7 Weird Things About Me ...

Okay Kimmy! Here you go ... I'll try and give you a run for your money ...

1. I rub my feet together at night when I go to sleep. Always have ... must be a calming, soothing thing???

2. I'm an incessant list-maker. I have little piles of blank index cards all over the place in case I need to make a 'list' ... whether it's a grocery list, or a 'to do' list, a phone number ... or whatever ... it has to be on a blank index card, vertically with black, liquid ink.

3. I hate ketchup. I prefer mustard on everything.

4. When I'm driving down the road - mostly the freeway (everyday to and from work), I'll listen music and pretend that I'm conducting the orchestra (if classical), or I'll pretend that I'm playing the drums (if it's rock tunage) ... you should see the looks I get! When it's classical, I use both arms and make huge gestures ... It's a crack-up.

5. I have to have lipstick or lip balm on at all times. I can't stand having bare lips. It makes me feel like my lips will get chapped.

6. I wear my socks inside-out. I like the smooth side against my foot and the uneven, bumpy side out ... and I usually where white tube socks with all of my tall dress boots ... so much more cozy. Oh, and I have a pair of slippers that I keep under my desk at work ... so when I wear all of my obnoxious shoes ... I spend most of the day in cushy-comfort. Who knew?!?!? Tee hee.

7. Jeopardy ... I hardly ever miss. I like to say the answers before the contestants ... and if Jim's home, we usually bet a foot rub on who will get the most answers right ... NERD alert?!?!?

Okay, now you know some (more) ridiculous things about me ... that was pretty liberating ... now it's YOUR turn ...

Meridian Memories ...

... I'm not sure who will remember living in our house on Washington Street in Meridian, but I think Ryan will and Erin might too! I think it was in 1978 & 1979 ... Ryan was 6, I was 4 turning 5 , etc ... I remember mom being pregnant with Eric when we lived there, and I remember watching through the nursery window after he was born ... he was like our living doll.

It was a white house with dark brown trim, and there was a pink rosebush right outside my window ... I think Ryan and I shared a room at that time. Luke and Kelly Sheneman lived across the street and they were our best friends. Dad built an AMAZING log jungle-gym in the backyard of that house ... I remember that it was a couple of levels high and Ryan was the 'king' of the jungle-gym. He and his friends liked to stay up at the top like they were the kings of the mountain. There was a tire swing on it and sand underneath ... it was awesome.

Some other random memories of Meridian ...
• We'd play in the little blow-up pool, and dad would get in there with us - fully clothed! and spit water high up into the air ...
• Mom would make quilts in the living room ... I remember laying underneath the quilt being tied and listening to mom and her friends/grandma Jo chat and giggle.
• One day when mom and dad were out of sight ... Ryan and I took a pair of scissors to the top of mom's dining room table. That was a sad day. Ugg. If I could take it back, I would! Sorry mom!
• When Eric was born, Grandma Jo came to stay with us while mom and dad were at the hospital ... I remember Gma took us to the A&W and we all got ice cream cones ... and proceeded to spill them all over the back of grandma's red suburban. Hell hath no fury like Gma Jo when she's mad. Yikes.
• Mom's turquoise bathrobe.
• When Kimmy was a new baby and she started having heat convulsions at church one Sunday ... I remember mom kneeling over her and yelling for help ... I'd been playing with Kimmy earlier, and thought that it was something that I had done to her. It was the most horrible feeling in the world. I was so scared! She was okay a little later ... whew!
• One day, as we were getting ready for a car trip - probably to Eastern Idaho, dad had the care meticulously packed and we were all getting settled for the LONG drive ahead ... and I remember sitting in the middle of the back seat ... and I had to barf. So I did. Mom and dad whipped me out of the car, took me into the house and as mom sat next to me ... dad walked over to the hall closet and punched a hole in it. I thought I was next. Yikes! Now I realize how frustrating that must've been ... oh my. A five hour drive in the hot sun ... not fun.
• Speaking of the sun ... I'm sorry Erin. Ryan and I always figured out which side of the car the sun would be on ... and we always made Erin sit there ... her little nose would bead up with sweat ... and she'd suffer in silence. It makes me cry to think about it now. Renny, please forgive me!
• When mom would have to go to work (at night she was a transcriptionist at a law firm), all of us kids would swarm the door and beg her not to leave. Poor dad.
• I remember my fifth birthday cake ... it was a two-layer cake with chocolate frosting ... and it had a hard candy pink and yellow butterfly in the middle of it ...
• Five kids ... in six & a half years ... I don't know how mom and dad did it ... but I'm sure glad they did.

Our Family's History ...

Okay ... so I was checking out Eric's family history blog yesterday and I was taken aback by the number of years he's gone back in time and found some of our long-forgotten ancestors. I wouldn't even know where to start, but our cute little brother has found a passion in discovering the untold stories of our long-lost great grandmothers and fathers. It got me to thinking ... who will tell our stories? What stories will be told of us? As I look back over my life ... I find quite a few moments that are better left 'behind' us ... namely the shootout at Nelly's restaurant back on one of our first family visits to Jackson Hole, Wyoming ... ha ha ha ... enough said.

