THE TRUTH--about me

So, I've been working on this post off and on for a couple of weeks, trying to think of some things that my reading audience may or may not know about me.  Some of it's funny; some, just random bits of info; some, a little more serious.  I'm thinking some might be a bit too much for some of you, but as an attempt to be as real as possible, I'd like to offer some peaks into my life.  Yeah, just some.  So, here goes...

I drove down a one-way street the other day.  The wrong way.

I haven't vacuumed in a few days.  Or maybe weeks.  (Kitchen excepted.)

I serve my kids processed meat (hot dogs, ham, sausage),
chips,
ice cream sandwiches,
kool-aid,
and candy.
Preferably not all in one sitting, but it's possible that's happened too.

My kids have been known to watch TV for more than two hours in one day.

My daughter sang this precious (ahem) song to me this morning:
"It's raining,
It's pouring,
The old mommy is snoring,
She went to bed,
Pulled the covers to her head,
And didn't wake up with daddy."
(If you're confused, it might help to remind you that I'm not a morning person.  My man is almost always up before me.)

I shared a room with both of my sisters while growing up and we made great memories.  My girls share a bedroom now.  I promise privacy is over-rated.

I do not shave in the winter. Period.  (ewww)

I love Jimmy Buffet.  Only attended one concert in my life.  Sold all my CD's when I was a poor college kid.  Never bought anymore because, let's face it, he's not exactly wholesome, but I still love him.

I have my Bachelor's degree in Secondary English Education and I still have to look up the words "affect" and "effect" nearly every time I use them.

Even though I'm an English major and completely love reading and writing, I am super lax about being grammatically correct, obviously.  (usually i type in all lower-case letters...and abbreviate...and sub letters for whole words...and separate all my tho'ts with an ellipsis...c what i mean?)

There are people from eight different countries--like Austria, Russia, Ireland, and Germany--reading this blog and that rocks my world!  =)  I so wish I knew who they were.  This kinda' feels like a one-way relationship.

I have had my head buzzed.  Yes, like with the clippers Army guys use.  I had always wanted to shave my head, for as long as I can remember.  When I was a kid, I saw commercials of bald kids and I thought they were beautiful.  College finally offered me the opportunity.  (Mom, understandably, wouldn't allow it while I lived at home.)

The unfortunate truth about the buzzed cut is this:  my church family judged me.  Rumors abounded; my particular favorite was that I was practicing voodoo.  Really.  So, believing I had already disappointed most people I knew, I threw out all convictions except the idea to "eat, drink, and be merry," which I happily embraced in worldly perversion.

Which leads me to a related truth...this recent hair cut brought up a lot of old insecurities.  Will people think I've fallen off the wagon again?  (Thanks, Lord, for quickly working me through that one.)

If I had things my way, I would always have a cup of something hot in hand at all times, be it coffee, hot chocolate, black tea, green tea, white tea, herbal tea...

I have never met a cheese I didn't like.

I have more jobs on my resume than just about anyone I know.  Here's what I can remember...
waitress (mom and pop place in my hometown)
waitress, hostess, trainer (Cracker Barrel)
radio personality (unlikely, but true)
waitress, trainer (Ruby Tuesday)
waitress (Cracker Barrel, why I ever went back is beyond me!)
sandwich maker (official job title???  cafe on my university campus)
door-to-door survey person thingy (no idea what that job title was, university research)
barista (coffee shop near university, still one of my fave places to visit)
babysitter (Yeager's)
sales (BabyGap, baby!)
daycare worker (on university campus)
babysitter (Gobb's)
babysitter (McKee's)
hostess (O'Charley's)
Pampered Chef consultant
substitute teacher
children's ministry intern
children's minster
Yeah, I know, those last two kinda' come out of the blue.  God's funny like that.

I've also had quite a few nicknames; here are a few:
J.J.
Double E
Bertie
James
Louise

I love gardening.  I grew my very first garden when I was in college...and it was the best one yet.  I grew a beautiful garden last year but didn't get to eat one thing out of it, thanks to ignorantly placing fresh manure on it.  (I've got fertile ground for this year's garden!)

I took piano lessons for twelve years and I'm really not sure I could play a single song today.  The saying's true:  use it or lose it.

I have had some really irrational fears...fear of my house burning down (I didn't even like candles at one point in my life)...fear of drowning (justified since I can't swim)...fear of choking (somewhat justified since I've been choked three times, but it got to the point that I didn't want to swallow at one point, which made for one. very. slow. eater.)

Five years ago, when I found out I was prego with our first child, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home momma, and I am so grateful God has made that possible.

Admittedly, I'm still jealous of my man sometimes that he gets to go to work.

I think my mom is a saint for raising six kids, basically alone, while my dad was on the road for days or weeks at a time.  I'm not sure how she's sane.

So, yes, I'm the baby of six.  That should explain a lot.

I grew up in a Baptist church, avoided the church and God for several years while I was in college, swore I'd never attend a Baptist church again, came back to Jesus, joined and worked at a Baptist church...and I love my church.  Like every church, it's not perfect, but Jesus loves it and I do too.

I love Jesus.  I want to love Him more.  My most consistent prayer is that I could love Him more and that my girls will love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

And now I must go drink my coffee, run errands, and play outside.  It's a beautiful day!