ABC TAG... More than you ever wanted to know!

So I've recently been tagged... twice actually.

I am going to do this ABC TAG from Jane first, only because it's easier/faster...

(Sorry, Troy, you undertand, right?)

Here goes:

A- Attached or single:

Happily attached! :)

B- Best friend:

I am blessed to have too many...

If I have to name just one, of course I am going to choose my sweet husband, The Man of my Dreams, My Hunka-hunka Burnin' Love, My Sweetie, My Matthew.

He truly is sooo good to me. Love you, Babe! :)

C- Cake or pie:

Neither... I'm an ICE CREAM girl, all the way!

D- Day of choice:

Friday... TGIF! My house is always CLEAN and I am always sooo ready for the weekend!

E- Essential item:

Camera... I am rarely without one.

These are my current faves:

I take my "big camera" anywhere I want to be sure to get great pics of...

But I keep this "teeny camera" in my purse and LOVE having it to snap spontaneous, candid shots of my kids at a moment's notice!

F- Favorite color:

Green, any shade.

(Literally, figuratively and theoretically!)

G- Gummi bears or worms:

Neither. Chocolate-dipped cinnamon bears.

(Thanks, Janey!)

H- Hometown:

The Navy..? We moved around when I was young.

I never lived anywhere more than a few years at a time.

Although, since being married, I've now lived in PROVO longer than anywhere else,

so I guess THIS is IT...

...Happy Valley!


I- Indulgence(s):

I am a faithful monthly-pedicure connisseur...

Could I do it myself? Maybe, but I just LOVE to have pretty feet that I didn't have to stress over. Especially when I am pregnant!

One more, (which really IS a personal indulgence)... I am a chronic, habitual uber-organizer. I LOVE little sectioned compartments and I can not resist labeling and/or color-coding everything... really EVERYTHING! (Even my children are color-coded!)

I love to see things neatly stacked or in rainbow-color order. Silly as it is, I absolutely LOVE it! My closets, cabinets and even "junk" drawers are all immaculate.

It just brings joy to my little soul to see those tiny, typed name-strips and to know where everything in my little world is at every given moment.

I don't apologize... I am not ashamed...

I just function better when I am not living in chaos! (Or so I rationalize...)

Ahh.. there... I've said it... I'm a freak... now you know!

J- January or July:

Definitely fun, festive, warm, happenin' JULY!

(January is a blah-blah Home-Body month.)

K- Kids:

aka: "The Monkeys"

Kaden Matthew (soon to be 8),

Trevan Mattson (4 1/2),

Daynen McKay (almost 1),

and a new little peanut, due this Fall...

either Avari Mae or Bronson Micheal...

(can't wait to find out in a couple more months!)

L- Life is incomplete without:

I am going to be trite and say "Love".

(Sorry, but really... what else REALLY matters?)

...Well, I guess a trip somewhere... with a beach... at least once a year... is nice, too! :)

M- Marriage date:

October 11, 1996... coming up on a dozen years! WOW!

(Sad, but no photo... that is before the digital age and I am too lazy to scan a photo this morning...)

N- Number of siblings:

You'd THINK this is an easy question... well, here goes!

I was raised with just one brother, Joey (26).

He lives in Murray with his wife, Christie and their 3 darling kiddies.

Until a year ago, that was it...

However, last year when I met my Birth Mother, Jean, for the first time,

(Wild, huh? This is us... can you tell?)

I was lucky enough to "inherit" 7 MORE half-siblings! (YEAH... WOW!)

Cute, sweet Natalie (24) lives in Huntington Beach and is about to get married in May.

Gorgeous Kristi (22) lives in Washington State and is an incredibly talented singer (seriously AMAZING!),

The infamous Rhett and Drew (twins, although you'd never guess!, almost 19)

live in St. George and Provo, respectively,

Darling Joseph (14) is a great computer artist (and pretty popular with "the ladies", we hear!),

Awesome Ian (10, on left) loves all the same stuff as my Kaden (on right)... (they're great pals!),

and sweet little Lizzy (8) just got baptized.

