100 Things (about Amber)

Ok, Court - If you can do this while taking care of a newborn then I don't have an excuse. Here goes.

1. I have a migraine right now.
2. Migraines are my thorn in the flesh.
   
3. I've taken many personality tests - and rarely get the same results. Not exactly sure what that says about me! :) I guess it means that I'm either insane or able to adapt to different life stages very easily.
   
4. If you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) here is what I can tell you for sure ...
   
• I'm a low E or I (depending on my mood. I took the Birkman Method Assessment in college and it described me better than anything else ... "selectively sociable" ... I enjoy being social as long as I am with at least one person who I feel very close to. If I'm by myself in a room of strangers I feel very uncomfortable.)
• I'm an S (Just give me the facts! I'm stifled by being realistic and practical - I often wish I was more of a free spirit.)
• I'm a T or F (When asked if I'm ruled by my head or heart ... My first instinct is "heart" as I can be very emotional but in a matter of seconds my "head" usually makes it's presence known ... hence my "practical" side creeping in once again.)
• I'm a J (No questions asked ... I like things to be in order and find great joy in making a list - especially when I can cross things off of it! I like things to be "right.")
  
5. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I like Texas but don't understand people who boast to have "Texas Pride" - I just don't get it.
   
6. I went to the same school from Kindergarten to 12th grade ... 13 people in my graduating class had been together since Kindergarten.
   
7. My school was part of my church which means that I spent 6 days per week at the same location - which, I might add, was in the middle of downtown Dallas.
   
8. My high school gym was on the 7th floor of a building - cool, huh?
   
9. I loved playing volleyball. I had a coach that was a jerk - which made me start to hate the sport. So I quite playing. I wish I would have stuck with it!
   
10. I went to college in Birmingham, Alabama.
11. I loved college - and would do it all over again (changing only a few things ... I would have majored in something more marketable than Psychology; I would have relaxed and had more fun; I would have spent a semester abroad)
12. Favorite college memory - spending lazy days with Courtney watching Felicity, Fox News or anything else that was on TV.
    
13. I always pictured myself moving to Nashville after college graduation. It has always been one of my favorite cities.
    
14. I didn't move to Nashville. I moved back to Dallas on the spur of the moment.
    
15. Which is when I met my husband at Dallas Theological Seminary - the first time that I met him I noticed that he had very cool glasses.
    
16. We had a joint birthday party together just a few weeks after we met - long story but a very good one. If you ever want to know the details, just ask.
    
17. Michael is different from any other guy I had ever dated which is probably why our relationship is SO wonderful!
18. We've been married almost two years and still cannot believe what a blessing it has been.
    
19. We've worked together for the past year which means we have spent 24 hours a day together on a regular basis - and we have loved every minute! I can't think of many other people that I would enjoy spending 24 hours a day with on a regular basis.
    
20. I never get tired of him. I love how he loves me. He loves me better than anyone else in the world - probably because he knows me better than anyone else in the world and, more importantly, understands me better than anyone else in the world.
    
21. I love shoes and purses. Even at a young age my mom called me the "bag lady" because I loved to have multiple purses, backpacks, overnight bags, etc. Not sure what sparked my interest but it's been a consistent theme throughout my life ... that is, if you can call shoes and purses and theme! :)
    
22. I love to cook - I just wish I had more time to do so.
    
23. I love to bake more than I love to cook - is there such thing as a bad dessert? I can't think of one.
    
24. My favorite dessert is Tres Leches at La Duni ... YUM! Or Creme Brulee at any restaurant.
    
25. I spent a semester in Argentina. I taught English at a Missionary school. I've been back once since then but would love to go back again.
    
26. I didn't know a single person when I stepped off of the plane in Buenos Aires. It was a huge step of faith but I loved my time there - it allowed me to be "alone" and process through a number of things that I had been struggling with.
    
27. I don't mind being alone but I'm not a loaner.
    
28. I know I'm not a strong extrovert (see # 4) because some people "drain" me very quickly. I'm not energized by people unless they are my close friends.
    
