Honestly...

I'm so excited that I just received an award that's been circulating amongst other police wives in blogland, so here's my two bits.

Before I proceed, however, the rules for the The Honest Scrap Award are thus. In order to accept it you must list 10 honest things about yourself and then pass the award along to some other bloggers. Here are ten honest things about me:

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1) I was one of the last to be picked for the award from police wife blogland, so I'm still debating on taking that personal and reliving bad memories from the school playground or just moving on.....

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2) I'm a 3rd generation member of Rigby Study Club, Idaho's oldest women's organization that originated in the state. Here's a talk from one of the speakers in 1972 (it's all I could find on the web referring specifically to Rigby Study Club...so....technology isn't a strong point of the Club)

Some initially think it's an organization of stuffy old women that just get together to gossip, and from the outside maybe it appears that way. I've loved Study Club since I helped with an event at the age of 13 and found kindred spirits and have wanted to join since. The ladies epitomize their gender by getting together to learn, look good while doing it, and providing gourmet eating (one of my favorite aspects of being a member!).

Yes, I'm the youngest member by, like 20 years or so, but yearning for knowledge doesn't have age requirements. The women strive to continually learn and better each other as well as the community. It gives me a chance once a month to act like a proper, educated lady and be around other proper ladies to entertain my mind from singing groups to religious speakers to humanitarians to CIA agents (this last one's coming up in a few months and we're all VERY excited!)

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3) I'm a total nerd when it comes to historical facts. I love that I know the difference between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, what happened in England, 1066, and who has preserved much of the Lake District through her earnings from writing children's books.

I could go on and on, but it tends to get me in trouble "sharing" my factual knowledge, like getting yelled at in multiple museums throughout Europe for touching historical artifacts while informing those around me why they're so amazing (true story) or putting a person in a social coma with my focus on historical details and debates.

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4) I'm extremely hard on myself. I don't necessarily think I need to be a perfectionist, but I do hold myself responsible for things, sometimes to the point of taking blame on myself, even if I had no control over a situation. It's made being a stay-at-home mom really difficult at times.

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5) I don't like to "rough it." I've lived in a farming community all my life but I know little to nothing about husbandry. I have really bad hay fever and a slight allergy to pet dander. I start to cry and break out in hives if an alfalfa field has just been harvested.

I'm a total whanny when it comes to the outdoors, though I deeply appreciate nature, love eating campfire food and enjoy going on leisure walks...just as long as I have a real bed to sleep in.

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6) Books are one of my greatest weaknesses at times. I love to read. I mean, REALLY, REALLY love to read. My favorites have been posted on the right hand side bar since I created this blog, most of which have been read multiple times. While growing up, my mom would have to limit me when we would go to the library, when I'd bring home book orders from school, or from how much time I spent during the day (or night) reading.

Now, Chris sets those controls, but he's been really good at compromising my reading before bed by allowing me to use a flashlight. I have NO discipline when he's working nights and a new favorite has just come out!

I've created a routine with Seth in which we read before naps and bedtime, and I just love spending that time with him. Eliza doesn't have the attention span to stay still long enough for a book longer than 5 pages or not a pop-up, though she loves books too. She'll eagerly grab a board book, then back up until she plops into my lap for me to "read" to her for about 12 seconds before she's on to get another book.

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7) Motherhood has been the hardest thing I've ever done. I love my children and see them as divine gifts I strive to be worthy of, but I feel so inadequate and overwhelmed at times (see #4). The rewards far outweigh the struggles as my children show unconditional love to me.

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8) I love cooking and eating food, so I'm not a very picky eater but have a few specific preferences. I can't stand anything in jell-o, except rainbow marshmallows on top; that's OK. Chicken has to be prepared a certain way otherwise I struggle the whole time while eating it (when I was pregnant with Eliza I couldn't stand the taste of it in any form). The only food I don't care for is capers because of a bad recipe combo.

I firmly believe that presentation makes or breaks the taste of a meal, so even while I was in college I would "present" my food to myself on a decorative plate before eating while my roommates would sometimes eat directly from the package or box. Cooking was a great stress reliever during my college days and sometimes I hate that it feels like a chore now because it's such an enjoyable part of life.

Food presentation enhances the eating experience, which is probably why I REALLY like eating at fancy restaurants (especially if someone else pays!)

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9) I don't like to text. I don't know half of the instant messaging jargon and have inserted foot into mouth because of this MANY times. I think it's a huge waste of time and a plague on the rising generation. It has it's place at times, but of all the technology we use everyday, this would be the first to go on my priority list.

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10) I've always been self conscious of my gangly body type. It was to the point of being afraid of cutting my hair short because I already felt so like I looked like a boy. Obviously, I got over that in the last few months as my hair's the shortest it's been for at least 15 years. And some boys have long, wavy locks again!

I HATE bra and swim suit shopping because I can never fill up the cups, which is almost as bad as looking for pants. I HATE pant shopping even more because I can never find anything long enough that also fits my waist. Affordable pregnancy clothes do NOT have easy access in tall sizes so I wore a lot of skirts and "capris."

If money wasn't an option, I might get a nose job but I have seriously considered getting implants so I could finally fill up those cups in aforementioned swimsuits and bras. I would also like to do laser hair removal and wouldn't mind plumping up my upper lip a bit (though I have no desire to look like a fish). I don't like the gaps between my bottom teeth and feel like I have witchy knobs for fingers.

Though it may not appear as such, I've come a LONG way from the self-image woes of yesteryear. #10's just my personal wish list.

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And there you have it!

Well, since this has circulated pretty much through the police wives, I'll tag my Playgroup Gals to do this on their blogs! Can't wait to read!