25 Random Things about Kim

Sorry this took me so long but here are my 25 random things (sorry if some are long winded):

1. I am 30 years old and I've moved AT LEAST 15 times.

2. I can't eat cinnamon gum, red hots or cinnamon bears. They destroy my mouth and the next day it is completely raw. I never had this problem when I was younger but my Dad is the same way so I guess that's where I got it from.

3. I've always wanted to be a good dancer. I've always felt like not being a more experienced dancer is what kept me from trying out for "those parts" in shows. If I had it to do all over again and I couldn't be a singer I'd want to be a dancer.

4. I always wanted to marry someone who had dark hair and blue eyes...and I found him! :)

5. I always wanted to marry into a big family...my husband is number 4 of 10 kids.

6. I have become really jumpy ever since I got married. Bud will walk into the other room to do something and I'll get involved in something in the kitchen and I won't hear him come back and then he'll be right behind me and say something and I jump. Loud noises startle me more now than before also. It's weird!

7. I can't stand violence on T.V. or movies. It makes me really upset to the point of tears sometimes. We went with a friend to see Batman Returns and it was so violent that I almost walked out because I was near tears. I will NEVER watch that movie again. I can't handle things like Law in Order- SVU or anything like that.

8. I am a worrier...my family knows this of course but not all my friends do. I worry about things before they even happen. I get so worried that I'll play situations out in my mind and think about how I'll react if I'm really nervous about something or how someone will react. If I'm really worried I have a hard time sleeping and focusing during the day. The funny thing is it's the dumb things I worry about and I can say that almost every time the thing I was worried about turns out WAY better than expected. I should stop that. :)

9. I am a perfectionist. I hate doing things if I'm afraid that I won't be able to do it well or I think that I'm not good at it. For example...I have a lot of beautiful pictures in my home...ask me how many are hung up. Two...because there were already nails in the walls. Ha! I just want to do it once and do it right. But I am getting better as I get older. I will hang those pictures...eventually. ;o)

10. I love basketball. I loved it even more when I was younger. I played in high school up to my junior year and when we lived in Boston was really into the Celtics. How could you not be when Larry Bird was playing? That guy was amazing! I used have a poster of Michael Jordan in my bedroom when I lived downstairs in our second house in Boston and my brother accidentally ripped it and I freaked out! I still love basketball and played a lot when Bud and I were dating but now I mostly watch since he plays in a mens only league.

11. I played the violin for 10 years. I started when I was in fourth grade and played up through my junior year in high school. I only took private lessons for about a year during sixth grade but it paid off because I won a partial music scholarship to a summer camp. I even went on tour to England, Scotland, and Whales with the choir and orchestra when I was in ninth grade. I stopped playing mostly because I got more involved with choir and because I never learned how to vibrato and so I couldn't advance much beyond high school orchestra. I still have my violin though and would like to pick it up again.

12. I love to travel. I have been to at least half the states in the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Whales, Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador. I have SO many places that I want to visit especially in Europe. I hope that I'll have the chance to do it some day. I love the cultures, languages, architecture and food.

13. I am extremely sensitive. My heart and my tear ducts are closely connected. I have a very hard time talking about things that are close to my heart without tearing up. I always cry when I watch, Extreme Home Makeover, Biggest Loser and sappy movies. I have only borne my testimony a few times without shedding tears and often don't enjoy doing special musical numbers in church because I'm afraid of getting choked up. As much as I feel silly about it sometimes though I'm glad I have a tender heart. It's helped me to have compassion for others and think twice about doing and saying things I think.

14. I LOVE being at home. Whenever I have a day off like today I dread going back to work the next day. I'm always telling people that I can't wait to be a mom because I love to stay home. They usually quickly respond with, "Oh, you'd get bored after a while.". To which I respond that I can list a ton of things I could do if I stayed home, clean my house the way I want, stay on top of the laundry, try cooking new recipes, exercise more, organize and scrapbook photos, write in my journal, practice my music, write letters/emails to friends, read, blog more, really study my scriptures...I could go on and on. I know, I know...all you mom's out there are thinking...uh, no time for that once kids come around. I know it will be tough but I LOVE playing with kids. I taught preschool for a long time and I can't wait to learn and play with my kids.

15. I am a very hard person to surprise. I am usually very suspicious because people aren't always very good at keeping secrets and drop hints which make me curious. While growing up surprise parties were attempted but I found out about both. I wasn't snooping but people were acting strange. Acting surprised is so hard too when you know what is going on. But I have to admit my best friend Stephanie and my Mom win the prize for actually pulling it off last year. I had one final opera performance the day after graduating with my masters from ASU and Stephanie flew in from San Fransisco to see it without telling me. She was so afraid that I saw her sitting in the audience next to Bud but I was so focused and never imagined that she'd be there that I didn't suspect anything. After the show she came back stage and I flipped when I saw her and started crying. Way to go ladies!!