Since I'm waxing nostalgic as of late ... I thought I'd share some fun memories about each of my brothers and sisters ... and some of the places that we've lived while growing up. So, stay tuned and beware. Tee hee ... I'm only teasing. I'll try to keep them short and to-the-point, but will try and post a couple every week!

So ...

... no pics with this story - I really need to get on the ball! As I look through all of your blogs - with the amazing pictures of your beautiful children ... I realize that anything I might possibly post will pale in comparison ... What to do? Well, today I feel like complaining! Ha ha ha! I'll go ahead and take the corner on that market ... I had to go to the dentist this morning, and like the television show "Cheers" - everybody (at Dr. Reamer's office) knows my name. When I call the receptionist, she knows who I am without having to say my name, "Oh hi Carrie!"... Isn't that great?!?! This morning I had to get a tooth, that recently had a root canal, prepared for a crown. They ground down the tooth and took all kinds of impressions ... no big deal. I've gotten to the point that the shots and drilling don't even bother me. In fact, on my last visit to the endodontist, I almost fell asleep DURING a root canal. It was awesome. I just thought of my 'happy place' and let them do their thing. But after all the drilling and sanding this morning - the hygienist had to put two little rubberbands around the base of my tooth and push them down below the gumline so that when my permanent crown is ready, the gums will have room for the new tooth. Criminitly! It hurts so bad! It's the most annoying pressure ever! I just want to pop the bands off ... ugg ... I'm sure that those of you who've had a crown know what I'm talking about ... there is just something so odd about knowing where the pain is coming from ... knowing you could do something to fix it ... and doing nothing. Ha ha ha ... Good grief. Now, there are so many more important things to think about ... and in the 'big picture' - to complain about something so inane is ridiculous. I know this. But this is MY blog (ha!) and instead of having a pity party for myself about not yet adding to the Smith-Nottingham clan ... I'm choosing to scratch a superficial 'itch' ... and maybe it's the pain pill ... or maybe it's the pressure build-up in my tooth - backing up to my brain ... either way, thank you for indulging me. I guess it's kinda like the little bands around my tooth ... Unexpectedly, it's the minor, everyday things that make you appreciate all of the big, happy AND sometimes painful moments in life. I'm grateful that The Lord knows what each of us needs ... in His time, and not ours. Please know how very much I love all of you ... and all my (almost) eleven nieces and nephews! I wish we lived closer so that I could see their beautiful smiles and hear them laugh more often. Love each other ... appreciate one another and hug each other for me, will ya?

Big, Chocolate Fatty ...

... BCF for short ... she's our couch ... and we love her! It's the most comfortable couch you'll ever rest your buns on ... no, seriously. Over nine fabulous feet of pure yumminess!!! It's like a big, chocolate hug at the end of the day ... Ahhhh ...

Our House ...

And here's the little house ... it was built sometime around 1910 ... it's in GREAT shape, and has some really fun features like built-in cupboards for closets, hardwood floors ... and a pull-out ironing board in the kitchen - that works like a champ! And some other fun little odd things ... we really love it. To open the old windows and feel the breeze blow through the house is a really fun thing. The house is mostly in shade, so we get to listen to the leaves rustle ... it's awesome. Come and visit ANY TIME! Okay, those of you who've been here - you know that the bathroom leaves much to be desired ... but we're working on it! Ha ha ha ... it has a removable shower head that you have to hold the entire time you shower ... Jim just LOVES it.

Tree Huggin' ...

So ... just for fun, and for those who haven't seen our house (Renny!) ... I thought I'd post some! Here's a pic of the trees in the front yard - we're so lucky to have such huge trees over our hard. There are 300 yr-old Nowegian Maples on the left and two HUGE pine trees on the right ... check out the pics of the pines. The tree that Jim's 'hugging' is the tree in the forefront of the other photo... just to give you an idea of how big they are ...

Hailey's Here!

... beautiful little Hailey was born just YESTERDAY, May 9th, to Rod and Kimbery! She's 6 lbs. 5 oz. and is 20" long (I'm sure most of her length will be legs - just like her big sisters and brother!) She's got some gorgeous dark hair ... I'm sure that Kamri, Koby and Kenzi are so excited to bring their new sissy home. I'm so happy for them! (Thanks for the photo Renny!)

Ashley Ann ...

Our family is being extremely blessed! Sweet little Ashley Ann was born to Eric and Melissa on March 29th ... Ashley's already been blessed and has taken her first road trip up to Spokane to visit the Gibby clan (checkout some fun photos on Eric & Melissa's blog) ... here's one of the first family photos taken while still in the hospital ... What a beautiful family! Jesse's going to be a GREAT big brother!

