1. I am a completely random thinker so this little exercise should be easy.
2. I'm pretty sure I'm ADD.
3. I love to collect antiques, especially crocks.
4. I'm a thrift store junkie.
5. My husband thinks I'm a crazy cat lady, but I don't think three cats is too unreasonable.
6. I don't like the taste of coffee, but I love the smell of it.
7. I love plants but I have a tendency to kill them.
8. I've crossed the Atlantic sixteen times.
9. I love to sing.
10. You don't want to listen to me sing.
11. I wanted to be an archeologist when I was a kid.
12. I'm an introvert.
13. I once sang in a plaza in Rome to get some money for gelato.
14. I would like to be fluent in Spanish, Irish Gaelic, Hebrew and Koine Greek before I die.
15. Sometimes my kids say things that crack me up so much I have to go in another room so they don't feel bad that I'm laughing at what they just said.
16. I like to watch old movies from the 30's and 40's.
17. I have naturally curly hair.
18. Most days I wish I had straight hair.
19. Jeff once described my new haircut as "Shirley Temple on Crack."
20. I love to craft (penny rugs, cross stitch, felting, soap making, scrapbooking, you name it.)
21. Kelly is to Pat Catan's as alcoholic is to liquor store.
22. Sometimes I eat shredded parmesan right out of the can.
23. I watch too much TV, but I usually have to be doing something else at the same time.
24. When I was 21, I used public transportation to travel from Galilee to Ramallah by myself.
25. I've never owned a new car. I'm not sure I ever will.
26. I think my husband is hot!
27. I've broken six toes, one at a time.
28. I'm pretty proud of my Irish heritage.
29. I even gave my Russian kids Irish names.
30. My favorite children's book is "Sarah, Plain and Tall."
31. When Jeff and I were doing out premarital counseling, Pastor Bob looked at my personality test and said, "Hmmmmmmm . . . still waters run deep." I think this was his way of telling Jeff, "Good luck."
32. I'm a nerd. I've never gotten below a B in a class.
33. I did however manage to get a D on a Greek midterm.
34. I don't know how to drive a stick shift.
35. I thank God for the blessing of infertility.
36. Someday I want to live in the country, in a historic home, on a lot of acreage.
37. I don't like alcoholic beverages.
38. I really like rum cake, and beer cheese soup, and Jack Daniel's sauce, ect..
39. I once said something funny and made my friend shoot milk out her nose.
40. You can keep your veggies. I'm a meat and potato gal.
41. I have a few friends who I felt like I'd known them forever the first time I met them.
42. I love to read missionary biographies.
43. I was four-years-old when I accepted Christ. I remember praying with Roxanne Fetterhoff and she gave me a plastic glove with a color on each finger for the wordless book.
44. I get choked up hearing a children's choir singing praises to God.
45. I'm not good at math.
46. The first time I saw my husband, I thought he looked like Stewart Finlay-McLennan.
47. I'm afraid I don't show my family and friends how much I love and appreciate them.
48. I am not above using reverse psychology and potty humor to get my kids to do what I want. Example:
Riley: I don't like the beans in this soup.
Me: That's good. Beans make you fart. You don't want to eat those.
Riley: I'm going to eat them all!
49. I can't spell worth beans.
50. I am a work in progress.
Colin's birthday just happened to fall on the same day as his Valentine's party at preschool. There was some confusion on his part as to the point of the party. He came home and told me that they had a big celebration for his birthday and everyone gave him birthday cards. I tried explaining that the cards were for Valentine's Day, but Colin would have none of it. He'll figure it out eventually. 
Here's Colin proudly displaying his birthday crown from school and his balloon. I've been trying to get the kids to think about the feelings of others and not be so focused on themselves. This is never an easy task when it's just sin nature to think of ourselves first. I took Riley to the grocery store while Colin was at school and asked her to pick out a balloon for her brother. At first, she just wanted to get one for herself, but with a little coaxing she selected a "Cars" balloon for Colin. He was thrilled with her choice. 
When Jeff got home from work, Colin was allowed to open his presents. Now that he's a big boy, we figured it was time to get him his first firearm - of the Nerf variety. It's a little difficult for him to fire, but he'll figure it out soon enough and be terrorizing the cats in no time. 
Here's one more picture of Colin's day. He loves all things related to the movie "Cars." 
The weekend between the kids' birthdays, we had a family party. Here's Colin and Pop-pop checking out some photos together. 
Can you guess who picked out the farm complete with horses for Riley? (If you said Memaw, you're right.) The kids and I have a lot of fun playing with that one. 
Being a girl, Riley actually looks at her cards and wants to know who gave them to her. Colin, on the other hand, usually checks for money or stickers. 
Do you see the bubble wrap in the background? When my family asked what the kids wanted for their birthdays, I replied, "Oh, they just like eating M&Ms and playing with bubble wrap." (Really, the kids have plenty of toys.) Well, that what they got, along with some other nice gifts. Everyone was amused that the kids were truly thrilled with the bubble wrap. Some has been popped and some has been used for a craft project. 
Maria and Riley paused long enough for Daddy to get a picture. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with Jeff's photography skills. It helps to have such cute subjects too.
I couldn't leave out Maya. Can you say, "Don't hate be because I'm cute as a button." 
Here's the alligator cupcake cake for the party. Does anyone else hate slicing and serving cake? Perhaps I'm just weird about that. Cupcakes are the perfect solution.
The following week was Riley's birthday. Again, we had a lot of snow and icy roads, so for her birthday lunch we went through the drive-thru at McDonanlds. This would have bummed me out a little had it been my birthday lunch, but for a three and five-year-old, chicken nuggets and a surprise toy are way better than a boring old restaurant where you have to sit down and wait for your food. 
Again there was great anticipation while we waited for Daddy to get home from work so the presents could be opened. It seems that once again, one of the cats has to get in on the action. 
Riley can't wait for a shower now with her new princess umbrella. The ballon was picked out by Colin. Riley loves all things Disney Princesses, although she's cried through both Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid, and when given a choice of toys, she'll pick a truck any day of the week.
Riley had been asking for a scooter "just like Ethan's." She was a little disappointed that several feet of snow were preventing her from riding outside. 
This was the first year Riley had an honest-to-goodness-birthday-party-with-just-her-friends. She invited six of her friends from school and church. She wanted to invite three times as much but unfortunately out little house can only hold so many. 
The girls had Sleeping Beauty cupcakes and the boys got Prince Phillip. Prince Phillip is wide awake because he can hear the dragon coming. (He looks a little like Mr. Bill's Medieval cousin.) I gave Phillip a shield with his initial on it. I was going to put "PP" for Prince Phillip, but then I had visions of the boys yelling, "I have pee-pee on my cupcake!" and thought better of it.