Welcome Marcus Riley Yates

Well I figured it was about time to give an update seeing as it has been a long time since I last blogged. My life has been completely turned upside down since that time, but I must say, it has been the best crazy time I've ever had.

It all started on October 28th, 2008. I do the church newsletter for my home church and needed to get it done no later than the 29th so that they could be folded and mailed out. I hadn't been feeling all that great that day; I wasn't having any pain, but was just having some cramping and things but I wasn't really worried about it. Jacob and I went to the church around 8:00 p.m. that night so I could get started with the printing and copying of the newsletter which takes around 3 and 1/2 to 4 hours to do. My mom came by to visit and check and me and felt that I was showing some early signs of going into labor. I wasn't convinced as it was still almost 4 weeks until I was due. However, I called the doctor to please my mom and they told me to just monitor it and if I wasn't feeling better or things got worse, to come to the office tomorrow. Jacob and I left the church around 10:30 or so, with the newsletter not being finished, and went home to get some rest. I slept pretty good that night and when I got up the next morning I was feeling some better. I went to the church around 8:00 the next morning to finish the newsletter. While I was at the church, I once again started feeling funny but finished the newsletter anyway and went over to see my mom at her office. Mom was still convinced that I was going into labor but alas I still didn't believe it. One of her co-workers then came into the office and put her hand on my belly to feel the baby move and said "Kim you're having a contraction." I didn't realize it was a contraction because I had just assumed that there would be pain with the contractions and I wasn't having any pain at all. At that point, mom convinced me that we should go to the doctor just to make sure everything was ok. I agreed, but told her that I was going home to take a shower first. Jacob was working so we had to get a hold of him at the school and get everything all packed up "just in case." At this point, I still was not convinced that I was in labor and fully expected that we would be coming back home.

When we got to the doctor's office, he checked me and said that I was dialated two and he wanted to put me on the monitor to make sure that the baby was ok and to monitor my contractions. I was on the monitor for about 45 minutes and when he came back in he told me that my contractions were about five minutes apart and consistent but the baby was doing fine. He wanted me to check into the hospital so that they could monitor me for 24 hours just to make sure. One of the reasons was that the baby was still breech and if I did go into labor, they would need to do a C-section and didn't want me to fully dialate for no reason. So we went to the hospital to check in.

By the time I got into my room it was about 5:00 or so and the nurse came in to put in my IV and all that good stuff. She told me that they were just going to monitor me and that I would probably be going home tomorrow. She left the room and then in about 5 minutes, the on-call doctor came in to check me and said to me "You're having the baby. We're going to prep you for the C-section." I was shocked and to be honestly scared to death. I wasn't sure I was ready to have the baby.(This was taken just before I was carted out the room.)

However, I had no choice. Within about 15 or 20 minutes I was in the O.R. getting my spinal block. Everything happend extremely fast. At 6:14 p.m. Marcus Riley Yates was born. He was 7 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.

(These picture were taken not long after he was born)

He is such a good baby and both he and I are doing well. We appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.

(Mom's Baby Boy!)

Things I can no longer do now that I am pregnant

See my feet

Easily shave my legs

Ride the rocket simulator at the Kennedy Space Center

Sleep throughout the night without getting up to go to the bathroom

Take Advil

Fit my regular clothes

Walk anywhere without getting out of breath

Paint my toenails

Sit for an extended period of time

Drink Mt. Dew (Oh how I miss you)

Stay awake through a whole movie

Race go-carts

Parasail

Eat all the seafood that I want

Fully enjoy chicken

Yet despite the fact that there are many things that I can no longer do that used to love doing, I really enjoy being pregnant! This has been the best seven months of my life!

Home again, Home Again

Greetings my fellow faithful readers. I must first apologize for the fact that I haven't posted in over two months. But to be honest, I've seriously not had the time. After moving back to Clintwood from Chicago we have been on the go non-stopped. First, Jacob had a class in Louisville while I was preparing for my classes at Liberty. We returned from Louisville on a Thursday night and left Sunday after church to go to the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, IN. We came back home on Thursday and then had a dear friend come stay with us from Friday to Tuesday. After his departure we finally started to unpack some boxes and I finished up preparing for my classes. We then headed off for 17 days to Lynchburg, VA where I was completing two of my final classes for my Masters degree. We returned to Clintwood on Saturday, celebrated our 2nd anniversary on Monday, left Tuesday for Abingdon where we spent the night at the Martha Washington Inn as our gift to one another, and then had our doctor's appointment yesterday. On top of that I am on the missions committee at our church and we are preparing for a team who will be coming to the area at the end of this month as well as planning our high school classes five year reunion. Trust me, this had been an EXTREMELY busy time for us. And unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be getting any less busy. I still have a six-week unit plan due for one of my classes by the first of August and next week Jacob and I will hopefully be traveling to see a couple of friends in NC. After returning from that trip we will be having our reunion on the 27th which is also the day that the mission team will be arriving in Clintwood. Then, in the second week of August we will be going to Daytona Beach for a week on Vacation with my family. So this seriously has been the longest, but most def. best summer of my life.

