50+ things you may want to know about me

Here are 50+ things about me that you may already know, may not, or may not even care about...but now you know. My friend Jennifer did this and wanted everyone to follow her lead, so I figured I would try. Here we go:

1. I was born at Burnham hospital on September 5, 1972.
   
2. My Dad died 2 months before I was born, he was in an automobile accident and got 3rd degree burns over most of his entire body, was taken down to Texas to the burn center down there and died 5 (long) weeks later.
   
3. I lived with my Mom at my Grandma/Grandpa's house until I was 4 and my mom bought the house she is still living in.
   
4. My mom married my step dad when I was 8 years old, I was their flower girl.
   
5. We bought my Grandma/Grandpa's house after she died and we are raising our children in the same house I was raised the first 4 years of my life
6. I learned to ride my 2 wheel bike on my own...I'm kind of stubborn like that.
7. I use to walk down the hallway crabby as can be (according to my Uncle Rick) saying, "I want my brekus (I couldn't say breakfast)
8. I was a brownie and a girl scout.
9. I went to Robeson Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and graduated from Centennial High School in 1990.
10. Went to EIU from '90-'93, stopped going to class and got a few jobs down in Charleson/Mattoon, and moved back to C-U in '95. Met Jason and decided I wanted to finish school, started back slowly...took a few classes at Parkland and then had to finish at EIU, so I drove back and forth 3 days a week for a year, did my internship at Carle Pavilion and FINALLY graduated in '98. My goal was to have my maiden name on my diploma...which it did.
    
11. My first car was a 1980 Honda, I bought it from my Uncle.
12. Had 1 serious boyfriend in high school that lasted from Junior year to Sophmore year at College.
13. Had another serious boyfriend Junior year of college 1993-1995, he was in a fraternity and everyone called him "Junior", he had been shot in the head in high school at a party for sticking up for some girl. The doctors said he was LUCKY to be alive.
14. Hated beer till I went to college and you could get "nickel" beers at the bar...it was much cheaper to drink beer.
15. One Thanksgiving played "quarters" with my cousins and my grandma...she was so COOL!!
    
16. Until my Grandma died in 2005, her 4 kids and their families came to eat dinner at her house every Sunday...that is a memory that I won't ever forget.
17. Christmas is my favorite holiday...I love watching the kids open their gifts with such amazement in their eyes...all 3 still believe in Santa (or at least Bradley at 12 says he still believes...I did tell him when he came to live with us that when he stops believing he stops getting presents...maybe that has something to do with it)
18. Jason and I met at Sunnycrest Animal Medical Center, I was the Office Manager, he was the kennel worker...he asked me out for months...I finally went out with him...it was love right from the start.
19. We started dating June of '96, were engaged in January '97, and got married 8/8/98...yes it will be 10 years this 8/8/08...WOW!!
20. My stepdad and my uncle walked me down the aisle at our wedding.
21. We danced to Shania Twain/B. Adams "From this Moment"...I think it was probably the most popular wedding song at that time.
    
22. Have 3 wonderful kids and have 7 angels (I had 7 miscarriages and we named them all: Peyton, Morgan, Jo, Thomas, Alex, Logan, and Angel)
23. I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and a Robertsonian Translocation of the 14/15 chromosome.
24. When Becca had her tonsils out we had her tested for the same genetic issue...she is completely "normal" and will never have to deal with all of the issues we did.
    
25. Was induced with both Becca and James. With Becca my labor was 19 hours, with James it was 5 hours.
26. Had epidurals with both...it worked with Becca, didn't with James and I felt EVERYTHING!!
    
27. Conceived both kids on the same day 4 years apart (I know when Becca was because we did AI, and I swear James was also , my cycle was exactly the same...you can fill in the rest). And their birthdays are 1/7/03 and 1/6/07
28. We started the adoption process in 2000, found Bradley in 2002, and he came to live with us in July 2002, and finalized his adoption 5/26/03.
29. I have 1 half sister, that is married and lives in Mansfield, she is a kindergarten teacher at Next Generation...and I love her!!
30. I played basketball and softball all 4 years of high school.
31. I was in a sorority at EIU...Alpha Sigma Tau
32. Started dating Jason when I was still dating my old boyfriend.
33. Played the flute in 5th grade for about 2-3 weeks.
34. Broke my arm twice, falling off a big wheel and a skateboard
35. While working at the vet clinic adopted many animals, at 1 time we had: 4 dogs, 4 cats, 2 lizard, and fish
36. Enjoy reading...mostly fiction romance...don't really have a favorite author
37. Got my 1st job on my 16th birthday, my grandma knew the managers at Diana Foods, I went down, filled out my application and was hired on the spot, starting salary $3.35/hr.
38. Have only gone T.P.'ing once, and got caught...my high school boyfriends house
39. Went to the Bahamas on my honeymoon...hated the cruise.
40. Worked at DSC for 9 years, held 2 different jobs there, Developmental Trainer and Recreation Therapist.
41. Moved to CUSR last September and am the Adult Program Coordinator, and luckily get to see a lot of the same participants as I worked with at DSC.
42. Became a CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist) in 1999.
43. My favorite color is orange
44. My favorite food is shrimp, and man did I crave it with both pregnancies...kind of an expensive craving.
45. My favorite movies are: Hoosiers, Gone with the Wind, and anything on Lifetime Movie Network.
46. My favorite actresses are: Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Stiles
47. I will listen to pretty much any kind of music, doesn't really matter.
48. I LOVE watching Jon and Kate +8, and I wish I was more like her (in some ways), she is so organized...it makes me sick!!
    
49. I worry over things that are going to happen sometime in the future, such as where is James going to go when Belinda stops watching him...in 2 years.
50. I love to walk into a clean house and have that feeling that I don't have to do anything...this does not happen very often.
51. I love hanging our clothes outside on the line...they smell so good!!
52. I love taking pictures of my kids, but don't enjoy getting them printed and put away in albums.
53. I was really good at pictures/albums with Becca and the beginning of Bradley...not so much for James...sorry James.
54. I don't like to cook.
55. I am addicted to sweet tea.
56. I have quite a few tattoos...a happy leg (James, Becca, and Bradley's names are on this leg with a sun and a moon, since they are my sun and moon and everything in between) and a sad leg (initials of the babies we lost, a cross, an angel, and chinese symbol for "spirit", and I also have Jason's name on my shoulder...and he has my name on his shoulder...and I would like to get more...i'm addicted
57. I collect or have collected Boyds Bears, Demdaco's Willow Tree, movies, and Fostoria
    
58. I am very interested in the Amish, love pictures of them, etc., they intrigue me.
59. When I was young my Grandma and Grandpa owned a cabin over at the Pollywogs (over by Oakwood, IL), we went there with them, all of my aunts/uncles/cousins, etc. almost every weekend...those were the days.
    
60. I love reading everyone's blogs and I am enjoying blogging much more than I ever thought I would

Wow...once I started...they just flew out!!! Hope you enjoyed and you learned something new about me.