spot for me.
5. I love researching my ancestors, especially when I discover that we share a trait.
6. I got married exactly one week after my 18th birthday.
7. I have been divorced now for 10 years.
8. I don’t think a home is “broken” until you give up.
9. I have 5 children: two sons and three daughters, including a set of fraternal twins (that means not identical) - although lots of people thinks they are (identical that is).
10. Fraternal twins are hereditary, identical twins are not. Twins do run in our family, but there haven’t been any for about 4 generations.
11. My Great-Grandmother and her twin sister came to the US on the Steamship “Arizona,” arriving at Ellis Island during the first few months that it was open.
12. Their names were Clara and Sara. Clara, my great-grandmother, was seasick the whole way and Sara wasn’t – at all. Totally unfair!
13. I was born in Arizona. Both of my parents were born in Arizona. Two of my grandparents were born in Arizona, one of them while it was still a territory!
14. I inherited my love of black licorice and black jelly beans from my mother’s father.
15. I inherited a habit of leafing through magazines from back-to-front from my father’s father.
16. One of my grandfathers was a driver for Arizona’s first governor, Governor Hunt.
17. One of my grandfathers was a mine assayer; he died of leukemia, probably from the assaying chemicals.
18. Both of my grandfathers died before I was 3.
19. I didn’t grow up with any cousins with the same last name as me. I always thought it was strange when other kids did.
20. I played 6 years of soccer as a kid. But, they didn’t have it in the high school I went to, at least not when I went there.
21. They do have it now. I know ‘cause my kids go there and I can’t get any of them to play it!
22. I was a band geek in high school. I played the clarinet during marching season and the base clarinet during concert season.
23. I can play the piano - with one finger, very slowly.
24. I have an Associates Degree in Computer-Aided Drafting.
25. I cannot relax until all my kids are home for the night.
26. I don’t like to go shopping. I’d rather order it online and have it shipped. If I get tired of shopping I just turn off the computer.
27. I hate to answer the phone or the door, unless I’m expecting a package.
28. I go to bed at 10 pm.
29. I get up at 5 am (on work days).
30. I sometimes eat peanut butter straight out of the jar. yum
31. Jennifer means “white lady,” and I’ve always been very pale skinned.
32. I love Mexican food.
33. My favorite non-Mexican food restaurant is Olive Garden.
34. My favorite smells are: fresh cut lumber, towels right out of the dryer, the air after it rains, and bread baking.
35. I am yeast retarded. If a recipe requires yeast and rising – I can’t do it.
36. I’m probably the only Mormon girl who doesn’t sew, or “can” food things.
37. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make granny’s homemade pomegranate jelly, but I’d have to “can” it.
38. My favorite drink is milk. I go through withdrawals without it.
39. I like almost anything chocolate, except ice cream. Don’t ask me why.
40. My favorite ice cream flavors: vanilla, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip and rainbow sherbet (even though that isn’t really ice cream).
41. I don’t mind cooking. I just don’t think I’m very good at it.
42. I like to sing, but I don’t want anyone to hear me.
43. I make really good sugar cookies.
44. I like eating raw cookie dough.
45. I like all movies that have a “happily-ever-after” ending – singing and dancing are a bonus.
46. I like country music.
47. My favorite book is: Pride and Prejudice. But I also like: Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.
48. I like fruitcake.
49. My favorite colors are: navy blue and burgundy.
50. My least favorite color is: that yellowish greenish color. I don’t even know what it’s called. Puke I think.
51. My favorite flowers are: chrysanthemums (had to spell check that one), daisies and sunflowers. I don’t like how flowers smell, but for some reason if someone brings me flowers the first thing I do is smell them. Stupid.
52. My favorite game: the less strategy required, the better.
53. My secret ambition: to be a stay-at-home mom. Okay, that’s not really a secret.
54. My favorite Family Home Evening: a silly string war at the park. Bring extra cans, its super fun.
55. Someday I want to go to: Boston (which is also my maiden name) and have a tea party and visit the old town sites. I promise not to drink the tea. I’ll just dump it out when no one’s looking. I think the Bostonians would support me in this. The English, maybe not so much.
