100th Post

Photo Courtesy of Maiden

I believe the tradition of the 100th post is to have 100 things to say. The creative juices were not flowing so you get my life story.

1. I am the firstborn child
2. Born in 1968
3. I have one sister three years younger
4. And one brother six years younger
5. My dad worked in education--a principal most of the years I remember
6. Thankfully I attended a different school
7. My mom worked nights in a nursing home so she could be home for us during the day
8. I lived in South Dakota, Iowa, and South Dakota again
9. I got caught cheating on a test in third grade and got an F
10. It was a test for a book we had to read, I picked up the book and went right to the page I knew the answer was on...I didn't even think about it as cheating but the teacher would not believe me
11. I hated school after that
12. I was a bench warmer for the basketball team
13. Then I became a cheerleader
14. I played the saxophone
15. And sang alto in chorus--but found out recently that I am really a soprano
16. I worked on a hog farm during middle school
17. I was a waitress in high school
18. And a proofreader at a newspaper
19. As well as a nursing assistant in a nursing home
20. In spite of all the workload, I graduated in 1986 top of my class--Valedictorian (HA HA! In my dreams anyway--actually I squeaked by with C's)
21. I was nominated for homecoming royalty, but didn't become queen (I am a Queen now in my own fairy tale)
22. My best friends in High School were Chris, Jodi, and Michele (with one l)
23. After graduation I went to a vocational school to become a secretary
24. I never finished
25. I met and fell in love with The King while working at a grocery store
26. He counseled me because I was having boyfriend troubles
27. I'm so glad he was such a good counselor
28. I bet that boyfriend and his wife are too
29. We nearly called off our wedding--The King's feet were getting a little cold
30. We got married in 1987
31. I started college in 1988
32. I had a miscarriage around our first anniversary
33. I joined the National Guard shortly after that
34. For the college benefits
35. Our first child, a son, was born in 1990
36. I was activated to Desert Storm four months later
37. And returned home when my baby was 10 months old
38. Our next son was born in 1991
39. Then another in 1996
40. And another in 1997
41. We moved to the country in 1999
42. Started home schooling that same year
43. God told me we needed a little girl from India
44. It took The King a few years to agree
45. We started our adoption process in January of 2002
46. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer that same month
47. I spent the next 23 months working on the adoption and driving many hours to visit my mom
48. We were granted guardianship of our little girl
49. About the same time I found out I was pregnant again
50. And around the same time my mother was told she had only a few months to live
51. We brought our daughter home in December of 2003
52. She was 20 months old
53. My mom died four months later
54. And exactly three weeks later our second daughter was born
55. A spitting image of my mom
56. It was then I knew what bittersweet felt like
57. The next year for me was a blur
58. I still have a hard time remembering how I got through it all
59. God's grace
60. I had a miscarriage in 2005
61. Then God blessed us again
62. And our fifth son was born in 2006
63. We would have more
64. And adopt more--it's in God's hands
65. We started home churching in 2006
66. And celebrated 20 years of marriage in November
67. I don't know when we started having trouble with our oldest child
68. But it came to a head in 2007
69. When he couldn't resist temptation
70. We put him in treatment last week
71. For 13 months
72. And my heart aches to see him
73. All I can do now is pray for him
74. Every time I think of him
75. And go on with life
76. Homeschooling the younger boys
77. Remembering Jouster has art on Monday and Wednesday
78. And play practice on the other days
79. Piano on Wednesday and Thursday
80. Play dates as often as possible
81. Home school gathering on Thursdays
82. Dates with The King on Fridays
83. Skating on Saturday
84. Church on Sunday
85. Finishing up our basement
86. Laundry every day
87. Dishes three times a day
88. Grocery shopping a few times a week
89. Meeting Rapunzel for coffee once a month
90. Double dates with The King's Twin and Sister in Love
91. Weekly phone calls to my sister
92. Daily chats with the Lord
93. Blogging
94. Writing letters to Jester
95. Thinking about dieting
96. Thinking I should exercise
97. Knitting
98. Quilting
99. Reading
100. And loving my life!