Let's play "bet you didn't know this about me"...

Weeeeee! Something fun!
(I need fun today.)
Hmmm...let's see...

1. I was a gymnast back in HS and won 1st place for uneven-parallel bars and 2nd place in floor-ex. One of the judges invited me to attend his training camp in upstate NY but my parents wouldn't let me go. (I also did quite well at weightlifting but was not allowed to compete.)

2. My right ear lobe swells when I sleep.

3. My nickname is Peanie...short for peanut.

4. And did I mention? I have an insanely gorgeous husband? Well, I do!

OK, three things you probably didn't know about me - and may not want to;

1 - I met my DH in Rapallo, Italy.  I was 16 and on vacation with my Mom, he was 24 and on a Med cruise with the Navy.  We danced in a bar for 4 hours.  Another young woman in our group assured Mom she would walk me back to the hotel, so Mom went back with others.  'Jane' promptly left with another sailor and Ray and I were on our own.  He walked me back to the hotel, we 'necked' in a swing in the garden, and he asked me to marry him.  Actually it went something like this "I'm coming to NY to see you, and I'm not leaving without you.'  The next day our tour group left for Paris, where I faked sick so I could stay at the hotel and write to him.  We were married 15 months later, 3 weeks after I turned 18.  He had come to NY to see me 3 times in that time (he was stationed in FL).  We have been married 43 years, have 3 wonderful, successful children and 6 of the greatest grandkids.

2 - My DH is also the only man I have 'been with', and not til we were married! I also got a scholorship and got married instead.  BOY, was my father upset at that!

3 - Give me a pattern, recipe, or directions and I can bake, sew, crochet or put together almost anything.  DO NOT ask me to create anything on my own.  I can't cut a straight line without a guide, I can't hang a picture straight.

Okay, ya'll have embarressed me to tears posting all your "normal" stuff, so I'm going to play again...    (That'll teach me to share my inner-most thoughts!  rotfl!) 

1.  Hubby and I met in the summer I turned 16 and made a horrible first impression on one another.  He thought I was a snob in my big hat and flared-out dress (I was modeling at the time, so I dressed to the 9's), I thought he was rude for not standing when he was introduced to me.  lol  We met again that following spring.  I was drawn in by those beautiful green eyes and him by my...hooters.  lol  (I still have THAT dress!)  I walked up and did the typical, "Haven't we met before?" line and the rest is history.  We wrote for the entire summer, went on our first date November 30, 1985, he proposed on December 29th, and we were married on April 19, 1986.  I was 17, he had just turned 20.  The only thing I'd change is that we would have run off and eloped immediately! 

2.  Our 15 yo daughter is an aspiring softball catcher.  A freshman in HS, she gets herself in bed every night at around 9 p.m. and then she gets herself up at 5 a.m. to go to the gym to work out before school...looming over her dad in the mornings to wake him up to take her.  lol  All summer she spent outside doing crab walks up and down our patio, hitting off of tees into her nets, etc.  She also pushes herself to make top grades and be a good example for her peers...has been this self-motivated since she started playing softball and going to public school when she was 12 years old.  It's unbelievable how this young lady inspires our entire family...parents and older siblings included...we all marvel at her drive and acheivements. 

3.  We were all born into an extremely conservative Armageddon-is-coming religion that we chose to remove ourselves from after moving to NC in 2002/2003.  Because of that, we are now shunned and have lost every friend and family member we ever grew up with, knew, and loved...adding up to several hundred people.  It has been very painful but worth the sacrifice.  Think, "Free at last."  Our younger children will never know their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...the people in all of our photos.  Because of that, we are not big fans of religion in any form.

(Shauna: Heh,heh,heh..Wood hurts your teeth.  U Funny, girl!)

What a great thread, you really can't judge a book by it's cover.  What a fascinating group of folks! 

1.  I also grew up in a VERY conservative, the end is near type of household.  One of my aunts recently commented on a new retail development in our town: "I don't know why they keep building these new stores, they're all going to be destroyed soon".  Really, this is the mentaility of several of my family members.  My wife and I try to distance ourselves.  My kids will not grow up being scared constantly that the end is coming like I was.  I belive in God, don't get me wrong, but a loving, forgiving God.  Not an angry, vengeful God just waiting for you to mess up and burn in hell over one slip up. 

