My Life Journey - In A Nutshell

Inspired by this post today I thought I would do my own who am I and how did I become to be the one behind this blog. So enjoy! I know others have been inspired to do this as well so here is a MckLinky to include your site as well!

I was born in the fall of 1983 to two parents (who are terrific) in a midwestern state when Ronald Reagan was president on the national deficit was only 1371 Billion Dollars.

At an early age of my parents noticed that my thumbs didn't operate as they should have and this caused me to have the very first surgery when I was 3 in 1986 - I remember getting a bear dressed in a 'hospital gown' with it's thumbs bandaged and I got to wear bread sacks over my arms when bathing... I hated it the tape would stick to my skin sometimes and hurt... but I can now operate my thumbs fully and still see the scars from the removal of my 'tendon tubes'.

From 1986 - 1991 is kind of a blur as I don't remember things very well (thanks mom). However I do know that I got a dog named Fauxie she was a wonderful German Shepard who apparently liked me too much that she would lovingly attack my parents when they came near me so she had to go when we moved to Georgia in 1991 and I was baptized into our church that year and began to grow in the Gospel of Christ.

At the age of 9 in 1992 I became a big sister to Boog. It was awful, I wrote a letter to the doctor asking to take her back. She was extremly collicy and would cry for hours days and it was horrible, especially because everything she cried I would cry because I felt bad for her - and nothing helped her. By the time I got used to her...

My brother 'Bud' was born in the fall of 1994 . He was a much better baby. And I had finally gotten used to not being the only child (my parents will tell you otherwise).

In 1995 I met my best friend 'Jiffy' {can you tell I like nicknames?} and began competitive shooting. My mother went to every practice and every match and never missed one, this includes my whole time competing except for college. Then the Olympic Bombing happened in Atlanta in 1996 {which I won't forget} and American Gymnasts brought home gold.

In April 1999 I brought home Minnie - our now only 'child' and was finishing up my Freshman year of highschool and my first year of being on the HS Rifle Team {bang bang not spin spin}. And was looking forward to a great career in shooting.

In 2000 our team took the State Championship I came in third individually.

In 2001 and 2002 I was the State Individual Champion {funny story about the 2002 championship, I might write about at a later date}. And was looking forward to coaching shooting camps that summer and starting my first year of college at West Virginia University and competing collegiality {heard all the jokes no need to share}. It was this year that I learned a lot about myself, God, and what was truly important in life. They cut the team from NCAA funding at WVU so I didn't go back for a second year or finish.

It was in 2003 after returning home from college without a school to go back to that I fell in love with office work. I enjoyed being an Association Executive and loved all that that entailed. It was the summer I had 7 jobs at the same time and was saving up to serve an 18-month mission for the LDS church.

August 7, 2007 I began dating Mr. B. I gave him a ride to go purchase his Cruiser and we hit it off and apparently have never looked back. We fell in love and then in December of that year I left him waiting faithfully for me for 19 months. He traveled around while I was serving the Lord in Kansas and Colorado.

I came home in July 2006 my family moved to NV and we were married September 16th of that year and began living our lives together.

2007 brought a couple of big changes for me, it was the first time in my life that I have been without something to do; job, school, friends, etc. And Mr. Bs job brought us 2,400 miles from my home to my new residence in the Sunshine State. I found a new job and love it. And I started my blog to keep up with other family members but also somewhat as an outlet and journal of my life.

It's 2009 and I miss shooting more than can be explained or understood except by those who can't do something they truly love anymore. In the beginning of this year I picked up a camera differently and got a copy of Photoshop and am really excited about finding a new love, something that I can do that brings me happiness and slightly fills the void left by not shooting anymore. I hope to start going back to school soon for Photography and Digital Imaging, and one day when I'm good enough help others capture the sweet morsely moments of their lives to keep and cherish forever.

Mr. B and I have been married for almost 3 years and have been trying for a family for the last 18 months. I stay busy as an office manager during the day and TV watcher, photo editing, soon to be student at night and Mr. B, well, he works...A LOT. So it's usually just me and Minnie and sometimes my good friends out here in this crazy place where it doesn't rain.

That's me in a nutshell, well at least everything I could remember. I'm sure there is more, like I have a piece of the Berlin Wall the size of a silver dollar my Grandma brought back for me that has a bullet in it and a yellow smiley face {the wall not the bullet}. That I'm wisdom tooth free and really want a chocolate lab. I'm super baby hungry and miss my brother and sister like crazy and wish I lived closer to see them grown up. I'm enjoying my life minute by minute and enjoying {trying to enjoy} all the trials and challanges that the Lord has in store for us in our lives.

Scars & Pickle Skin

The other day while sitting out poolside with Cinderella reading, I noticed that I had a lot of scars, it got me thinking about where they all came from, what caused them, and the memories behind them. I am grateful to my scars, for without them I would probably forget a lot of things that I have experienced, my memory is horrible, but a rush of things I thought I had forgotten came rushing back as I studied my scars.

• A Jelly Fish stung my foot when I was 9 {of course this was before I was SCUBA certified - so snorkeling it was} in Panama City, FL, I honestly thought I was going to die. I remember the morning before my parents just woke me up and said we were leaving and I could sleep in the car, we drove forever no one telling me where we were going and we ended up in PC. I was so excited, it had to be one of the best trips and vacations I think I can remember. But I'll never forget the pain and my dad thinking I was crazy screaming for no reason in the middle of the ocean.
• I have one on my left thigh from scraping up against Fire Corral while participating in my certification dives in Okinawa, Japan. That one was painful, but the image of underwater when it happened is ingrained in my brain, probably the most beautiful place I've ever dove.
  
• On my left knee I have a large California shaped scar from when I was 11 riding one of those dangerous Big Wheels down the large hill in our subdivision. I was standing on the back when I slipped and was dragged down the hill. I remember I had just learned the words 'dermis' and 'epidermis' in school and kept telling people that I had ripped off my epidermis. I was such a dork. :)
• On my right shin is the scars from my freshman year of highschool. We stayed at the Marriott in Atlanta before our state competition {Top/Coach didn't want anyone to be at any risk for not showing up} and we were all at the pool and hot tub and I got pulled into the hot tub and the rocks scrapped my shin. Good friends, good times. I wish I could find some of the members from the team that year that I have lost contact with.
• I have a scar right underneath my bottom lip from when I was 2 {i think}, I was standing in my highchair watching the popcorn pop in one of the old school popcorn poppers and got excited, slipped, and fell - on the way down I pushed my tooth through my lip. A while after that I was in Wal-Mart playing on the metal railing dividers {mom always told me not to, I apparently never listen} and busted it open again, putting my tooth through it yet one more time.
• One of the most recent scars I have is now right above my foot on my right shin. This would be from snorkeling in Hawaii in March. The lava rock on the beach going out and coming in cuts you up pretty bad if you're not careful. I'm not used to beach entries into the ocean, that's a benefit of diving off boats, you just jump in, although if you read above you can still get scars.

There are many many more scars that I have but I am indeed thankful for them, for helping me to remember little pieces and memories of my life.

Completely random but I feel the need to share, I don't like pickle skin. I LOVE pickles but would much rather scoop out the pickles innerds and not eat the skin. I know I'm strange...