33 Things About Me

It was my 33rd birthday this year – yes I am that old. 😉 So here are 33 things you may or may not know about me:

1. I am the mother to 4 girls
2. I am the 2nd oldest of 6 kids (5 girls + 1 boy)
3. I love potatoes in almost any form – fries, mashed, twice-baked, soup, fried, hash browns, spud nuts 😉
4. For Valentine’s Day the last few years my husband has brought home Osho’s and Ferrero Rochers and we have stayed home to celebrate.
5. I am actually kind of shy but have had to (mostly) get over it to be a wedding photographer!
6. I am an introvert, so I definitely need my alone time, but I actually love meeting and talking to people, so I think I might qualify as an extroverted introvert, if that’s really a thing.
7. I love seeing money grow in savings accounts.
8. When I was younger I wanted to raise grass-fed chickens to sell and have free range hens to sell the eggs but never did. I even have a book on how to raise grass-fed broilers! I would love to have chickens right now but live in town.
9. I have had a lot of ideas to start things in my life but have let fear and insecurities hold me back for so many. This past year I have worked hard at this, and one of the things I conquered fear over was putting on a women’s retreat in my town with a friend – www.raymondwomensretreat.com
10. I like running but it has mostly been put on the back burner while having babies. Excited to get back to it this spring!
11. One thing I would like to get much better at is public speaking.
12. I love reading and learning new things so I usually have at least one book on the go, if not two or three. I haven’t read a fiction book in a while. I read books on my iPad or listen to audiobooks on my treadmill.
13. My favourites colours are light blues and greens. And white and gray.
14. When I was 14, I won the title of First Runner-Up to Miss Cornfest.
15. I took flute lessons for 2 years
16. I took guitar lessons for 1 year from a guy named Harvey.
17. I took piano lessons until I was 14 and want to start again when my kids are all a little bigger. I started once a couple of years ago but got pregnant and I was too sick!
18. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management from Brigham Young University.
19. I didn’t plan to be a wedding photographer – I always had my camera taking pictures of events just to document life and a family friend asked me to shoot their wedding. I brought my mom along for moral support!
20. I have terrible eyesight and have worn contacts since grade 6.
21.  This spring is my and my husband’s 10th wedding anniversary
22. I like planning events – I did an internship for my degree that involved community events and my first “real job” after graduation did, too. This past fall I put on a women’s retreat with a friend. I wanted to be an event planner and when I was 14 I put on a horse show for my sisters and their friends. Weddings are pretty big events and I love being a part of them!
23. In university, I started out majoring in landscape management and wanted to be a landscape designer. I took floral design and many classes about plants and still love them!
24. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – yes it’s a long name!
25. I like Miss Vicky’s original chips
26. I am really visual – I need to see things laid out!
27. I hated gardening as a kid when I had to weed ours but now I want more garden space to grow more things!
28. I would love to go to Australia (Man From Snowy River anyone?) and New Zealand.
29. I met my husband at church. We didn’t start dating until a year later.
30. I love Nutella. And Ferrero Rocher chocolates because they have Nutella in them! Also Lindor chocolate.
31. Words of affirmation is my love language. I keep lots of notes and cards from people. Physical touch (all the hugs ;)), quality time and acts of service all scored almost the same as words of affirmation when I took the test, and gifts was very last and far behind.
32. On the Myers-Briggs personality test I am an INFJ if that means anything to you!
33. I love goals and lists and trying to bring organization and routines to the chaos of being a mom with young kids.