25 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT SAMANTHA

So you already read the basics about who I am and why I blog. Now here's a bit more randomness about my randomness...

Five Things I Love:

1.  reading (chick-lit, magazines, & cookbooks)
2.  traveling (but I love coming home even more)
3.  college football (it's the most…won-der-ful tiiiiime…of the yeeear)
4.  queso, margaritas, and chocolate (though not necessarily together and not necessarily in that order)
5.  Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, and George Strait (eclectic taste in music much?)

And Five Things I Don't:

6.  onions (blech)
7.  spiders (eek)
8.  slow drivers who hog the left lane (Biggest. Pet. Peeve.)
9.  thunderstorms (rolling thunder = acceptable; scary hail-and-tornado-producing weather = not cool)
10. running out of hand sanitizer (I'm slightly really OCD about having clean hands)

And A Few More Things You Never Even Knew You Wanted to Know About Me:

11. I was raised in Texas (and have the accent to prove it) but born in Hawaii (and have the middle name to prove it).
12. I grew up on a small ranch in a tiny town. We raised cows and I showed pigs for 4-H. I miss small town life, but living 3 minutes from Target has its perks as well.
13. Before becoming a mom, I taught first grade for seven years. My mean Junie B. Jones impersonation, my aversion to apple-shaped jewelry, and my status as a germophobe can be attributed to my years as a teacher.
14.  My husband and I met at the oldest dancehall in Texas. Actually, my college roommate tried to set us up several years prior to that when we all attended Texas A&M. But it wasn't until Gruene Hall that Gary P. Nunn fanned the flames of love.
15.  Speaking of college, I'm a proud member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of '99 (WHOOP!). I try not to be obnoxious about it, but I definitely love my school.
16.  As a result, our children are taught how to sing the Aggie War Hymn as soon as they show signs of being able to speak.
17.  As a result, they will probably one day attend the University of Texas to spite us.
18.  My favorite movies are It's a Wonderful Life and Last of the Mohicans, though I rarely make it to the movie theater anymore. I don't have much time for TV these days either, although in my former child-free life I loved me some reality TV, The Young and the Restless, and Food Network.
19.  I have a seriously sweet sweet tooth. And if I'm being perfectly honest, there are a lot of vegetables that I don't particularly enjoy. But I try to suppress both of those tendencies in order to teach my kids how to not end up like me.
20.  I think they're cute on other people, but I have always hated my freckles. However, now that I'm beginning to see age spots and wrinkles, those freckles are looking pretty darn good.
21.  I have an odd ability to remember every word of commercial jingles from the 80s. I can't recall what I ate for breakfast, but I can tell you that Tato Skins got baked potato appeal, 'cause they're made with potatoes and skins that are real. And Monchhichi, Monchhichi, oh so soft and cuddly!
22.  If I could only pick one place to go on vacation, it would be the beach. Probably because I'm not an ambitious vacationer. I'd rather lay in the sun with an umbrella in my drink than wear myself out hiking or sight-seeing.
23.  My favorite season is summer. Even though it's 187-degrees in Texas, I love the wonderful feeling of being free of a rigid daily schedule (first as a student, then as a teacher, and now as a mom to a student...talk about full circle, eh?).
24.  But don't get me wrong, I do like schedules. And lists. And organization. I just like to be the one controlling them.
25.  Raising kids is harder than I ever imagined it would be. The adults in this house don't get much sleep. Our days are loud and busy and hectic. I lose my cool with my kids more often that I would like to admit. You know that quote, "The days are long but the years are short"?  That's us right now.  As I like to tell my husband, with three kids under the age of five, we are "in the trenches." Nevertheless, I know how blessed we are to have these beautiful, healthy children. I adore them. Every day brings new joy and every day I pray that I can be a slightly better wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend than I was the day before.

So that's me in a nutshell. Thanks again for visiting Five Heart Home, and thanks for getting to know me a little better!

(originally posted June 2013)