The Answers

Let me just warn you now this is one incredibly LONG post. I was shocked ho many questions I got in twenty four hours.
Well thanks for your interest. You guys thought of some fun questions and a couple of scary ones that make me feel a little vulnerable (which I set myself up for)! Hopefully I can keep the sarcasm to a minimum so you can get to know the real me. Afterall Courage to be Real is the title of this blog right?

What color are your toenails painted?

they are bright pink thanks to the pedicure that my mom gave me for my birthday

Do you eat breakfast? And if so, do you eat breakfast because you want to, or because it is highly recommended?

I will usually eat a little something like cereal or toast on the weekdays and then Allan cooks eggs and waffles on the weekends. I didn't eat much breakfast before I got married, but the hubster gives me a big guilt trip if I don't since "it is the most important meal of the day". I guess I would blow up like a hippo if it were not for the whole eating before lunch thing.

Do you have big plans for the summer?

I guess I have a pretty busy summer I will hopefully be doing a lot of little fun things with Claire like swimming lessons. In July I am going to Colorado with my family for a family reunion (FR). In August Allan and I are heading to savannah, GA for a friends wedding and we are making it into a romantic getaway, then we are heading to Hawaii with Allan's family. In September (is that still summer?) we will go to Cape Cod for another friends wedding. I am sure that we will find a few other side trips to go on, we love to travel!

Besides giving her a solid foundation in Christ, what is one thing you hope to teach Claire?

I desperately hope and pray that Claire will grow to be a woman full of compassion. This is something I have prayed over her since before she was born. I hope that I will be a good example of that for her and that I will provide opportunities for her to care for those that are having a hard time in life. I NEVER want her to feel like she is better than someone because of money, health, or any other life circumstance that comes into play.

If you were suddenly wealthy what luxury item FOR YOURSELF would you buy first, and why?

I would get a full time housekeeper. I didn't even have to think hard about this answer. Keeping my house clean is the bain of my existence. Even now there is laundry that needs to be done and wood that needs to be dusted but I am sitting on this computer answering questions. I HATE cleaning house with a passion!

If you were given three wishes, and you could wish for anything (small or large), what would you wish for? Would you have always wished for these three things or have your views changed?

This is actually a REALLY hard question for me to answer! In no particular order: determination to work out on a regular basis, an endless supply of money, contentment

I would say that these are not the first three things that would have come to mind ten years ago for a few reasons...exercise never crossed my mind back then because I was just always skinny and had a body that I was super proud of without putting out any effort; I also just lived day to day thinking about nothing but making myself happy so I always seemed pretty content in my eyes (but not so much in my heart which is a whole different issue); I feel like I should explain the money thing- that actually would have been on my wish list ten years ago, but for completely different reasons than it is now. I would love to have the money for a some selfish reasons of course (i.e. housekeeper and travel), but I would also like to have money to donate to a lot of the "causes" that are out there (i.e. poverty, hunger, pediatric AIDS, etc.), I would also love to do extravagant things for my family and close friends.

What affordable things do you like to get for gifts?

HAHAHA- sentimental gifts, pedicures, going to the movies, babysitting Claire so I can have time away either alone or with Allan (FYI, I like my Target clothes very much Amy!!!)

What things do you NOT like to recieve for gifts (that some might think you do)?

This is also a hard question...I didn't care for the brown suede vest, polyester rainbow shirt, and granny panties that granny gave me for Christmas that year (although it made for some dang good laughs); I would also say that it is a bit of a bummer when you know that someone just threw a last minute gift together that you can tell they didn't put much thought into or the gift is something that they would like, NOT something you would like; home decor gifts can be hit or miss as well.

What do you appreciate about your life?

Wow...my list (in no particular order) having one of the most supportive husbands in the world, my funny daughter, my family that goes out of their way to be together to celebrate even the little stuff, owning our home free and clear, having insurance, looking back on my past and knowing that there must be a faithful loving God that took care of me through all the crud I got myself into, flying for free

What do you hate about your life?

This is another doozie because it is so much easier to share the positive stuff. I would say that there is not a ton that I HATE, but there are a few things that I dislike about my life...I hate how isolated I feel sometimes (if I don't initiate seeing other people I would live in a world that only my husband and daughter were a part of), I dislike how sad I have been at times since Claire has been born, I hate that I sometimes take my relationships for granted, I hate that I have high expectations for people in my life and not too many for myself

Who is your favorite sister that lives in the same town as you? Why do you love her?

Unfortunately there is not a sister that lives in the same town as me so I can't answer this question.

Do you sing in the shower? What kind of songs?

I do sing sometimes and oddly enough it is usually Christmas carols or worship songs (which I rarely know all the words to so I just sing the same parts over and over)

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

I am almost always wearing flip flops or slide on shoes, but when I do wear tennis shoes I never untie them when taking them off

At the beach, would you rather play in the sand or in the water?

