BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER "J"

I got tagged two months (and three days) ago by my friend Allan (Sorry it took so long, Allan!), who also happens to be one really amazing preacher! You should definitely check out his blog when you get a chance. You'll be blessed by what you find.

To start things off right, I made up a little poem to share with you because everything is more fun when it rhymes!

From A to Z and Z to A
There's always a lot that we can say
So here are twenty-six letters combined in a way
To answer the twenty-six questions I've been asked today.

I'll never cease to wonder how it can be
That the great moments that define the world's history
And the answers to questions about you and me
Can be summed up so simply from A to Z.

A. Attached or Single? Attached...to Mr. Brownstone, of course! Not only is he super fun to look at and super fun to be around, he is a great leader for our family, a great husband, and a great dad. He also gives me the status of "XBOX Wife".

B. Best Friend? Mr. Brownstone has been my very best friend since our first date way back in the 1900's. And if you're one to say "Husbands, siblings, and parents don't count!"...then I have seven or eight girlfriends that are just the best ever!

C. Cake or Pie? Pie ~ chocolate, strawberry, key lime, apple, cherry, coconut, pink lemonade, peach... You get a taste for what I'm saying, right? Though, I do have to say that any form of cheesecake could give pie a good run for the money.

D. Day of Choice? Sunday! I really love Sundays. We spend a lot of family time on that day, and we also get to worship our Amazing Lord and Savior at a church that we love with friends that we love!

E. Essential Item? How about itemS!?!? It may seem a cliche, but I have to have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. I also have a purse-sized plaque-remover!

F. Flavor of Ice Cream? That is like asking me to choose a favorite book! Ice Cream, Frozen Custard, Frozen Yogurt, Gelato...all perfection in a dessert. My favorite flavor would probably be Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

G. Gummy Bears or Worms? Dare I say it...worms!!! I like the sugary coating. I did used to love to stick those gummy bears to my shirt, though, back when it was all the rage between Izod and Polo.

H. Hometown? Our Town :) It was a great little town.

I. Indulgences? I get a Route 44 Diet Coke with easy ice, regular cherry syrup, vanilla, and real cherries almost every day during Sonic Happy Hour!

J. January or July? Can I say "Juluary"? I do not like to be hot. I also do not like to be cold. July poses a problem because it is so incredibly hot here, which makes the air conditioner run non-stop, so it's either hot or cold in the house...never just comfortable! And as for January...it is sometimes a letdown because all of the Christmas decorations are taken down and put away, and everyone has either gone home, gone back to work, or gone back to school. Though I love winter and most things about it, January seems like a lonely month to me. To answer the question...the kids are out of school and home all day in July, and we usually take a fun vacation, so the nod goes to July!

K. Kids? Yes...my finest achievements ~ Tornado and Twister!

L. Last Movie I Saw In A Theater? "Space Chimps". I'm not really sure what more to say about that...

M. Middle Name? Jill

N. Number of Siblings? Three ~ Thing Two, Thing Three, and Thing Four

O. Oranges or Apples? Oranges, especially little Clementine oranges. I do love the green apple, though. And as far as flavorings ~ like gum, slushies, etc. ~ green apple would far surpass orange. Actual fruit seems to be the question here, however, so I stick with oranges as my final answer.

P. Phobia or Fear? Phobia. I have a major shark phobia. Realistically, I know that it borders on being ridiculous to get panicked if I'm the only one in the swimming pool, but there it is. I "phobia" the shark. Big time. (You can see how far this phobia reaches by my use of the word "borders". Somehow I've convinced myself that it is only mildly ridiculous. Who am I kidding? It's ridiculous! That's a phobia for ya!)

Q. Quote? I am particularly partial to Bible verses, but I don't really think of Scripture as a quote, even though it sort of is ~ I think of Scripture more as "the inspired word of God" and a quote as something for which anyone could be credited if they have something worth saying, or even sometimes saying something that isn't worth saying! There are so many Bible verses that I love, but here are three quotes that I really like quite a lot:

• "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." ~ Mother Theresa
• "The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid." ~ Author Unknown
• "To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation." ~ Francois de La Rochefouca

R. Reason to Smile? I could give you a million and one ~ Mr. Brownstone, Tornado, Twister, my family, Mr. Brownstone's family, our friends, our church, and that's just the people. That's not even mentioning all of the other blessings in life. But my reason to smile? I'm saved. In all of my imperfection, Jesus saw fit to save even me.

S. Season? If you've read this blog, then you already know the answer to this one! I love FALL, y'all! The cool, crisp air...the smells...the changing colors...the alternate name "autumn"...all of it.

T. Tag Four More? YOU'RE IT!!! I'm tagging everyone that is reading this who wants to play along but am also specifically tagging some relatively newcomers to this blog...Allyson at Oury Family, Tracy at The Redheaded Warriors, Sharon at Reservoir, and Kipi at In My Own Little Corner.... They are newcomers in the sense that I've only blogged about "Ten Things Tuesday" since April, so they haven't been tagged by me yet. Since summer is almost over, blogging will pick up the pace a bit. (Be sure and link back to me!)

U. Unknown Fact About Me? I am very shy. Being in a room full of people is extremely uncomfortable for me, even if I know all of them! A very small group (like 2-3 people) or a very large crowd (like an arena, or a church service) doesn't bother me as much, but a party or a classroom setting... Yikes!!! Being around 5 people up to 75 or so makes my stomach flutter with nerves every single time. I try to just put a smile on my face and get over it. Most people that know about these feelings are surprised, so maybe the smile is working! :)

V. Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan... Technically, Mr. Brownstone brings home the bacon, and I fry it in the microwave. Either way, I'm an oppressor.

W. Worst Habit? I am ~ believe it or not ~ a gum-swallower. I KNOW!!! It's yucky and gross and juvenile. You should also know that I didn't develop this habit until adulthood. I don't mean when I turned 18...or even in college...or even when I got married. This began when I was a grown-up!!! That means after I became a mom. So yes, I tell my kids "Don't swallow your gum; it's not good for you..." and then smile as mine goes down the hatch without so much as a second thought. Needless to say, I do not buy gum very often.

X. X-Rays or Ultra-Sounds? Would anyone answer X-Rays? I have to go with Ultra-Sounds. It was so precious to see our sweet babies before they entered this world!

Y. Your Favorite Food? One that starts with a letter of the alphabet. Just kidding. In all seriousness, there are very few foods that I do not enjoy (liver, beets, and I can't bring myself ~ even as an animal oppressor ~ to try cow tongue or weird stuff like that), so it's hard to pick a favorite. I really, really, really love fresh corn-on-the-cob, however, with butter and salt. Even as I type that, though, it feels like I'm cheating on nectarines, Tex-Mex, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Z. Zodiac? Sagittarius ~ Though not into astrology or signs of the zodiac, I found this and thought it was pretty funny. "On the upside, you are optimistic. On the downside, you are blindly optimistic."

So from Z to A and A to Z
Each little letter has it's own story.
And from A to Z and Z to A
That's all I have to say today!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER "J"

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/08/brought-to-you-by-letter-j.html