16. While in college I attended four different schools and got degrees from three of them. BYU-Idaho (associates), Utah State University (Bachelors) and Arizona State University (Masters). Do I heard Doctorate?...maybe in a few years. ;-)

17. I served a mission to Ecuador (Guayaquil North) and only served in four different areas my whole mission because I served in the mission office for eight months. I was companion to the mission nurse, an older sister, Hermana Hutchins (love that lady!) for five months. When it was time for her to go home they did not have a registered nurse to replace her so guess who got the job? Yep, me! The area nurse came down from the Quito mission to give me some training (including giving shots) and for the next three months I was acting nurse. I never did give any shots to missionaries but I did administer medicine to several young children in our area. And according to one Elder I saved his life because he was "dying" of beechos (some parasite) and I sent him a cure. Ha! Too funny. It was really neat serving so close to my president and his wife and I became close with their two young kids as well.

18. I've always wanted to teach elementary school. I love children and love to watch them learn, grow and discover and master new things. Before my mission I taught preschool, the Kindergarten, class at KinderCare learning center in West Valley, UT. I LOVED it! I mean sure some days were hard but it was SO neat to see the progress that my kids made from the beginning to the end of the year. After my mission I went to Utah State with the intent to enter the education program but during my first semester it didn't feel right anymore. It was a confusing time because I knew that's what I was good and always thought that's what I'd do. But the Lord had other plans for me. I had always loved to sing but never had the confidence to get to the level I wanted to. But through a lot of prayer the Lord opened doors for me I thought would never open and I had some of the most amazing, life changing experiences. My confidence increased and I did things I never dreamed I could do or accomplish. And most importantly that path led me to meet my sweet husband. The Lord truly does work in mysterious ways. But back to the topic I still think about certifying to teach all the time and I may still do it!

19. I played a lot of sports growing up, softball, basketball, tennis and soccer. But I never once broke or sprained anything. My very first injury of this kind was in the MTC when I sprained my ankle going down the stairs because I thought I was on the last step and wasn't. Pretty lucky!

20. I used to HATE flip-flops. I couldn't stand the feeling of the strap between my first and second toe. But on my mission we had to wear them to shower in and around the house because we weren't allowed to go barefoot and I grew to love them. In fact, since moving to AZ I wear flip-flops almost every day, even to work! The only time I don't wear them is when I go to church, exercise or the temp drops below 65 degrees. Love my flops!

21. I am pretty computer savvy...I'm not exactly sure how this happened but over the last few years I have learned that I can find my way around computers better than your average Jo. My friends are constantly asking me if I can fix documents, create posters and programs, install items etc. I don't know if it is a result of buying my laptop and just figuring it out as I went but it's definitely come in handy. In fact there are two professors in the music department at ASU that often call me to help them make documents, fix conversion problems on their database programs, etc. But I'll be honest there is not big secret...I use the help menus A LOT and just figure things out through trial and error. Good skill to have I guess. :-)

22. I hate wearing my jeans more than once. I love the feeling and look of freshly washed jeans. I hate it when the but looks saggy and there are creases from sitting. Most people love that but not me. Although I have to admit I have recently forced myself to wear each pair at least twice before washing them. One because they wear out really fast and I don't have money for new ones and two because I don't have that many pair and wear jeans almost every day and don't have time to wash. But I can't do more than that...it grosses me out. :-P

23. I get the hiccups almost EVERY time I laugh. Don't believe me? Ask my sister she has the same problem. I don't know what we do that makes this happen but we go no more than a ha, ha, ha, ha out before the first HICCUPS. It's so hilarious that it make us laugh even harder. Bud loves to tickle me or make me laugh just so it happens which makes him crack up and then I laugh harder. The funny thing is once I stop laughing and take a few really good breaths in and out they will disappear pretty quickly.

24. I have at least 10 best friends. I can't just choose one. My best friends are all best friends for different reasons. I can't even name them because I fear I might leave one out. I just love people and love that I am close to different people because we relate in different ways. I feel so blessed to know so many amazing people who have touched my life in so many different ways. I love you all and you know who you are!

25. I hate clutter. I am the DI queen...haven't worn it or used in 6 months to a year? Get rid of it. Of course there are exceptions like seasonal items and keepsakes but for the most part I make regular trips to DI and Goodwill to make my donations. I think that this was instilled in me by my parents since we moved so much growing up. We moved about every two and a half years growing up and when it was time to go we went through everything and only took what we really needed and no extra. Sure there are times that I have thought later, "Shoot, I should have kept that." but I usually don't regret sending things. I just LOVE being organized!!

Ok that's it! It was kind of hard but fun to come up with things. Now it's your turn!