25 Things

I saw this on my friend's blog and thought I would do it too! Here are 25 things that you may or may not know about me....try it out yourself - it was sort of fun!

1. I was born as a preemie in 1974 with a club foot, a few toes (that the doctor’s were able to ‘make’ into 9 all together), and 8 fingers. I wore corrective shoes for 9 years of my life every night while I slept. I went through several surgeries and can confidently put on my doctor’s check list that I have had legitimate plastic surgeries! I was envious of girls who wore thongs and who could paint their toe nails. I stopped wearing sandals at age 9 because I was tired of people pointing, staring, and whispering. When I turned 30, I made a vow that I would wear sandals confidently. Though I’m still self conscious, I do paint my one toe nail for the world to see =)

2. I love fragrances – the smell of perfume, cologne (meow), candles, lilac flowers, babies after a bath, fresh cut grass, hay, coffee (I won’t drink it) and yes, even the gas station. However, I hate the smell of syrup in the morning. Makes me want to gag.

3. Jell-O should never contain food such as fruit cocktail, peaches, or shredded carrots. Same goes with cottage cheese and yogurt. My throat kind of closed up a little thinking about all of that.

4. I saw Cindy Crawford and her husband in Santa Monica a few years ago. It’s safe to say that I was completely star struck and they are two incredibly beautiful people not only in magazines, but in person, too. They are the closest brush with fame that I have gotten.

5. Olivia Newton-John was my idol. I seriously thought I could sing like her. I would record myself in my little Sony tape recorder and when I listened to it over again, I was painfully aware that I sounded like her ailing cat instead. I remember sitting in the corner behind my bed crying one night because I knew I was a terrible singer. I can’t even sing karaoke with my friends because I’m still embarrassed by how I sound.

6. When I would play with my Barbie, I would use my brother’s Big Jim doll and Six Million Dollar Man as her boyfriend(s), but they were both named ‘Jonathan’ in my head. It sounded so much more manly to me. I still like that name.

7. I was always jealous of my friends who were treated like princesses by their dads.

8. I think I’m a really good dancer. I dream about what it would be like to be on Dancing with the Stars without the all over body pain. My boyfriend in college and I tried out some figure skating moves in the living room when the ’98 Winter Olympics in Nagano were on – he would lift me over his head and I would be straight as a board like Super Woman… I really thought I was a good carpet skater.

9. If I had to choose between cake and ice cream at a birthday party, I always go for the ice cream. I love mint chocolate chip with fine chips… not the chunky junk at Cold Stone. However, I love chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirls in it, too. I hate strawberry ice cream because again, this goes back to having food in something good…it just messes everything up.

10. I am very protective of my family. I can talk about them, but nobody else can.

11. I marched in the Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl parades when I was in high school and played the trumpet. It was such a highlight of my life back then because the only reason I made it was because I worked hard to get there. I can’t read music all that well, but if I hear a song and how it’s supposed to sound, I am able to ‘read’ it on my own.

12. I am a hypochondriac, I have had panic attacks, I pick my lip when I worry or think about things. I have too many OCD tendencies that drive me nuts. But it all works for me. Sorta.

13. I’m at a point in my life where I’m scared that I won’t be able to have children someday. All I want is to be a wife, a mother, lead by example, teach my kids about God’s love, and live long enough to watch them grow up and branch out on their own.

14. I love traveling and seeing the country side. The beach and ocean is my favorite, but looking at the mountains is a close second…

15. I have been in 9 weddings.

16. I love being in love…the butterflies, the excitement, the anticipation, surprises, and knowing that somebody is into you just as much as you’re into them. I have had my heart broken way more times than I have been in love though… In God’s timing, the future Mr. Marcie will make up for all the boys that have hurt me. The hardest part about being single is the lack of cuddling.

