Tagged by Diana on Facebook : 16 Things About You

I was tagged by my sister-in-law, Diana Tiebout Albrecht :) Who will be tagged next?? Muuuhhhahaa

The Rules:
Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 random people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you!

1. My Bible (NASB for those who care) is held together by duct tape. I know where everything is located, have many notes scrawled in the margins and love it so much, that I don’t want to get a new one.

2. I was homeschooled from 4th grade through graduation. Maybe this explains why I’m so nerdy? I love to learn new things, so I’m always into trying new things, making new things.

3. Non-fiction is my favorite genre to read. I am warming up to fiction, but it’s only with effort. It’s easier for me to appreciate a mundane true story than to try to spend time following a plot only to be disappointed with the ending. We are listening to the Harry Potter books on mp3, and I love them. Memoirs of a Geisha and Perfume: A Murder were some more recent fictional titles I have enjoyed.

4. I voted for Ron Paul in the Primaries. Yes, I’m THAT kind of Republican. I did not in good conscience vote for a major party candidate in the Presidential election.

5. While I’m not afraid of death (even wrote something to be read at my funeral) , and I’m thankful for the days I’ve already had, there are a few things that probably are “fear of death” related that make my heart pound, vision go blurry, palms sweat and dizziness to set in: Heights (I even have to hold onto something when on my step ladder), children too close to train train drop-offs, children getting hit by a vehicle (when I was five, I was one inch from being killed by a speeding car in the Macy’s parking lot – I still remember my braids flipping around and hitting me in the eye as the car went past), drowning (for all my swimming lessons, I still can’t swim) and accidentally breaking the law – police lights behind me make me feel like I’m going to throw up.

6. I’m married to someone who is the complete opposite of point #5. He’s not afraid of anything… except mollusks, stinky diapers, and parasites.

7. Strawberry Shortcake has been my traditional birthday dessert for as long as I can remember. The berries are perfectly ripe at the end of May. I add orange juice and sugar to the cut berries for the topping, the shortcake is the classic Bisquick recipe, and I top it with homemade vanilla whipped cream.

8. I never thought I’d have children. I have five of them, and I love them very much. They have taught me more about life in the past 7 years 10 months + 9 months gestation than I have learned up until that point. It was crazy to have “so many” children within such a short span of time, but at 28, I can no longer have biological children. God knew!

9. Writing is one of my favorite things to do. My major in college was Journalism, with the career goal of being a war correspondent.

10. I love flowers, and have been known to dig up and transplant all of the wild violets growing in my lawn just so that they don’t get run over by the lawn mower. I collect tiny jars just so I have a place to put the flowers my children pick for me – which always seem to have incredibly short stems! Last summer, I labeled every flower and tree at my house in PA with copper tags.

11. The Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements produced my favorite architectural styles.

12. Japanese Cherry Blossom by Bath & Body works is a fragrance that I wear almost every day.

13. I am a Bradley Method natural birth instructor. This is my favorite approach to natural birth as it gets your body ready for birth – you wouldn’t sit around and eat junk food if you knew you had to run a marathon nine months from now! It also trains the husband to be an advocate/coach in the delivery room.

14. I have a motorcycle permit. I will have to take my license test in Japan. Hopefully this spring? My helmet rocks. Riding our Shadow with Tom is one of my most favorite things to do.

15. I love my MacBook. Never thought in a million years I’d own a Mac, but I have come around. It is my favorite computer EVER.

16. Not too many people have two great sets of parents – biological and in-laws. I’m very blessed.