29. Close friends are hard for me to find because I often feel misunderstood or I feel like I can't really be "myself."
    
30. I see myself as a "giver" not a "taker" ... which often comes back to bite me!
    
31. I'm painfully loyal ... which often comes back to bite me as well.
    
32. My dad and my brother are also painfully loyal to people. I've watched them exhibit this quality my entire life.
    
33. I am a combination of my mom and dad but am much more like my dad.
    
34. I have one sibling - an older brother. We're total opposites. Always have been. I wish that we were much closer than we actually are.
    
35. My brother had the gift of talking me into all sorts of things growing up. He was a master at convincing me to do things even if we weren't supposed to.
    
36. My mom and my brother are natural musicians. I didn't get that gift and that makes me jealous! They can play any instrument that you put in their hands ... they have perfect pitch ... and play by ear. I hope my kids get some of that natural talent!
    
37. I only have two cousins. They lived 5 minutes from me growing up but I didn't spend as much time with them as I wanted to.
    
38. I always wished that I had a bigger family.
    
39. I still have a migraine - and it's making me nauseous.
    
40. Michael has two brothers and two sisters ... and more cousins than I can keep up with. Being a part of a big family is a lot of fun for me.
41. We want to have at least three children. Maybe four. Maybe five. Time will tell.
    
42. I love kids and can't wait to have some of our own.
    
43. I can't imagine raising kids without Michael's family living close by. They are all in California right now but we're trying to change that.
    
44. I don't think I have a favorite book. I have a few that are sitting in my bedside table right now - all are unfinished.
    
45. I didn't eat peanut butter or bananas until I went to college. My mom didn't like them, so I didn't eat them. Now I love them both.
    
46. I love the beach but I prefer the pool to the ocean. Something about ocean critters crawling on my feet or swimming next to me has always bothered me.
47. Growing up, I used my parents scuba diving gear in our pool. I also jumped off of the roof in to the pool (see #35).
    
48. My favorite movie is "The Sound of Music" - I watched it on a daily basis as a small child.
49. Michael and I find great pleasure in watching movies together - at home or in a theater. It's "what we do" and we love it. The only thing that makes it better is when it is accompanied by a great meal.
    
50. I'm not a soda drinker. I don't remember drinking them a lot as a child. The fact that you can pour a coke on your car battery to get rid of corrosion ... makes me wonder what it does to the inside of your body. I stick with water, tea and juice.
    
51. I love a peach martini ... or any other good flavor.
    
52. I've never had a beer. Tasted one as a five year old and thought it was disgusting ...
    
53. I've never smoked a cigarette. Never smoked anything actually.
    
54. I've never colored my hair ... ever. Some have been known to call me a color-snob! :) I'm not. I'd like to color it but don't want to pay for it especially since it is a continuing expense (see #4 - too practical).
    
55. I like short haircuts but they're not good to me. First short hair cut was in 3rd grade because my mom had permed my hair so many times that it was all fried. So they cut it off ... and I was referred to as a boy two times the very first day. Can you say traumatizing?
    
56. I tried it again right before I left for college. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
57. I love pedicures.
    
58. I enjoy music but am not good at staying on top of current hits.
    
59. This is because I listen to CDs or my i pod much more than the radio.
    
60. It takes me awhile to catch on to "trends" ... For example: I just now got a pair of sunglasses that cover half of your face because they're so big. I thought they looked stupid when they came out but after seeing a number of people wearing them who I thought looked cute. I like fashion but hate to spend a ton of money on "trends" that don't last.
    
61. I wore the same diamond necklace and earrings through most of high school and the beginning of college. Then I discovered the world fun, cheap, trendy jewelry!
62. I love watching people. I can get very distracted by watching people - especially at the mall or at a restaurant. This can drive my husband crazy when he's trying to have a conversation with me. :)
    
63. My mom used to tell me I was born in the wrong decade. I always like hippie clothes. Sometimes I want to be a hippie. Not the smoke-crack kind but the flower-child kind.
    
64. This probably is related to my love for linen clothes. I know they wrinkle but who cares!
    
65. I've only been to a few yoga classes but I really enjoyed them. I'd like to do it more often. I'd also like to use the Pilates DVDs (which I already own) more often.
    
66. I'd like to be a vegetarian (see #61) but haven't been able to take the plunge. I've never really enjoyed the taste of meat - even as a young child. I prefer fruits and vegetables. They just taste better to me.
    