2.  I LOVE Christmas!  When I was growing up, we were very "economically disadvantaged" and barely had a Christmas tree.  I used to tell Mom that when I grew up, my house was going to be decked out!  Well, it is.  Last year, we were nominated by somone (I still don't know who) to win a Christmas display contest that our local NBC affiliate puts on every year.  I didn't even know about it until I went in to work one day and one of my employees said "I saw your house on TV this morning"  I thought she was kidding.  Our display takes about a week of solid work to put together and put out.  We add a little each year and I love it, it thrills me to see cars slow down and stop in front of our house!  My wife, however, rolls her eyes at me the whole time as I run around like a 6 year old!  LOL

3.  I am a supervisor in a "state wide traffic  law enforcement agency" (really shouldn't say the name!) I supervise a crew of 3-5 communications officers and respond to traffic complaints and collisons in a 20 county area in NC's beautiful north-east.  We field calls from over one million residents and countless visitors.  I also enjoy teaching several blocks of instruction in our basic schools and in service classes.  Although, I love what I do, I also work part time in sales at a local furniture store.  This is sort of a throw back to what I thought would be a career when I worked at a high-end furniture store years ago.  It saves my sanity because I can go, relax, do what I enjoy and not be ANYONE"S boss for a while each week! 

4.  I recieved several awards in high school for singing.  I went all the way to state finals and came in second.  This involved performing a 12 minute acapella (no background music) piece in Latin!  One of the most difficult things I've ever done, even up until now!  Mom, was proud. :)

5.  I met my wife in 1st grade.  She moved away shortly thereafter and I met her again when I was a cashier at Walmart in 1995.  I recognized her name on her credit card and asked if she remembered me.  To which she replied "yeah" and walked away.  Yeah, she was soooo into me, right from the start LOL.  She had just opened a hair salon so I went and got three haircuts that month before I got the testicular fortitude to ask her out.  We were married 9 months later, I was 21, she was 20. 

6.  We struggled to get pregnant with our first child.  We had investigated fertility treatments but could NOT afford to even begin looking into it.  We had resigned ourselves to be chiildless or possilby adopt.  She got pregnant the next month with our son.  We were happy to have one child, but decided to just live recklessly and see what happened.  It took us 2 years to concieve our son, it took about 15 minutes with our daughter...who knew!?

Well, that's me. 

Jason

SEE SHAUNA!! You thought Nancy or I would make the "wood" joke!!! LOL!!!

Jason, I stand by what I always say to you. You are 2 ways from crazy.!!!

ROTFL!!!    Ya know I can always count on Jason too.  He's my fellow furniture fetish fella! 

LOL What  a fun post! Gosh you guys are so interesting. I have led a very simple boring life compared

1. Born the baby of 7  and was always spoiled rotten. Four big brothers and two big sisters.
    We are all very close and love each other to death. Lost my oldest brother at age 55 (10 
years  ago to a massive heart attack ) My sisters are my best friends in the world.

2. Married and had first son at age 19. Second son at age 21. Divorced at age 26.

3. Married again at age 29. Divorced at age 32

4. Married again at age 35 and have kept him for 20 years lol. Now have 3 precious grandsons that have stolen my heart.

3rd time's the charm!!!!

It's true!!! lol
He's 8 years younger than me, hot, ,and loves to cook. What more could a woman want???

Oh my....where to begin......

I've been married 34 years ......since I was 16...

My greatest claim to fame is that I am the very first person in the history
of the world to be removed from an elected state position by the National PTA.OK OK it was after I had exposed a few state and national board members to the IRS and to law enforcement for misappropriation of funds and marketing on the backs of children in our state. I was physically attacked by a vice president of National PTA and she was arrested and later did community service. Meanwhile, back at the office, a secret illegal meeting was held and I was removed from office.......
The rest of this story will be published in my memoirs.......... LOL!!

Before we met, my husband had a child that he was never told existed.
25 yrs later his daughter turns up, introduces herself and leaves her newborn baby with us and we haven't heard from her since.

That darling child is my nine year old son.

My life is a constant Lifetime Movie of the Week

Jane