I have been Tagged!

My sister Claire tagged me to post 7 things about myself most people may not know...

1. First thing...I am horrible at filling things like this out! I need specific questions. Then I can get going and write and write, but it's hard for me to think up answers out of nowhere. I guess that says more about me than just my survey-filling abilities. I am creative, but my creativity has definite limits! Just ask my friend Sheena. My other friend Erin and I went to her house yesterday to decorate Christmas cookies. I had so much fun, but I agreed with Erin that we needed pictures to copy. While Sheena was decorating away, I was having difficulty making my cookies look like more than I just slopped the icing and sprinkles and M&M's on top. :) I like to draw with a pencil, but I can't paint. I like to cook, but I need a recipe, and so on and so forth. I think this all ties together somehow...

2. I like to draw (like I mentioned above!) And I'm not half bad. I just have to draw with a pencil. I usually erase a lot because I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist in certain things. I can't paint (like I said) because it will end up to be too sloppy. But I love to draw details with pencil, especially people. Drawing is something I would like to get back into doing more. I always loved to draw when I was a kid. I'd take a photo, sit down with a blank piece of paper, and draw for a couple hours. My mom always made me feel really good about it, so I would just draw and show her and feel good! ;) But if I ever tried to color in my pictures, they'd turn out pretty strange. Pencil and paper is it for me.

3. I love to write. I used to write a lot when I was a kid. My best friend Sarah and I would write stories together, and take turns writing page by page. When I got older I stopped writing fiction and mostly turned my writing efforts into writing papers for school. But I loved it. In college I majored in child psychology and I LOVED writing papers on various topics like family issues, social needs of children, etc. I also loved writing true stories about experiences I had with kids. That's why I started this blog in the first place; since school is done, I need a place that will get me to write. But in school, I was given a range of topics to choose from, and that helped me (see answer to #1). So I may need help from time to time with topics for my blog.

4. I have been on 7 overseas trips - Russia, South Africa, Northern Ireland, and Jamaica 4 different times. I love traveling. It has been a few years now since I've been, but every time I travel I feel I was made for it. Every trip except the one to South Africa has been a missions trip, and those trips are definitely what God used to show me that I was to make overseas missions more of a full-time thing.

5. I used to have quite a career in babysitting. Don't laugh. I was raking in the money for awhile there, just by babysitting! I had been working at an afterschool program during high school, and when I started college I stopped working there and was hired by one of the families in the program. I babysat for their kids for about three years, and during that time I also babysat for most of the other families from the program and was referred to some of their friends. I lived in Vermont at the time where people paid good money to their babysitters. Some of the families I sat for would pay upwards from $10 an hour, plus they would give me money to take the kids out for dinner, the movies, etc. It was a great job for a college student who wanted experience with kids anyway! Babysitting definitely got old after awhile, but I really loved a lot of those kids and saved a lot of money too. It also gave me time to do school work. And working privately is definitely the best.

6. I was homeschooled my whole life except for preschool and kindergarten. Most people wouldn't count those years, but my sister was homeschooled for those too, so I have to say it. Yes it had its challenges, but I loved homeschooling, and definitely plan on homeschooling Norah.

7. I used to be really really into rock climbing. Well, I still am, but I just have nowhere to do it in Ohio. This is a hobby I would absolutely love to get back into when we move. It is the perfect sport for me as it requires competing against yourself. It is an individual sport, yet you perform it in community (whether in a climbing gym or with other climbers outdoors). You have to set goals and reach for them. It builds strength, flexibility, and cardio. I always climbed for exercise and also for a time to refresh mentally. I absolutely love it and miss it so much!

Ok, so there's my seven random facts. Now's your turn! I am going to tag 7 other people, and you have to do it in your blog, making sure to thank/tag me and then tag 7 more people! (It really isn't that bad!)

1. Sheena
2. Sarah
3. Casey
4. Kim
5. Maggie
6. Jess
7. Suzanne

Make sure to comment on your 7 friend's blogs to tell them to do it too!