67. We like organic food. I'm trying to use it more often.
    
68. Horizon milk is the BEST!
    
69. Central Market is (literally) at the end of our street. I could spend a lot of time there.
    
70. We live on a budget and it's a good feeling when I stay within it!. Some people may think a budget is dumb or restrictive but I really enjoy it. I guess it has a lot to do with self-control ... and I think that's a wonderful quality to have.
    
71. I wish I was more disciplined. I like schedules and routines (see #4) but haven't implemented one for awhile. I think I work best when I have a routine. I like to know what to expect.
    
72. I have a dog that weighs 3.1 pounds. She loves to snuggle under the covers. We would like to get a Great Dane one day. Not sure how that will work out ... a David & Goliath of sorts.
    
73. I enjoyed our wedding. So much so that I help out with weddings at our church a few times per month. I think it's fun and enjoying being a part of their "special day".
    
74. My favorite course in college was called "Family Dynamics" and helped me to understand a lot about my own family. My mom hated that class - she thinks it messed me up but I think it really helped me.
    
75. Girls and guys can't be "just friends" - someone always gets hurt. Period.
    
76. I love HGTV and the Food Network.
    
77. I had my first kiss at the young age of 21! I wish I would have saved it for my husband!
78. I love to wear jeans - my favorite pair is from Banana Republic and probably won't last much longer.
    
79. I love dresses. I wish I had more of them. I think they're feminine and I like wearing them.
    
80. I wore braces for 5 years! I was not faithful in wearing my retainers ... which explains why my bottom teeth are a little crooked. I regret not wearing my retainers! 5 years of braces for crooked bottom teeth???
81. I think there is a difference between saying "I'm sorry!" and "Will you forgive me?" I prefer to say "Will you forgive me?" but am working on this.
    
82. I hate people who can't admit that they are wrong.
    
83. I don't mind disagreeing. It doesn't bother me. It bothers me when people aren't comfortable with just disagreeing.
    
84. I have a wonderful family. I also have a few families that aren't related to me "by blood" but who have taken me in as one of their own over the years. I can't imagine my life without them.
    
85. I LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, I love holidays in general. I usually have high expectations - which can backfire very quickly. Having divorced parents can make holidays very stressful and frustrating. Having a husband to share holidays with overshadows those frustrations. Thank you, Michael! Before meeting Michael, the families referenced in #84 were life-savers ... and sometimes they still are! :)
    
86. I have a weak stomach. I think I would have made a good nurse except for the fact that I pass out when I see blood. Small conflict!
87. I love interior design and often wonder if I should have majored in it. I used to rearrange my room on a monthly basis as a child. I know, NOT NORMAL!
88. I have really thick eyebrows that are dark dark brown. Not sure how that happened since my hair is blond. This contrast makes people think that I color my hair. I don't (see #54).
    
89. I enjoy books by Nicholas Sparks, especially when they evoke a really good cry.
    
90. I cry somewhat often - and I'm not ashamed of it!
91. I'd like to have twins. We don't have them on either side of our family but I'd still like to.
92. I love photography. I took tons of pictures in high school and college. I wonder if I should have majored in it ... or at least minored in it.
    
93. I'm hoping to finish my Masters in Counseling within the next year or two. I have wanted to be a counselor since I was 8 years old.
    
94. I have always been mature for my age. In other words ... boring.
    
95. I wish I could draw or paint or write or something. I'm not as artistic as I would like to be. I don't why that is - probably because I restrain myself by being to "practical" or something like that.
    
96. I wore uniforms from Kindergarten thru 12th grade. I'm convinced that this has contributed to my inability to quickly pick out what to wear in the mornings. I go through multiple outfits every morning ... guaranteed.
    
97. I am not a consistent morning person ... or a night person. I am a consistent sleeper - I need lots of it! I love sleeping in on Saturday mornings!
    
98. I like it when it rains or storms - especially if I'm at home where I can relax and enjoy it.
    
99. I've never been a rebel. It just never seemed worth it to me - way to practical.
    
100. My middle name is Carol - but I've never been crazy about it.
     

Ahhh - sweet relief! I did it. Of course I'd like to go back and edit it (see #4 about being "right") but I'm much to practical to spend time doing it again.

Now, I just have to convince Michael to do the same.