Yesterday was our appointment to find out what the baby was going to be and the verdict is in.....Its going to be a boy! =) I have felt all along that I was having a boy so to me, it wasn't that big of a surprise, but it was nice to have my mom sister, and in-laws there as we received the big news! Now Jacob and I must get serious about choosing a name for him. But this also means I can now start decorating my baby's room!! Being pregnant has been one of the greatest things I've ever experienced. Although I have been sick and tired, I've never in my life been happier. I'm now feeling the baby move more regularly, and you can now DEFINITELY tell that I am pregnant. God is good and I'm so thankful for this gift that he has entrusted to Jacob and I. Please pray for us that we may be strong and that God keeps the three of us safe. Also pray that Jacob is able to find a job and that I will be able to complete everything I need to in order to finish my degree.

Who knows how long it will be before I post again but I will try to post some pictures of our lil man soon as well as of my big belly!

I'm Back....

It seems like it has been forever since I last blogged and well, it has been! It is been an incredibly busy time as Jacob and I are planning to move back to Virginia and it's the end of the semester in school. I was in Virginia for about a week doing some work for my classes and delivering a load of stuff to our new house and then Jacob came down to deliver a load as well. We came back to Illinois last Wednesday and since then I've been working frantically to finish my last two assignments for class, one of which took me a total of at least 24 hours. We are now in the process of packing and getting rid of all our stuff and trying to tie up any loose ends we have here. It has just been a crazy time and I still have about a week of packing, etc. left. We are hoping to be gone from here at the beginning of next week but it may be the middle of the week.
We will for sure be gone by Thursday as my sister Kristin will be graduating from high school next Friday, as Salutatorian I might add, just like her big sister!

Leaving Illinois is bittersweet for me. I am COMPLETELY looking forward to being back in the south and away from the city life, but at the same time, I've made some amazing friends here and I am really going to miss them. These people have really made an impact on me and I see them like family, since they have been that way since we moved here. It is going to be hard saying goodbye to them. Also, it is going to be quite an adjustment living near family again. It has been five years since I've lived in Clintwood and it is going to be strange having to share my husband with his family. I've enjoyed the past two years of having only one another to depend on and I'm really sad to see that part of our life go. Don't get me wrong, I love Jacob's family and I appreciate everything they do for us, but I really feel a little unsure about how this whole thing is going to work.

In baby news, we are officially at the end of our first trimester! YAY! We have a doctor's appointment on Saturday and we think we will probably get to hear the baby's heartbeat this time! I am anxious about this appointment meaning I'm both excited and scared. I guess it is always natural to expect the worse and I know I really have no reason to think there is something wrong but I guess that is always in the back of a mother's mind. I am so excited about becoming a mother, it is what I've always wanted, and I jut want my baby to be happy and healthy. Since I've missed a couple of weeks of the baby development stuff, I'm just going to start with this week, which is week twelve.

"Your baby weights between 1/3 and 1/2 ounce and crown-to-rum length is almost 2 1/2 inches. The size of the baby has almost doubled in the past 3 weeks.

By the end of 12 weeks, your uterus is too large to remain completely in your pelvis. You may be able to feel it at this point (I have been telling Jacob this but I don't think he believes me but it won't be long before I will be starting to show!!!). The skeletal system now has centers of bone formation. Fingers and toes have separated, and nails are growing. Scattered rudiments of hair appear on the body. The digest system is capable of producing contractions that push food through the bowels. The pituitary glad is beginning to make many hormones. The fetal nervous system has developed further. Your baby is moving inside your uterus, but your probably won't feel it for a while yet." (Your Pregnancy week by week, 6th edition, Glade B. Curtis & Judith Schuler).

Well, this will be my last post until we get back to Clintwood. Today is the last day we have Internet access and I'm going to be crazy busy packing. But I will definitely update soon to let everyone know how the appointment goes and if it works out the way I want, hopefully we will have a video with the baby's heartbeat to show!

