10 Things

Yesterday my oldest (but NOT old) sister celebrated her birthday. I cannot begin to express how grateful and blessed I am to be best friends with my 2 sisters. Not only are they the people I can call at any time of day or night (and have!), but they are truly amazing. I thought I would list a few (okay...ten) things about Kelly that you may or may not know.

1. Kelly loves to be busy. I think all of us girls are this way. Don't get me wrong....we love our nights on the couch watching TV. But at any given time you can be sure we probably have at least 46 projects in the making.

2. Kelly loves music. Growing up, Kristy and I would always sing while she played the piano. I have great memories of the music from the piano filling our whole house. And it also was quite convenient when we would play church. (Plus, I got to eat more bread and drink more "wine" while she was playing the Communion song).

3. Kelly is an amazing teacher. Although she no longer teaches at a school, she teaches her daughters each and every day. I tend to think "once a teacher, always a teacher" - at least the good ones. And to me, Kelly will always be a teacher.

4. Kelly is very loyal. As a friend, as a sister, as a wife, as a daughter....she is very committed to those she loves.

5. Kelly is a Handy Manny. She has always been the one to put furniture together (successfully), decorate beautifully, and to re-do every single room in her house. :-) She get it from her mama.

6. Kelly has black hair. Just kidding. But she hates it when I say that.

7. Kelly is very sensitive. I am, too, and I see it as a very positive thing. She is very moved by the things that she sees that might not phase others.

8. Kelly is one of the best mothers I know. She is patient, kind, caring, and nurturing, yet she also has so much FUN with her girls. She truly was born to be a mother, as was Kristy.

9. Kelly loves to help others. I can be the first to attest to this. There have been a couple times when Kelly has received a phone call from me in the middle of the night - one of those times when Grace was only a few months old. And you know what? Kelly got out of bed to help me. (*Waves to Keith* - thank you, too, Keith!) I will never, EVER forget her generosity on that night, or the generosity she continues to show to all of her loved ones.

10. Kelly loves, and is very loved. With her back surgery last weekend, you could not believe how many friends and family members (esp. a gorgeous younger sister....*thanks, Kristy!*) were there to help in whatever way they could. I think we all know that Kelly would have done the same, if not more, for any of us.

These are just a few things about Kelly that make me proud to call her my sister and my best friend.

We love you, Kel!

Mi casa es su casa

So I've officially been in my house for 6 weeks (well, 4 with my heat being broken the past 2 weeks). I thought I'd let you peek inside - you know, in a completely non-stalkerish way. I don't have pictures of the upstairs yet, but here is the downstairs and outside...

La cucina.

Dining Room

I'm working on furniture, although the hydrangea plant in the corner is lovely.

Living Room


Back of the house

I really wanted a decent sized backyard, which was hard to find in my price range. But this yard is actually pretty big - big enough to have all those wild, raging parties, you know. It had NO PLANTS whatsoever (unless you include over 342 types of weeds), so I had those two trees planted and - if you can squint - I planted the 4 dogwood bushes back there.

Now...this was my first attempt in ever planting something other than flowers. It was fairly cold that day (maybe 50 degrees and cloudy), and the shovel wouldn't break ground. So I found this tool in my garage....

...and used it to plant 5 1/2 bushes. I'm sure it was a hilarious sight to see. Thanks to my dad who so graciously planted the 1 1/2 I had left. :-)

Move Over, Pioneer Woman...

...because I can cook, too!

Lunch time has always been one of the most difficult meals for me. I get home around 12:15-12:30 p.m. and am starving by then--considering the fact that I eat breakfast at 6:30 a.m. So when I want to eat, I want to eat. As many of my friends and family members know, I've been eating turkey sandwiches for lunch for the past 12 years or so and am officially tired of them now. (Gasp!) I recently discovered an old friend of mine:

The Snackster

The Snackster and I go way back to grade school. (Don't worry--this isn't the original Snackster. I've had to replace it since then.) I was home from school one day because I was sick and spent most of the day watching an informercial on The Snackmaster. My mom came home from work that evening and I told her all about this product and how you can make pancakes, egg McMuffins, mini-pizzas, and tuna pockets. Her response was, "But you don't even like egg McMuffins or tuna!" So obviously I didn't have her sold on the product at that point. Luckily for me, a generic version of the Snackmaster came out in the stores a few months later, and she let me buy it.

The Snackster even came with me to my college dorm room, where I made many mini-pizzas. In fact, when I came back during Christmas break for Rush (to join a sorority), the cafeterias were closed for a whole week. I remember taking orders from girls down the hall and making a bunch of pizzas so we didn't have to call a taxi and go out to eat.

So, I know I'm no Pioneer Woman, but I sure can cook up a mean mini-pizza!

Lunch is ready! (Eat your heart out, Pioneer Woman.)