The Great Outdoors ...

Well, Jim headed up to Montana on Sunday and I miss him already! I've talked to him a few times on the phone, and he's sent some really fun e-mails. He's having a great time ... he says that it's beautiful up where they are and that the people he'll be working with are pretty awesome. I'm so excited for him! He said that today, he may try and figure out how to make a reed basket out of some cattails. Might be a fun project for his new 12 year-old friend ... good times! I'll keep ya posted!

Lake Couer d'Alene

... so these beautiful views of Lake Coeur d'Alene are about 1/2 mile from our house ... it's pretty spectacular! It's my favorite part of early morning or early afternoon walks ... it's on a more secluded side of the lake, called Sanders Beach ... it's away from the public beaches, so it's pretty serene. When taking it all in, it's easy to remember how much Heavenly Father loves us ... we're pretty blessed to have such amazing creation all around us... it makes this life a little more beautiful along the way ... if we stop and take time to notice.

... hot tip!

Hey, if you ever do any online shopping ... here's a a GREAT website I just found! www.retailmenot.com (click on sidebar for a shortcut) ... all you do is type in the website you're shopping on and it'll tell you if there are any promotional codes or specials offered - Sometimes it's 'free shipping' ... sometimes it's a free item or $10 off - either way, you're saving money, right? I've probably saved $70 in the past few weeks - totally worth a few extra key strokes. Happy saving!

Wilderness Survival ...

So, Jim leaves this Sunday for what we hope to be an amazing summer job! He's pretty excited. He'll be a Wilderness Instructor for an at-risk youth camp/boarding school. It's for kids ages 13 to 18 who are having a bit of trouble at home. They'll be able to spend a couple of weeks in the Montana wilderness - working together and learning how to trust each other, how to better communicate with their peers and hopefully have the time of their lives! I'm sure he'll have many stories to tell over the next few months - so I promise to keep you posted!

While I'm excited for him - I'll miss him dearly! He'll be gone from May 7th until August 13th. He will have SOME time off throughout the duration ... (thankfully, he'll be able to come home when his parents come to visit May 15th through the 22nd) ... but other than that, I think it'll be a few emails and phone calls when he checks in at base camp and takes another group of kids out ... I'm sure there will be lots of stories to tell! To check out Explorations, check out "Jim's Favorites" - to the left in the side bar ...

... and there she goes ...

So I'm a self-admitted shoe-aholic. Not just 'shoes' but obnoxious, high-heeled, over-the-top shoes. It's a sickness and I'm dealing with it one day at a time. With the support of my family and friends, I hope to someday be able to wear sensible (albeit ugly) shoes.

Living in Northern Idaho has helped curtail my shoe buying sprees (the selection is pretty lame) ... instead of a new pair a week, I'm down to one pair every three or four months. So sad, er, I mean - isn't it great?!?! So last weekend I'd purchased what I thought to be a really great pair of fun, 'summery' shoes - a wedged, black espadrille with a closed toe ... perfect for the office. I got dressed on Monday morning in a black skirt and t-shirt and a tan jacket ... I was excited to wear my fabulous, new footwear. I looked good ... I walked out the front door of our house, waved to the bus across the street (a bus that comes to pick up my neighbor EVERY morning) ... and made my way down our front walk. As I approached the curbside grass that runs between the sidewalk and the street, the front of my shoe (I must not have accounted for the 1" platform on the front), caught the soft dirt and ... BOOM! Down I went. No, not just a little stumble, a full-on flailing of the arms, grab anything stationary, deer-in-the-headlights, Oh Crap! kinda fall. Nice. I landed on both of my knees ... when the dust finally settled, I had my arms outstretched on the side of my car ... purse and keys had taken flight and landed about five feet away. Are you kidding me? I hadn't fallen down in years ... and now, of course, I had to do it in full view of a bus full of people. I quickly gathered myself, got up and carefully shuffled to the driver side of the car. I couldn't even look at the bus. I was so embarrassed. I waited until I opened the door to look down at my skirt and survey the damage. Amazingly enough - there wasn't any! Hallelujah! I got in and shut the door - started her up and drove away ... oh my gosh. I can only imagine what I must've looked like. As soon as I made it past the bus, I started laughing uncontrollably ... it WAS funny - but humiliating all at the same time. I had to tell someone! But it was only 7:30 in the morning ... so I called Jim (who I'd just left and who was still in bed) ... and as soon as he knew I wasn't hurt, he wanted to go back to sleep. He didn't find it nearly as funny as I did! So I called my sweet sister Erin and woke her up... oops! She humored me and let me recount what had happened and got a good belly laugh out of it. She's been telling me for years that my shoes would finally do me in ... ha ha ha ... Needless to say, I haven't worn the 'ladykillers' again ... so if you're into forced humility and happen to wear a size 8-1/2 shoe ... they're ALL yours.