Keep us in your prayers this week.

The Ramblings of a Pregnant Woman

It has been such a long time since I blogged, that I do not know where to begin. Last week was a rough week for me as I started having some pregnancy complications. By Wednesday, I was really worried and decided to call my doctor. She wanted to see me immediately, which freaked me out even more, so we went in for another check-up/ultrasound. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. Praise God however, the baby was fine. He/she had pretty much doubled in size and his/her heart rate was 186. The did another exam and everything looked fine. The doctor believed that the complications might be occurring because of the exam but told me that I had to take it easy and rest. So, for the last week, I've pretty much been doing nothing but laying around in the bed and watching tv. Although as good as that sounds, I have so much I need to be doing that I'm beginning to get frustrated. My parents are coming up this weekend in order to help us do some packing since I'm not allowed to lift anything, and then I'm going home on Monday in order to do some observations for school. I only have 2 and 1/2 weeks left of classes but I have so much homework it is just overwhelming. My house is a mess but frankly, I just have no desire to clean it. I think I need some powerboost from comcast! That being said, if anyone is interesting in helping a friend in need, I could use a maid =) j/k





On another note, I had previously posted a rant about my Praxis exam that I took in March. Well I now must officially eat my words and take it back because I got my scores back and did MUCH better than what I was expecting. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was 3 points from scoring a perfect score. So I guess the ETS people know what they are doing after all.





Well, I promised that I would try to provide my readers with information about the baby's development from the book I am reading and we are now in the middle of week nine:





"The crown-to-rump length of the embryo is 1 to 1 1/4 inches. This is close to the size of a medium green olive.

Your baby's arms and legs are longer. Hands are flexed at the wrist...Fingers are longer, and the tips are slightly enlarged where touch pads are developing. The feet may be long enough to meet in front of the torso. The head is more erect, and the neck is more developed. The eyelids almost cover the eyes...external ears are evident and the baby now moves its body and limbs." Curtis, Glade & Schuler, Judith. Your Pregnancy week by week. 6th Edition

That was something that we got to see on the ultrasound for the first time: we got to see our baby move! It was pretty miraculous to be honest, and if I hadn't been so relieved that the baby's heart was beating and everything looked ok, I might have cried!

Well I'm off to do some homework and perhaps even a little house cleaning! Until next time...

Our first appointment

I've decided that instead of trying to tell each individual what's going on with baby Yates, it would be easier to keep everyone updated via my blog! So that is what I plan to do. Yesterday, Jacob and I had our first doctor's appointment. I was unsure of what to expect, but I just assumed that very little would be done on our first visit. However, I was so excited when the nurse told me that the first thing they were going to do would be the ultrasound. It was so exciting (and a little scary) to see our baby's little heart beating. Everything showed up great. We could see the spine, and his/her little arms and legs! The nurse said everything looked good and the heart beat was strong. This, for me, was such exciting news and it has made it very real! We also got our very first baby picture. Because it is in PDF format though, I can't post it but I'm still working on it and if I can figure it out, I will most certainly post it for everyone to see!

Our due date is going to be November 22 which is a little earlier that I first thought, but I'm not complaining one bit. Infact, that seems like so far away, although I'm sure it will fly by! So that means that right now, we are 7 1/2 weeks along. I thought it would be interesting to, every week, post a little from the book that I bought, "Your Pregnancy week by week" which provides information about what is happening to the baby and to me. So below, is a little bit from the book about the growth of the baby!

Size

The baby goes through an incredible growth spurt this week. At the beginning of the 7th week, the crown-to-rump length is 0.16 to 0.2 inches. This is about the size of a BB pellet. By the end of the week, it has more than doubled in size, to about 1/2 inch. This means it is about the size of a pinto bean! =)

Development

Leg buds are beginning to appear as short fins. Arm buds have grown longers; they have divided into a hand segmenet and an arm-shoulder segment. The heart bulges from the body. By this time, it has divided into right and left chambers. The cerebral hemispheres, which make up the brain, are also growing (we got to see this on the ultrasound)! Eyes and nostrils are developing.

Intestines are developing and the appendix is present. The pancreas, which produces insulin, is also present.

It is so amazing to me all the changes taking place every day! We are so excited about this birth and we just ask that everyone pray for us and for a baby! I'm going to leave you guys with a list of girls names that I've picked out (even though Jacob doesn't like them). Let me know what they think.