56. One thing I never buy generic: peanut butter and toilet paper. Not that I ever use those things together.
57. I check my email at least twice a day, except on week-ends.
58. My car is: a minivan, usually dirty, usually low on gas, over 100,000 miles.
59. I have really great friends, but not very many of them.
60. Sports I like to watch: actually I’d rather play, but if the kids are playing, I’ll be watching.
61. I like to watch my kids in their extra-curricular activities.
62. I use most of my vacation and sick days to attend my kid’s events. And my boss knows that I’m not really sick or on vacation and he doesn’t care, which is one of the reasons I like my job.
63. I’m a terrible: photographer, but I take pictures anyway.
64. I’m afraid of: heights and the dark.
65. I like: really hot showers. Really hot.
66. I’m a pretty good shot, as long as the target is stationary. And don’t get me started on that stupid wind-up rabbit. That’s another story altogether. I probably should have listed that under things I’m afraid of. Hopefully I’ve outgrown it.
67. I think my kids are: really smart and responsible.
68. Something I suck at: describing people. You know, taller than me, not too thin, dark hair. That could be a million people!
69. As a child I was: naïve and sometimes oblivious. I lived in my own little world and I thought all people were basically good.
70. A favorite quote: “I’m not daydreaming, I’m conducting thought experiments.” Albert Einstein.
71. Something I avoid: conflict. You know the fight of flight theory? I run – every time. I don’t even defend myself. I don’t care what people think of me. But I’ll defend my kids – just see if I won’t.
72. I’ve only been in an airplane once. Okay, it was round trip, so I guess that makes twice.
73. I know how to water ski, but not snow ski. I did grow up in Phoenix after all.
74. My favorite season: is autumn. I wish I lived somewhere where I could see the leaves change color.
75. I’d rather be hot than cold.
76. I want to learn how to: tat lace.
77. I think Christmas lights look really cool on saguaro cactus. I never say cacti, I think that sounds stupid.
78. The YW taught me to roast Starburst instead of marshmallows at girls’ camp, and I liked it, even though I didn’t think I would.
79. I like to look at the stars, even though I live in a big city and can’t usually see very many of them.
80. I don’t like very many vegetables. The ones I do like I prefer raw, except for potatoes and corn. Although, I have tasted raw potato. It just tasted like crunchy dirt.
81. I like the smell of pipe smoke. I don’t know why because I hate the smell of cigarette smoke.
82. I and two of my kids (and one nephew) have Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome. This basically means that sometimes my heart beats really, really fast and I shouldn’t have caffeine, because caffeine speeds up your heart.
83. Coffee has never been a temptation for me, because I could never get it past my nose. P U
84. I hate that my favorite cereal is on the coffee aisle.
85. My favorite cereal is Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs. Come on, they add all the vitamins and minerals you could ever need.
86. I don’t like horror movies, I don’t even like being afraid.
87. I prefer a haircut that I can just wash and blow dry. No styling, no hair gook.
88. I like to go bare foot.
89. I love my jeans and t-shirts.
90. My favorite church calling (job): anything working with the Young Women.
91. My church calling right now: Sunday School Teacher 16-17.
92. I read the Book of Mormon all the way through for the first time when I was 20. I was already married and had 2 kids.
93. I have read the Book of Mormon about 16 times.
94. I have never read the Bible all the way through. But I’ve read lots of parts.
95. My favorite Bible story is: Isaac and Rebecca. Rebecca must have had really great faith.
96. I don’t have a favorite Book of Mormon story. And apparently I’m the only one in my ward who can name all four sons of Mosiah. Because when I did it for the Gospel Doctrine teacher everyone looked at my like I was kissin’ up or something.
97. I know I lived with my Heavenly Father before I came to earth.
98. I know why I’m here and what I’m supposed to accomplish while I’m here.
99. I know what happens to me when I die depends on whether or not I accomplish those things.
100. I know my Heavenly Father loves me.