Tuesday Tag: Where Do 15 Years Go?

Chris tagged me for a meme. I have also been tagged for another that I will probably finally have time to get this week. My life looks to be pretty boring this week.

The meme was about how you would describe yourself to someone whom you haven't seen in fifteen years. Let's see...15 years ago was 1993. Sophomore year in college...wow, what a different life. You are allowed ten bullets with which to update your life.

* I married Steve W...most of the people who were in my life at that point knew Steve to be the Phi Mu Alpha hugger. Everywhere you went, a girl was hugging him and no one ever imagined anyone actually snagging him. We are celebrating 12 years of marriage this December.

* I have two beautiful boys. I loved being pregnant and labor wasn't that bad for me. I would do it again if God saw that as the plan, but I love our little family of four and it suits us well. I always thought I wanted girls, but God made the right decision in sending boys my way. I would have been a much worse mom if I had been blessed with girls.

* I did actually teach school music for six years, but then discovered that school teaching didn't work for me. Instead, teaching piano is a much better way to use my education and God given talents

* I have lived in several apartments and one house since that time. In Wisconsin for a year and a half, and then returning to Michigan.

* 15 years ago I was the pianist for the campus ministry. I continued to be a church employee, both as organist at a little church in Wisconsin, and also holding choir director and bell director positions at our current church

* I am much more in tune with my family than I was 15 years ago. At that time, I very rarely saw my brother or sister more than once twice a year. Pretty close to the same with my parents. Now, my sister lives less than an hour away and we see my brother's family close to every month or so. All of our kids consider each other their best friends.

*The friends whom I was closest to 15 years ago are STILL the closest friends today. The first three that come to mind are all fellow bloggers, one of whom will be tagged below.

* We are not as financially stable as I would have thought 15 years would bring, but that is in part mostly to the decisions that we have made for our family. I still have hopes that the next 15 fifteen will see us reach the place for which we aim.

This was much harder than I thought it would be

* I have not gone very many places in the last 15 years. I have only been on a plane trip once since then, and handled it so badly that I don't plan to ever ride one again. I finally made it Disney World 8 years ago for the first time, and we are planning to go again as a family trip next March. I want my kids to have that experience when they are young and not wait until they are 27 years old.

* IN general, I think I am a happier person than I was 15 years ago. Even though we struggle financially, I feel like the support system I have is so secure with my family and friends that I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I do not believe I had a very positive outlook 15 years ago...now I know that the future holds as many adventures as the past has.

I hope I am still blogging in 15 years. It would be fun to see what this meme would say in 2033.

I would like to tag
Beth, Jennifer (if you're not in labor), Queen Mommy, Tammy, and Courtney.

Have fun!

Random Things

I haven't been tagged in awhile. I was tagged by both Amy and Chrissy for this one. Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger
2. List 7 Random/Weird facts about yourself
3. Tag 7 More people
4. Go to them and let them know they have been tagged.

I did this tag once. But it might be fun to see what else I can come up with. It is kind of hard considering I just composed my 100th to post this weekend. I wonder what will come out of my brain as I think...

1. I am a somewhat picky sleeper. I can't sleep if there is any noise anywhere (including Steve's snoring). I also am unable to sleep in any mode of transportation. My husband, in contrast, sleeps in the car if we are traveling for more than a half hour ANYWHERE. Needless to say, it is ONE of the reasons that I always drive when we go places. But we won't go into that right now.

2. I am very bad at typing. When ever I type anything, I just randomly hit buttons and don't look at what I'm writing...yes, I am a glorified "hunt and packer." If it weren't for spell checker, I really would not be able to type anything. I am a good speller, just bad at typing.

3. I PLAYED today. We went to the park today after Noah got out of school. Shamefully, sometimes I sit and watch the kids play. Not today! Today, I was the troll in the Billy Goats Gruff. When Noah came to head butt me and push me off the bridge, I decided that instead of drowning, I could turn into a beautiful princess. When you're the only female in a house of boys, it is your RIGHT to be a princess when the mood strikes you.

4. I am a pianist who HATES performing. Put me and my piano behind any vocalists, instrumentalists, or even with another pianist and I am in heaven. But solo...NO WAY. I suffer from performance anxiety to this day.

5. I am a nerd...first rate, all encompassing, complete and utter nerd. I wear the same clothes and hairstyle that I had in high school (with a little variance). I really have no style and that's okay with me. My mom used to call me a nerd the whole time I was growing up and I didn't realize it was true until after I was in college. By that time, it didn't matter anymore.

6. My husband and kids love me anyway.

7. If Noah had been a girl, his name would have been Holly. If Aaron had been a girl, his name would have been Leah. The middle name wold have been Eleanor either way, after my grandmother.

I know...not very interesting but it's the best I can do between listening to my husband run up and down the stairs a bazillion time to tell Aaron to be quiet and go to sleep.

I think everyone has done this one. The only person I know for sure who hasn't is Beth. So tag, Beth, you're it.

Happy Thursday.

4 Things Meme

I was tagged by Deb to do this one and I agree, it looks like more fun than some of the stressful ones out there. Here it goes:

4 Jobs I've Had Ummm...kind of hard to think of only 4:
Mommy (Noah and Aaron)
Professional Sandwich Artist (Subway)
National Chain Spokesperson (Red Lobster Hostess)
Musical Educator (too many places to keep track of)

4 Places I've Lived:
Mukwonago, Wisconsin (newlywed-hood)
Kalamazoo, Michigan (college)
Clarendon Hills, Illinois (middle school)
Whitehall, Michigan (elementary school)

4 movies I've watched over and over:
American President (wishing presidents like this were real)
Miss Congeniality (It's just funny)
Sweet Home Alabama (Steve got me into this one)
Where the Heart Is (yet another chick flick)

4 Shows I watch:
Grey's Anatomy
Jon and Kate plus 8 (I love how the husband puts up with the complaining wife all the time)
Friends reruns
Biggest Loser (although I get stressed when the girls get to where I am now)

4 Places I've Been:
Vienna, Austria (10th grade orchestra trip)
Disney World (Cried out of flying fear all the way on the plane)
Washington D.C. (8th grade class trip)
Mackinac Island (but not the Grand Hotel)

4 People Who Email Me regularly:
Deb (friend)
Jenny (my sister-in-law)
Shannon (my sister)
Steve's Parents (interchangeably)

4 Favorite Things To Eat:
Any chocolate without nuts(and chewy)
Mexican food (without beans)
Italian Food (not good for me, but soooo good)
chewy cookies (especially while they're still dough)

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
In bed (I'm always tired)
Disney World (next March)
A warm beach (but not too hot)
Hidden away with just my family where the bill collectors finally couldn't find me (dream on, they found me today)

4 Things I look forward to this year:
Warmer Weather (but not hot)
Trip to St. Louis in May (with Matt's family)
Trying to get ahead of some of our bills (once again, dream on)
Christmas (I love Christmas)

4 people to tag:
I'd love to learn more about:
Steph
Shana
Amber
Jessica


Have Fun.