Khloe

Addison

Emma

Adilea

Brooke

Alyssa

Ainslie

Haven

Jada

Jenna

Kenzie

Kinsley

Kylie

Lexi

Let me know what you think!

WARNING: RANT BELOW

So Saturday I had to take my certification test, the Praxis II. For the past 2 months, I've been studying furiously in order to freshen up on my Literature, Grammar, etc. I had even created this nice little flashcard book with literature words and their definitions, Literary Periods, Authors and their famous works, and any thing else that I thought might be tested via the practice book. I had memorized the literary periods and the major authors who wrote and what they wrote; literary and grammatical terms; and had even read the major summaries of works which I was unfamiliar with or had not read. I had taken 2 practices tests, one which was a former test that ETS had retired, and on both of the tests, I scored in the top 89th percentile, meaning that I easily passed the Virginia standards. Although I don't think I was overly confident, I did feel well prepared and wasn't very worried or stressed over the test. Maybe I should have been.

The test was insane. There were ZERO questions on any literature earlier than like the 17th c. There weren't any questions even on SHAKESPEARE!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Most of the questions were about authors and works of which I have never even heard of. Keep in mind, this test is supposed to determine if you are qualified to teach English Literature at the secondary level. There were very few questions about any of the terms that I had studied, which were recommended by the study guide book. In the other 2 tests I had taken, I was able to finish both in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. This test took me 1 hour 50 minutes. I was so frustrated by the time I left...GRRR....Although I won't know my score until the middle of April, but it isn't looking good. I guess I'll just have to wait and see and take it again.

Just some ramblings...

Hello faithful readers. Today is the next to last day of my spring break and I wish I was here...

Instead I am here...

Actually, it isn't as bad as the picture above. In fact, this is the warmest day we've had in months, literally. However there is still snow on the ground and I just want to get away. I hate being away from all my friends and family. Although there is a lot of stuff to do here, I have nobody to do it with. I like being by myself, but some activities, such as playing tennis, require a partner. Jacob doesn't like doing anything and most of the friends who are here have their own families and responsibilities and it is just hard to get together. These are the times that I miss college. I miss having Laura, Courtney, Ashely, and Amanda so close and being able to hang out pretty much anytime. Now they all live 12 hours away and I get to see them maybe once or twice a year. I guess that just part of growing up.

In other news, Saturday I take my certification test in English Literature. I've taken a couple of practice tests and have done ok, but it has made me realize how many great books are out there that I haven't read yet. I've been reading the summaries of some of the most commonly tested books, and have renewed my interested in literature. Too bad I've got textbooks to read. Maybe one day I'll have a chance to read for fun again.

Finally, this last weekend Jacob and I watched the Bourne series. I owned the first two (Bourne Identity & Bourne Supremacy) and then we just rented the third one. I have to say, it was a good series. It makes me think about how different my life would have been if I had chosen to go into the FBI. I wonder if that is how it really works (and I know, he worked for the CIA not FBI, but still), I mean do spies really have all those different identities; and does our government really have all these secret missions and ways of knowing what is going on all over the world and with individual people? It is kinda scary to think about. We no longer really live in a free country. We are slowly (or maybe not so slowly) moving toward minority rule. And to be honest, if a small group of people wanted to take over the United States, we probably couldn't stop them. Its sad and scary all at the same time.

Well tune in later for more ramblings and an update on how my cert. test goes on Saturday! And if anyone has some extra cash laying around and would like to come for a visit, I'd love to have ya!

Are they out there???

Ok. I have been working on my final project in my gifted education class for like 3 days straight now and I need a break so since I haven't blogged all week, I thought I would provide you with a somewhat comical story about myself and my vivid imagination.