17. I have been to 26 states – I’m over halfway to seeing them all!

18. I have never inhaled….either cigarettes or the doobs. Too scared that I would like them…

19. When I was a kid, I used to have recurring dreams that the devil lived behind the babysitter’s furnace. Every time I would walk by it in my dream, he would reach out and grab my arm, but I would break free and run upstairs to safety. Not only was I petrified of the furnace, I almost think it’s symbolic today that my dreams are so significant – I also broke free and look ‘up’ for my safety now.

20. I don’t have any feeling in the lower half of my lip and chin after getting my wisdom teeth pulled and cutting a nerve. So if you see stuff drizzling down my face, please let me know – I can’t feel it.

21. I used to be a good artist and I sometimes wonder if I could pick it up again. However, I love taking pictures more than anything. I have 8 albums that hold 504 pictures each and I’m good about reminiscing for hours on end when looking through them.

22. Bo Duke and Terry Bradshaw were two men that I had a huge crush on when I was little…and I really, really thought that I would be able to marry one of them when I grew up.

23. I have finally gotten past the negative stigma of being ‘Todd’s sister’ and have learned to embrace it. He’s a pretty good guy and I’m proud to be his sister.

24. I’ve always wanted to pierce my nose, eyebrow, or get a tattoo, but I’m a super chicken. The bellybutton is about all I can handle.

25. Mickey Mouse is creepy.

Holiday Fun

Me & Kelli the day before I left

Amy & her small tribe of women

Evonn & Todd (thank you for not making a dorky face)

Zoe (toothless) and Keegan (too cool for pictures)

Me and Joan at our "only" hang out - Champp's!

Shonda - my BFF

My little Kerry - I heart you.

Addy & Aspyn - first thing Addy mentioned was the peanut butter balls. Acorn didn't fall too far from the tree....

Miss Mandy

April & me New Year's Eve - uh yeah, are you here for the private party?

Missy and her son, Carson - I think the timer threw him!

Kelli Ann stopped by with her clan :)

Heidi and me at Kelli's house

Pretty little Kaley - my cousin and me at Grandpa's house

My cousin, Kari - can you tell we're related?

Hilary & I on Christmas day

Keegan, Me, Zoe on Christmas Eve

Me & Mama before Christmas Eve (eve) services

Det, John, Me, Todd, Ryan - Go STEELERS!!

Jacie Jo at her mom and dad's
Me and dad on Christmas Eve (eve)

I'm finally get back into the groove of things now that Christmas, New Year's, and traveling is done and over with... getting settled back into my routine at work and 'living' again! It's funny how rejuvinating vacations are - especially when you're spending it with family and friends!

I won't bore you with the day to day events, but know that if it weren't for Missy, Kerry, and April planning my trip back home, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to see everybody and enjoy every bit of time that I had while back in Iowa! THANK YOU, thank you, thank you... from the bottom of my heart...

I enjoyed great food like Det's delicious pho, homemade sugar cookies (mom even made an extra batch), peanut butter balls, chipped beef gravy over homemade biscuits, taco pizza, and hamballs...needless to say, my pants were fitting a little more snug by the time I left :)

Keegan and Zoe were the highlight for me - listening to their stories, seeing the changes that have taken place in them in just six months, having Zoe draw me some beautiful pictures, spending time with Keegan and having him occupy my lap, and listening to their little laughs.

Two of the funniest things that happened was when Zoe was drying dishes on Christmas Eve and I walked behind her and poked her side. She turned around with the meanest look on her face and threw one fist up, then the other and said very sternly, "I used to take Tae Kwon Do!" Well, in that case, I'd better shield myself...

The other was when we were all sleeping in on the air mattresses and Zoe says, "Do you know why I like it when you spend the night with us? Because your teeth glow in the dark. I always know that you're here by me because I can see them." She said it was a good thing, but my I had a bit of complex thinking about Ross from "Friends'' when he had his teeth whitened and they were glowing in the dark! LOL...

Hope you enjoyed the pictures from my trip!