1. I love chocolate. As in slightly addicted to it. Working on fixing that... :)
2. I love working with kids. :)
3. I received my degree in Family Life Studies with an emphasis in Infancy and Childhood Human Development. I hope to use that degree to open a preschool someday.
4. I was taking online classes the semester Esther was born and took classes for the first year of her life before I finally graduated. Booyah!
5. I served a mission in San Diego, California with special assignment at the Mormon Battalion Visitor Center. I gave tours at the visitor center 3 days a week, tours at the temple grounds 3 days a week and proselyted every day. :) I had to learn how to schedule and be effective with my time. :)
6. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I would love to talk to you about my sad, so feel free to bring it up. :) Also, here's an ok online reference if you don't know what SAD is: click here. The best resource is this book: Winter Blues.
7. I have 3 older brothers and a younger brother and younger sister.
8. I was a bit of a tomboy growing up.
9. I've always loved dancing and have been involved in classes and workshops since I was 3.
10. I currently teach dance to girls and boys ages 5-9. We do a variety of dance styles from ballet and tap to hip hop and breakdancing. We have a recital April 12th. You should come. :)
11. I took 3 years of woodshop in high school. I love building things (I built our captain bed, and love getting tools as gifts. :) Someday I plan on having a workshop in our 3rd car garage. :) Oh and they're my tools, not Mikes, although I let him use them. :)
12. Recently I built a pantry, our captain's bed, a coat rack and a storage bench. :) I constantly have plans running around my head for other things I could build.
13. My favorite number is the number 13.
14. I was born on Friday the 13th and consider "unlucky" things as my "good luck" charms, just to be contrary. ;)
15. I grew up loving classical musicals. Give a Donny Kaye or Gene Kelly movie and I'll sing and dance along.
16. I love learning random things about movies. I watch the special "making of" features for most movies so I can learn about them. Did you know Julie Andrews was pregnant when she was offered the part of Mary Poppins? They delayed production of the film so she could have her baby and get back in shape. The famous singing in the rain scene was filmed with watered down milk because just water wouldn't show up well enough on film. Barbara Streisand was only 11 yrs old when the first script of Funny Girl was written? It went through dozens of revisions before Barbara was cast as Fanny Brice (who was a real actress). I could go on and on, but won't. :)
17. I have read the unabridged version of Les Miserables. Victor Hugo was a political writer and so there are a lot of pages of material that aren't necessary for understanding and appreciating the story line. Go for the abridged version unless you have a special interest in that particular French Revolution.
18. My family moved around a bunch when I was a kid, so I've always considered myself to be a bit of a nomad. I have lived in: Orem, UT; Bangkok, Thailand; Highland, UT; Albuquerque, NM; Manilla, Philippines; Salt Lake City, UT; Covington, VA; Rexburg, ID; San Diego, CA; Bangkok, Thailand (again); Logan, UT; and we're currently in Milwaukee, WI.
19. I went "home" from my mission to Bangkok, Thailand. I volunteered at an orphanage there while I figured out what to do next with my life.
20. When I put in my mission papers my family was living in Bangkok, Thailand and so that was my hometown. When I got to the MTC they had a Thai translator there for me. She took one look at me and we both burst into laughter as I explained the mix up. I can barely speak English, let alone a difficult tonal language like Thai. :)
21. I was allergic to milk when I was growing up. Thankfully I grew out of that allergy and now greatly enjoy ice cream, frozen custard, milk and lots and lots of cheese. :)
22. I have lots of allergies. Grapes, mold, grass, pollen, cats, and feathers are just a few of my allergies. If you've never experienced allergies, feel blessed.
23. I used to get migraines on at least a weekly basis. When I was in college preparing for a mission I used this fabulous book to help me figure out what my migraine triggers were. I now know I can't have MSG, onions or seafood, since they are my primary dietary triggers for migraine. MSG is a pain in the neck to avoid, but it's worth it since I haven't had a full blown migraine in several years.
24. I'm short. Only 5ft tall. If I was any shorter I could get a handicap tag for my car. :)
25. I have asthma. As a kid it was a major problem. I always had to have my inhaler with me and I did my nebulizer treatment twice a day. Thankfully this was another thing that lessened as I reached adulthood. Now it's only a problem when I get really sick.