As many of you know, I am fascinated by conspiracy theories, unsolved historical mysteries, treasure hunts, and things which we just cannot explain. One such area is that of UFO's and aliens. Don't get me wrong, I don't live in a fantasy land and believe everything I hear/see on television, but I just enjoy contemplating the things which we cannot know for sure. I think it has something to do with my very active imagination. Anyway, there is a new show on the history channel called UFO Hunters. Essentially, this group of guys investigates sightings of UFO's and try to use scientific evidence to prove or disprove the existence of UFO's. I thoroughly enjoy the show and I make Jacob watch it with me even though he thinks I'm crazy. Not just because I watch the show but because of what happened a couple of months ago when I was coming back to Chicago from Virginia. It was late, and I was in the middle of a corn field in Indiana on Interstate 65 coming north. I was just driving along, listening to the radio when I noticed something above my car. It was this oval-shaped white light and as I looked up at it, it took off ahead of me extremely fast. Then is slowed down and I caught up to it, and it was once again over my car. In order to see it I had to kinda lean up and turn my heck in order to see out the top of my windshield. It once again sped off and it was at this point that my mind started racing and pictures of UFO's and thoughts of alien abductions over took my thoughts. All I could think was I need to get my cell phone to take a picture. Frantically, I was trying to locate my cell but it was dark in the car and I was trying to drive at the same time. The mysterious light continued the same pattern of speeding up and slowing down for another minute or so. I eventually gave up on trying to find the cell phone and just focused my attention on what I had convinced myself was an alien spacecraft. As I continued trucking up 65 however, something on the right side of the road caught my eye. It was a beam of light coming through the trees. Slowly my mind began putting the pieces together and a few seconds later I realized the the alien spacecraft was really just a circling spotlight. I had to laugh at myself, and I sure you are too. But seriously, what the heck is a circling spotlight doing in the middle of a cornfield??????

Well it's back to my project, more to come later!

Well, things are slowly returning to normal around here. It has been a rough week with the funeral services and the gobs of homework that I have had. Thankfully, I only have one week left of classes and I'm really looking forward to a break. I just wish that it was bit longer but I'll take it. Below is a picture of Jacob and I at a Valentines Dance that we went to.

Although at this time I didn't know it, Jacob had gotten us a private dance lesson at a dance studio. I just can't wait! I've always wanted to take ballroom dance lessons so it was perhaps the best valentines gift ever! I will be sure keep you updated and take lots of pictures.

Well this has been a short and pointless post but I just thought I would let everyone know that we're doing ok and that once class is over, I'll try to be more consistent with my postings!

Numbness

I read something recently where an individual had attempted to describe the feeling of "numbness", the absence of feeling. Although it was well-written and very descriptive, it was hard for me to really feel it simply from reading the words of this author. I'm sure I had felt it before, but it's just one of those things where after it is over, you quickly forget about how it really felt; it's a that feeling just doesn't stay with you. Yet as I now reflect back over the last 24 hours, the words of this author have stuck in my mind, and I now remember what "numbness" is. I'm not planning on trying to describe this feeling to you, because just as I have come to discover, you can't understand the feeling through reading words from a blog or through hearing someone describe it, you have to feel it. And I don't want anyone to feel numbness, as it is perhaps one of the most terrible feelings in the world. Life is about feeling; its about love, hate, anger, pain, joy, happiness, fear. Yet numbness is the absence of these or any emotion; its as if your existence, your being, your soul, is no longer with you. It's the not knowing what to do, or say, or think, or feel because the one thing that guides these behaviors, our emotion, is not longer there. Words cannot do it justice; it's just indescribable.

My husband and I just found out last night that a dear friend from Chicago, was killed in a tragic accident this weekend. My heart goes out to her husband, her family, and her friends. Keep them in your prayers. I know that what I am feeling is insignificant compared to the hurt, anger, and loss that those closest to her are struggling with at this time. As I look at my husband and reflect on this short period that we have spent together, I am so thankful for the love we have shared and can't imagine what her husband must be going through. Death is a part of life, and it is something that all must deal with, but that doesn't make it easier, in fact, perhaps that is what makes it so hard to face. So as I sit and reflect on this weekend and dread the coming days, my prayer for her family, her friends, and for my husband, is that the sadness, loneliness, and hurt which they most surely feel at this time, is not replaced by "numbness" but that their pain is a reminder of the life that they have, and that they use every moment which is given to them for the glory of the one who gave it.

My "Vantage Point"

I just returned from seeing the movie "Vantage Point" and thought I would share with you my review of the movie. I had been looking forward to this movie for over a month and I have to say, it lived up to, and perhaps surpassed, my expectations. It began like any other action movie, yet as the movie progressed, the plot became increasingly more complex. I don't want to give away too much, but as you can tell from the title, you get see the story from the vantage point of different individuals, all viewing the same scene unfold. At the end of the movie, they all come together and you get a more holistic view of the story. I know, I know, this is not a new idea. But the way the director presents the story is different from any other movie I had seen. It has many different twists and turns, and the end of the movie contains the best, yes I said it, the BEST car chase I have ever seen in a movie. It was simply amazing. There is some foul language and some violent scenes, but overall, I give the movie an "A". Go see it, I really don't think you will be disappointed.