(Funny to note that Jean's youngest is just a few months older than my oldest!)

It has been such a blessing to get to know and love them!

It's fun having this whole other "bonus" family and we enjoy seeing them often! :)

I also have GREAT "siblings-in-law" who I adore, so I don't want to leave them out!

Mike & Mauri Staker: http://stakerfamilycircus.blogspot.com/,

Megan & Russ McMurdie: http://ifhesingsonemoresong.blogspot.com/

and Mindy & Cody Johanson: http://johanson5.blogspot.com/

I am truly so blessed to genuinely LIKE my in-laws! All of them!

One of my greatest blessings is to have married into such a fun and wonderful family!

O- Oranges or apples:

Both... and any other fruit for that matter! I LOVE FRUIT!

P- Phobias or fears:

I have this unexplainable fear that I am going to accidentally back over one of my children...

(it's usually Trevan I worry about, mainly because he is "just that height".)

But I actually refuse to move my car in or out of the garage until I can see both my boys at least 20 feet from my Tahoe and know they are standing still and watching me pull out.

They get really annoyed, but at least I know they are safe!

Q- Quote(s):

I am a vinyl lettering addict! I LOVE quotes and inspiring thoughts and have them all over our home.

It's hard to pick a favorite, but here are two I love...

Above our Master Bedroom door:

and on the wall in our Upstairs Balcony:

"A happy Family is but an earlier Heaven!"

R- Reasons to smile:

Oh, so many everyday!

My Boys... ALL of them...

(I refer you to letters "B" and "K"),

my countless, innumerable Blessings,

feeling the promise of new life within me,

(I'm one of those crazy people who actually totally LOVES being pregnant),

finishing my laundry this morning,

and lately, keeping in touch with all of you!

(I'm LOVING the blogging thing!) :)

S- Season:

Summer! Warmth, sunshine, swimming, vacation, flip-flops... what's NOT to love?

T- Tag five:

Gretchen Knell: http://knellplace.blogspot.com/

('Cuz she is far away... and we miss her!),

Susan Bland: http://www.theblandclan.blogspot.com/

(Honey, it is TIME to update the ol' blog! We will HELP you!),

Carrie Finlinson: http://thescarrielesa.blogspot.com/

(I am hoping to officially OUT her "secret"!),

Meanna Dullum: http://nathanandmarianna.blogspot.com/

(Way too long since I've heard from her!)

and Krista Lewis: krista@snugabugbaby.com

(Maybe she'll finally jump on the bandwagon and get a blog up and going!

No photo because she doesn't have a blog YET for me to steal one from!))

U- Unknown fact about me:

Is there anything left? I'm kind of an open-book, aren't I?

V- Vegetarian or oppressor of animals:

Oppressor, I guess. I do LOVE a good steak!

(Although I LOVE most veggies, too! I just love GOOD FOOD, in general!)

W- Worst habit:

I am a chronic over-achiever and think I can do everything.

I continually overcommit myself, and consequently, am often running behind.

Although I have made HUGE improvements lately... NO, REALLY! Ask Matt! :)

X- X-rays or ultrasounds:

Definitely Ultrasounds!

(Is that really a question? Who wants an x-ray, or anything broken?

I just wanna see that little babe I'm cooking in there!)

Y- Your favorite food:

I've posted this before, but if I had to eat one food for the rest of my life,

it would most definitely be the Fillet Bryan at Carrabba's.

Makes my mouth water, even to THINK about it!

Z- Zodiac:

Leo-to-the-core, baby! (Rar!)

Wow... I feel like I just came from therapy!

Indeed, that was long... but, I never said brevity was one of my talents!

(To the contrary, in fact!)

SO, now I'm curious to see who actually takes the time to read it all! :)