26. When I was a missionary I had the same companion in 3 different areas 3 separate times. Sister Wiser was my 2nd, 4th and 6th companion. :)
27. I am a total Trekky. My favorite series in the Next Generation. Not a real fan of Captain Kirk. Liked Deep Space Nine and Voyager, but nothing can beat the Next Generation.
28. If I could go on a date with a fictional character, it would be Captain Jean Luke Picard. Not Patrick Steward, but Captain Picard. :)
29. I loved being in my high school musicals. I was in Brigadoon, Oliver, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. I even had a dance solo in Brigadoon. :)
30. I love sewing, although I don't have much time for it these days. When I was 9 my mom signed me up for a sewing class and I've been hooked since. My favorite type of sewing is costuming.
31. I'm love the theater. Going to live plays and musicals, helping backstage and acting in shows. :)
32. I also love live dance. My favorite is contemporary dance, but I enjoy watching most styles. So if you ever need someone to go with you to a dance or show, I'd be happy to go with you.
33. I also grew up watching STAR WARS. My parents went on a date to see the original movie when it first came out. I try to watch all the original movies at least yearly. :)
34. I love reading! I'm constantly trying to find good clean uplifting books to read. I love any recommendations you have. :)
35. I love reading Jane Austen. She gives a social commentary on her society she lived in and was super witty.
36. I love vintage clothing. If I could dress in clothes exclusively from the 40's-60's I would.
37. I designed my own wedding dress and had it custom made from Thai silk. I loved it. :)
38. I love jewelry. I custom designed my own wedding ring. Unfortunately it doesn't fit anymore because my fingers were a tiny size 4 1/4 when I got married. Ha!
Photograph by Marissa Odell Photography
39. My mom jokes that I had my wedding reception planned out from the time I was 8. She's not far from the truth. I loved my wedding reception and had it in my aunt's backyard.40. I love roller coasters. I also love other things that give an adrenaline rush. :) As long as I feel safe and secure, I'm up for it. Hopefully we'll make it to Six Flags some time this year.
41. I love eating food from all over the world. Thai, Indian and Mediterranean are some of my favorites.
42. I am not an organized person. It takes a lot of effort to keep me organized, which means I'm not usually organized because I don't usually put in the effort! :) ha ha ha!
43. I hate cleaning the toilet. Mike is my hero and usually does it for me. :)
44. When I was in high school I was the weirdo who didn't fit into any of the cliques. I had a "unique sense of fashion" as my family would say. I had fun figuring out my style but it meant that I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere. Maybe that's how most high schoolers were.
45. I was bullied in middle school and high school. Along with the verbal bullying several physical things happened. Some of them I'm not sure any one else knew about at the time because I thought it was safer for me to keep quite than tell. Eighth grade some kids ripped apart several my books and school notebooks. Freshman year I was shoved into the PE lockers. Sophomore year I was shoved around in PE class by the student teacher. Junior year I was shoved in a large garbage can, but was thankfully rescued by a very tall friend who looked out for me the rest of the year. These things didn't usually hurt physically, but they did get to me emotionally. I think the experiences hurt more now looking back on them. I had thought that everyone was bullied. I guess I'm just glad I was bullied and not someone else since I know I have the gospel to help put things in perspective. Golly I'm so glad I'm not a teenager anymore. :)
46. My maternal grandmother was born and raised in South Africa, so I'm a quarter South African. She's got a super cool accent and great stories.
47. My kids and I have regular dance parties in our living room. :) Feel free to come on over and we'll have a special dance party with you. :)
48. I love cooking and baking. I especially love decorating cakes. If you ever need a special cake for a special occasion, let me know, it's so fun for me.
49. I love to sing. Since having children my voice has changed and is less reliable than it used to be, but I still love belting out a song. I grew up singing Broadway tunes and still know the lyrics to most of the classic musicals.
50. I loving blasting music while I'm cleaning. It gives me a sense of time and also makes cleaning less miserable. Lately my favorite has been 80's music. Currently listening to "What I Like About You"! :)