The water no doubt. I love to scuba and snorkel. I hate how sand always ends up inside your swimsuit

What is the most useless class you took in college or high school?

I took TWO Ag classes back to back my senior year and they were the biggest wastes of time. I actually flirted with the teacher (who was only 23) just enough so that he would let me go play on the computer the entire time in his office while he and the other "serious" ag students did things like welding and sheep shearing. Every once in a while I would go answer a question or two about dirt so he could justify giving me an A ;)

If you could change your name what would you change it too?

I honestly love my given name: Emily Joy. When I was little I used to wish my name were Elizabeth.

If money were no object...where would you want to travel next?

Since money isn't an object and I would be on my private jet that had a king size bed I could lay in and travel very comfotablly I would head out on a tour every continent (except Antartica, I'm not all that interested in that one, too cold). I would probably spend the most time in the Swiss Alps though because from what I have experience so far there is no better place.

Who is your best mom and why?

Alright wise guy...I would say that my best mom is Beatrice Eugina Eloise Johnson (aka Jeannie Selke), probably because she loves me no matter what

What names have you picked out for your next daughter/son?

Girl: Abigail (Abby) Joy; Boy: Joseph ? These are both up for discussion still, nothing set in stone until A- I am pregnant and B- we know what it is

What is your favorite physical attribute?

My brown eyes

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Physically: I would love to have a flat stomach again; Emotionally: I would become truly joyful

What is your greatest weakness?

Soda and feeling like the victim in a couple of my relationships

How many children do you hope to have?

3 maybe 4 (in a perfect world I would have a girl next and then two boys)

If you were not a SAHM, what career would you have?

I would absolutely be a Child Life Specialist in the Oncology ward of Children's Hospital

How is your relationship with God?

Vulnerability Alert!!! Not so great if I am being totally honest. I have good intentions but I don't follow through with them all that often. I have a really BAD habit of waiting for others to lead me through my relationship with God and not taking control of it on my own...not much of a relationship if you ask me.

What is your favorite color of lipstick?

Brownish red, not too cherry red, but something that pops

Who is the celebrity that you would most like to meet?

I used to say Brad Pitt, just because he is a hottie, but I don't think that we would have that much to talk about so I am going to go with Jennifer Garner. She seems so sweet and down to earth. I am sure that Allan would totally tag along on that meeting because he totally crushes on her.

What do you see as your greatest trait?

I think I am pretty compassionate. I don't just feel sorry for people that are having a hard time I want to actually help them.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

What's your favorite food?

I am going to go with almost anything mexican

Which of your playgroups is your favorite?

HAHAHA- I would say the one with kids for Claire to play with and the good conversation between the moms

What is your favorite date activity you and Allan like to do?

I would say before Claire we had fun spending long days at the lake in Mission Viejo with our friends or going on last minute random outings (i.e lunch in NYC); Now that the bear is around, we settle for going out to dinner and an occaisional movie. I prefer doing things that are a little less ordinary, that just doesn't happen all that often anymore.

What is your favorite store for clothes?

Nordstrom

What would you name your family pet if you got one? What kind of pet would that be?

Roger would be the name of our Lab, but I don't see us getting one any time soon. I can only raise one thing at a time and human children win that toss up.

Now that you are a mom, what do you appreciate that your mom did for you/ with you/ taught you?

I still have not figured out how she kept a clean house with four kids running around, but looking back I am thankful for it. I also appreciate that she never missed one of my sporting events that I can remeber (and there were a lot of them). Even when I was a punk, I always knew that she loved me, even if she were disapointed in me.

What was one of the funniest moments of your life?

I know that I have had a lot of times that I have laughed really hard, but off the top of my head I would say that one of the funniest things for me was when Sara and I went to Gimmelwald, Switzerland with our rolling suitcases. The story is too long for this post, but let's just say that in a village that is built into the side of the Swiss Alps with no real roads most peole have hiking backpacks, NOT rolling suitcases that they have to carry on their heads like African women and their baskets.

Where do you feel most comfortable?

Hanging out with Sara or Allan. These are the only two people that I know that I can ALWAYS be myself around and can pretty much never offend. I love that I NEVER have to walk on eggshells around them.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In ten?

In Five Years- still living in Flower Mound with three kids surviving stay at home motherhood, hopefully I will have it a little more figured out by then. I doubt too much will have changed between now and then. In Ten Years- I doubt that we will have moved yet, but since all my kids will be in school I think that I would like to be volunteering in the pediatric ward of a hospital again. I am not a big future planner so this one was a hard one for me.

What is one thing you MUST do before you die?

Go to Africa and love on some kiddos!