25 Things...

I've been seeing a LOT of friends on Facebook posting "25 Things", 25 random things about yourself, and now some blog friends are participating too! Since I have a bunch of time today until I have to get to volleyball, and playing around on the computer is much more entertaining that doing laundry or dusting...I thought I'd play along too!

1. I was a tomboy growing up. I liked to play all the sports the boys liked to play and I used to like to beat them at their own game (I still like to beat them-I can't lie about it!). I still like to play, and I'm still way too competitive!

2. In the winter, I play volleyball 4 nights a week, and would play more if I could! I play 2 nights on ladies teams, and 2 nights on co-ed teams and I LOVE playing with the ladies 110% more than with the guys!

3. I have a sand volleyball court in my yard! My whole family plays and we love it!

4. I work in a church! I am an administrative assistant to 3 student ministry directors for 5th grade through 12th grade. I love the fast pace of my job, and that when I leave work, I can leave it there and not take it home with me (for the most part).

5. My favorite color is purple-always has been. I used to have a one-piece purple snowsuit when I was in kindergarten, and it had white "fur" around the hood. Luckily, it was a style that was around for a few years, because when I out-grew it, my mom was able to find it again for me in a bigger size, so I got to wear it for about 4 years! I also always wore a purple and white "Kool-aid" hat with it.

6. I LOVE to hop in the car and drive where ever-especially to estate sales and garage sales and up north Michigan. It is like an exciting treasure hunt/road trip-I think I am addicted to the buzz of finding great treasures!! Treasures for me don't necessarily have to be things I buy-it can be a really cool old house that I get to go in, it can be the way ice is sitting on tree branches, or the way the clouds are forming in the sky.

7. I was hit by a car when I was in second grade. We lived close to my elementary school, so I walked to and from school every day. Shortly after a new children crossing sign was erected at the very spot I always crossed the street, I stepped out into the road into a car, because I couldn't see past the sign! No broken bones-just massive bruising, and it was the only time I've ever blacked out. My mom was on the phone with an older neighbor when it happened and the lady said O, my gosh! Some kid in a purple coat just got hit by a car! My mom immediately knew it was me! The driver drove me home, came in and talked to my mom, and said he'd be back to check in, but we never saw him again. I remember trying to drag myself behind the couch (because I couldn't put any weight on my leg-it hurt so bad) when the police officer showed up at our house. I was trying to hide because I thought he was going to take me away!

8. I love 80's music. Not so much the dumb lyrics, but the music itself.

9. I was one of five generations of first born girls. I messed up the family tree when my first born was a boy!

10. I only like sauer kraut when it is cold. If I try to eat it warm or hot, it makes me gag.

11. Tuna and peanut butter give me heartburn-so I rarely eat them. I LOVE peanut butter too!!!

12. I've had mostly gray hair (hidden under the hair dye of course) since I was 26 (runs in the family). My grandma was totally gray at 38, my aunt at 35. I don't know when I went totally gray-or if I ever have, I haven't seen my natural hair color in a lonnnnng time!

13. I used to be a certified Optician (for 14 years). I just decided this year to not renew my certification (I've been out of the optical field for 12 years). I was an operations manager for Lenscrafters. All that fancy title meant was that I could sell, fit, adjust repair and make the glasses-I could work the floor and in the lab-one manager to do the work of two.

14.My brother was born severely mentally handicapped. He was 4 years younger than me and although he lived to be 28 years old, he never functioned much beyond an infant. He needed constant care (diapers, feeding tubes, back and leg braces, and tons of meds). I spent a good portion of my growing up years helping my parents care for him.

15. I got married when I was 20 and moved to California where we lived for almost 2 years while Kevin was in the Navy. I hated almost every minute of it too! I was so immature, and had never been out of my small hometown before that it was a HUGE culture shock. I wish I would have been able to see it for the adventure it was and look for the "treasures" to be seen while I was there-instead of being miserable!

16. My mom and I snuck on to the Queen Mary when it was docked in Longbeach! There was a wedding reception going on, and we snuck in with the guests! We got to wander all over-wish I would have taken a camera!!!

17. I started going to garage sales to find things for the boys cheap! We didn't have much money when Adam was born (I was the only one working while Kevin went to nursing school), so I would go out every Thursday looking for "treasures" for my family and home. I would get the paper on Wednesday, map out all the sales I was interested in on a giant paper county map and then head out for a few hours with the boys (once Eric came along they both went). They ended up with a TON of cool toys during their growing up years because of garage sales! They also were able to stay in jeans without holes in the knees constantly because of garage sales!

18. My first job was at JC Penney. I worked in the children's clothing department. My dad's mom was dying of cancer and I told my boss that I would need some time off when her funeral came. He told me to chose between my job and my family. Really? A 16 year old kid needs to make a decision like that? I quit on the spot!

19. Even though I'm a tomboy at heart, I'm still girly deep down inside. I LOVE to dress up, get pedicures, and I love Japanese cherry blossom body wash from Bath and Body Works!

20. My whole house used to be decorated in purple-except the boys rooms! Now it is a mix of purple and vintage-I LOVE it!!!

21. I used to have a licensed in-home day care, and I used to have an event planning/catering business that I shared with 2 other friends. The day care was just 2 days a week for a couple of wealthy moms who needed a break from their young kids, and it worked well on my days off from my optical job. The catering/event planning job was just a natural progression from my job at the time (special event planning for our Children's Ministry Department at my church). It went well and we were really busy with a LOT of catering events. The only problems were-my other two "friends" didn't want to work together, so I had to work every event (on top of my regular job), plus I was always the one to do the initial client meetings, plan the menus, shop, cook, prep, pack, haul, etc. It got to be so much! I was gone every weekend and busy every night. I gave it up to spend more time with my family.

22. I used to have a mini bike! A Honda Trail 70. It was rust/copper colored and I rode it into the ground! My cousin spent a lot of hours behind me on it. She got a pretty nasty burn on her thigh from the exhaust pipe -I wonder if she still has a scar there after all these years-I'll have to ask her!

23. My favorite food is mashed potatoes-no gravy-just mashed potatoes. They can be cold or warm-doesn't matter. I don't like my food to touch either!

24. I'm a salty girl-I prefer salty snacks to sweet snacks or desserts. Give me chips and salsa over chocolate cake any day!!!

25. The biggest event I have ever catered was for 1500 people for our church picnic (did it for about 7 years). We made everything from scratch for most of that time too! 30 dozen hard boiled eggs for potato salad was a killer!!

This was fun-but a LOT harder than I thought!! Sorry it is rambling! Some of them that I've ready have flowed really nicely...I guess #26 is that I'm a pretty random girl!

Now it's your turn!! Post your 25 things so we can get to know you better too!!!