On a side note, I hate seeing a movie while surrounded by idiots. Every time the movie would go back and show a different vantage point of the same scene, they would say something like "what is going on" or "why do they keep showing this scene" and even "this is stupid." The name of the movie is "Vantage Point" what in the heck did you expect??? From the title you should understand that you are seeing something happen from VARIOUS vantage points. Geeessshhhh!

Anyway, see the movie and let me know what you think!

Welcome

Welcome to the wonderful world ME! My hope is that this blog will provide me with the opportunity to release some of the creative juices which have been all bottled up inside since my college days. During that period of my life I was constantly involved in some type of activity which required me to think creatively and put my skills to use but I just don't have the same opportunities for that type of activity any more. I've been trying to do more crafty things here like make blankets and scrapbooks, and I plan to continue to do them, but those activities can be costly and this is free so.....onward we shall go.

Most of you reading this blog probably already know me so there is no need for a long introduction about who I am, where I've been, and where I am going. I have posted a short piece about myself in the "about me section" to your right, so please feel free to read all about me there. Instead, I am going to post 10 weird/random things about myself which I first posted on my myspace page. However this edition will contain a bit more explanation for those of you who are curious. I found this activity fun and enlightening and thought many of you may enjoy learning something new about me. Feel free to comment on them as I hope this is a place for my friends and family to learn, explore, debate, argue, and keep in touch with one another. My goal is to post blogs about things which I find interesting in our ever-changing world and challenge each of you to "think outside the box" and see the world through my eyes.

1. I hate for any part of my body to touch the shower curtain while I'm taking a bath or shower. Although I am not sure where this comes from, I do know that if Jacob and I ever get to build our own house, we are gonna have a wide tub or one of the shower curtain rods that are curved.

2. My dream house would be a one level house with a downstairs basement that I could turn into a family room/guest room. (Does that count as a 2 level house?) I always loved the thought of a basement as a room. I think it is because when I was growing up, we spent a lot of time at my great grandmother's house, (the one that lives in near cleveland) and she had a basement that I just loved to play in. Although it was not turned into a room, I always thought that it would be the best idea ever.

3. I hate not having bright, bright, lights on when I'm in a room, especially the bathroom and kitchen. I'm not really sure why this is so. I enjoy being in the dark, but I just hate not having lights in the bathroom and kitchen. I guess the bathroom part comes from the fact that I was younger, I was always afraid that either the toliet was going to explode while I was on it, or that something was going to crawl out of it, like a snake or something, and bite me. That was my biggest fear. I guess I just transferred that fear to the kitchen as well.

4. Although I've had many different career dreams, I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom who can cook, sew, play with my kids, and garden. I think I would have fit in just perfectly during the 1950s. Although many people will say that it unambitious, I don't see it that way. I just like the idea of being a mom and wife. I always think of "Leave it to Beaver" and I know life isn't really like that, but I just think it would be great if it was.

5. Dancing is one of my most favorite things to do. I've always wanted to take swing or ballroom dance lessons or even perhaps disco! Update: For valentines day my husband got me private dance lessons at a dancing studio here in town! I AM SO EXCITED! He is the greatest husband ever!

6. I hate leftovers. The only food that I actually like eating after its intial cooking is cabbage rolls. They just always taste better if you reheat them.

7. I love adventure and being spontaneous. I would go on a trip somewhere new every weekend if my husband would let me and we could afford it. One of my favorite movies is National Treasure and I am so fascinated with conspiracy theories and government cover-ups. Although this appears to be 2 facts in 1, they are actually tied together. I think my sense of adventure makes me want to believe things that aren't necessarily true or are only part truth. Jacob hates it when I make him watch things on the History channel like, alien abductions, or monster hunters, but stuff like that is just interesting to me.

8. I have always told Jacob that if something ever happened to him and we didn't have any children, I would become a truck driver because I love to travel and I love driving. So many people laugh at me when I tell them this. I do know how hard being a truck driver is because my grandfather just to haul equipment for a company but I just like the idea of being on the open road. Although this is not a career that would last forever, I think it would be an interesting experience!

9. Staring out a window is an obsession of mine. If I'm sitting by a window, no matter what else is going on around me, I can't help but look out of it. I believe this relates to my fear or dislike of being in a small, enclosed space. The window provides an outlet into openess and fresh air and that freedom and space is mesmorizing to me.

10. If I could be like one famous person in the whole world, I would choose Reba Mcentire. I just love her! =) Although I've always liked her singing, it was her show that actually caused me to become her number 1 fan. She is just so funny and talented and although I know she is acting, I just picture her really being like that in person. Also, I love her accent and of course her red hair!