i am

WARNING: LONG POST!!!
so i am now at the beginning of my 28th year on this earth. i love birthdays...at least for now anyway...and every year i try to recap my life thus far, and somewhat define who i am and try to figure out how my next year can be better- my own "personal progress" if you will. my 27th year of life was filled with many opportunities for growth and change in not only my life style and living conditions, but in me as a person. as i take a moment to reflect on me (something that really NEVER happens - with my sweet husband, lovely kiddos, church calling, jobs, and keeping house, constantly filling my mind and time), i'd like to write down, if only for my posterity, who i am...
i am:
* a wife, like 99.9% of the time, matt falls asleep before me. i always look over at him sleeping and thank God that matt is my companion in all things.
* mommy, after i look over at my husband, even after i've already gotten all comfy, cozy...i get out of bed to see my children one last time before i sleep. it's always the culminating event of my day...and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. i also feel unconditional love for these two little souls who made me mommy.
* finally okay with who i am, the other day someone made a comment that a year ago would have hurt my feelings or at least make me think that i needed to change, but i didn't feel that way at all...in fact, the thought came to my mind: LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME!
*happiest when i serve others, i love to make people happy, especially through service. i love to cook a dinner for someone who didn't feel like making dinner that day, cheering people up over the phone, giving compliments, or just making someone smile. i recently took a friend that i go to church with dinner because it was the anniversary of her mother's death, and in the thank you note that she wrote me she said, "it's been said that a good deed is a reflection of a person's soul. you are beautiful." i have to say that is just about the best compliment anyone has ever paid me.
*not the best at "picking up", i let the kids play all day and then do a 10 minuted quick clean up right before daddy gets home. sometimes, when i get a really short warning that someone is coming over, i have put pans in the oven, and...sigh...shove things under the beds or in the closets! my philosophy is that if you want to see me, you can come any time, but if you want to see my house - you'll have to make an appointment! i love to have a clean house, but let's face it...it's just not possible unless i follow 2 steps after my kids all day long...and i just don't want to do that.
*a project person, i LOVE to finish something and look at it and think: I DID THAT. that's why scrapbooking is so wonderful for me b/c i get that sense of accomplishment after only an hour or two of work.
*a chatter, i'm usually one of the first to show up (because i HATE being late), and almost always the last to leave. i LOVE talking to people and having real conversations...skipping past the small talk, and getting to real things. i'm not afraid to tell people anything they want to know about me.
*an avid reader, i totally started a book club here in OH, because i wanted to be in one, and chat about books. i read EVERY night. i can't go to sleep unless i at least read a page. if i forget to take a book on vacation, i only go through one night of lying awake for 2 hours before i can fall asleep until i go buy one the next morning. amazon.com is my FAV place to shop...i NEVER check books out of the library (for one thing...i think of people's sweaty, dirty hands holding the book, and it totally grosses me out that the dirty book is the last think i touch before i go to bed.) for another, more logical, reason...i love to own books. i dream of someday having my own library with a ladder that rolls across all the shelves and a plush chase lounge in the corner. some great books i have read this year are: these is my words, gifted hands: the ben carson story, the twilight series, harry potter and the deathly hollows, princess academy, austenland, goose girl, the wedding, the alchemist, christmas jars, fabelhaven, the 5 love languages, the sisterhood of the traveling pants, anne of green gables (i read this series like every other year!), and many more...but this is the "tops" for my list.
*a horrible dancer, but i LOVE to dance! my ring tone for my phone is abba's dancing queen. i love to get fun songs off i tunes, and the kids and i dance around the house. we do this at least once a day! they are always saying, "that's a good one, mom!" or "teach me that move!" so, they think i'm fabulous! our latest favs are ob-la-di (by george and henry chadwick), life's what you make it (by hannah montanna), cha-cha slide (the kids version: kids sing imagine album)...my kids love the clapping part and all the "left stomp this time!"
*camera shy, i LOVE to take pictures, but hate to be in them! i had my sister take a picture of me b/c i needed one for a layout for a tradeshow, and i was SO EMBARRASSED the whole time....i seriously think this is the first pic of just me that has been taken since my wedding day.

so here is a page torn out of my life here in ohio, in my 27th year...
i am: wife, mother, photographer, designer, crafter, teacher, house cleaner, chaos manager, worrier, movie lover, cook, friend, personal shopper, counselor, strong, spiritual, prayerful, playful...i am me.