Must-see TV

I'm in BIG trouble. The fall shows have started, and I am already behind! Although I won't complain that there ARE actually shows to be watched this season, I may have to edit my list of must-see TV. It was helpful this spring when I could go to the Y at night during one of the shows and workout, but since my back is (still!) hurting me the only thing I've been able to do is swim- not conducive for television viewing! SO, this list will probably be reviewed in a few weeks, once even more shows have started. For now here is what I'm watching:

-90210: I just had to watch it. I'm not sure if I'll keep watching it, but I saw the premiere.

- The Hills: Not really sure WHY I watch it, but I guess I'm just living the So Cal life vicariously through these girls.

- Exiled: No comment. :)

- Janice Dickinson's Modeling Agency: Again, no comment. Come on! Not ALL the good shows have started yet!

- America's Next Top Model: Gotta love the drama.*

Here is a list of shows that I can't wait to watch once they start in a few weeks:

- Dirty Sexy Money*

- Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island

- Real World

- The Office**

- Samantha Who?*

- Dr. 90210 (starts Monday!)

- The Biggest Loser*

And with that, I think I've listed them all. The last one sums up pretty much how I feel after listing all of these shows! You'd think that all I do all day is watch TV, but that is really not the case. In reality, I don't even catch all of these shows except for my favorites (denoted with *). I usually watch 20 minutes of a show during naptime and save the rest for the evening. I suppose that is why I stay up so late! Luckily I've read a lot this summer, so that counts for something, right? Bring on the mindless shows!!!!!

Any other good ones I'm missing?

Oh, and by the way- since I DVR all of my shows I do eliminate the commercials. Can you tell I'm trying to justify this to myself? :)

Ready or Not...

Here they come! Oh, yes- have you seen it? They're baaaaaaack.....

Rolled/pegged pants. Yep, the one thing that I thought for SURE would never come in style again. I was hoping, but I've seen pictures of more than just one celebrity braving these waters. This is one trend I won't be following! Is anyone else going to try it?

My Name is Zoom, and I Live on the Moon...

...and I came down to earth, just to sing you this tune!

When we were growing up, Kristy and I always loved to play together. We played house, QVC, church, school, Crackel Barrel, wrote songs (and performed them with our airdrums), we were TV anchors...let's just say our resumes were quite impressive by the age of 8. Our relationship changed as we approached High School and sisters were suddenly NOT cool. When I became an "only child" after she went to IU, I absolutely hated it. I actually missed her! That was when I realized what my mom had been telling me my WHOLE life was true: Friends might come and go, but your sisters will be your friends forever.

Kristy is an amazing, special, one of a kind person. She is the most compassionate person I know and truly doesn't have an evil bone in her body. Even if someone has mistreated her or disrespected her in some way, you can tell SHE almost feels guilty about it. I know...right??!!!

Kristy, thank you for being a shoulder to lean on (and cry on), my best friend, and someone who will always love me for who I am despite the mistakes I might make. (errr....the mistakes I HAVE made). You are one of the best people on this planet, and I know having you in my life has made me a better person.

We all love you so much. Happy Birthday, girl!

Love,
Holly

Yabba Dabba Don't?

I confess....I dressed up my niece and nephew in costume and took pictures of them. And it wasn't Halloween.

Let me 'splain.

Gracie's voice has ALWAYS reminded me of Pebbles Flintstone. And Ryan, being all boy and not a man of huge words, reminded me of Bam-Bam. The rest happened like this...

Aunt H: Okay, guys! It's time to play dress-up!

Grace: Oh, no! We've seen those pictures of Abby! (our childhood cat that we liked to put in dresses....sometimes)

Ryan: What?

Ryan: Why does Aunt Holly think it's funny to dress me up in a leopard diaper cover and give me a bat?

Grace: GaGa Goo (She really got into the role).

Ryan: I know....she wants us to play golf! I knew I could find a way to make this manly.

Ryan: Aunt H, whatever you do, DON'T show these pictures to anyone.

ESPECIALLY my dad.

Aunt H: Okay, Ryan.

Busted

Last night I had to go into school to work on my room. I meant to go in much earlier in the evening, but it was just a crazy night. We got home late from Kohl's (where we lost Ryan and had people searching for him--that's another story) and had to get the kids in bed. It was at least nine o'clock before I left. I had to stop at Target on the way to get snacks for a playdate, so by then I was really running late. (It was about 9:40 by this time.)

Anyway, I drove along 116th Street and heard Jessica Simpson's old song called "With You" on the radio. I stopped at the stoplight and was just out of it, wondering how awkward this song is now that she and Nick aren't together anymore since she wrote it about her relationship with him. After the light turned green, I started driving and then saw police lights behind me. Yep, I was being pulled over! I had no idea what I had even done--besides listening to that horrible Jessica Simpson song and overanalyzing its current significance. I guess I was speeding down that 1/2 mile stretch of the road. YIKES! I had NO CLUE!!! Of course TWO police cars had to stop, which was even more humiliating. I was just so upset with myself but held it together as I didn't want to cry and look like I was trying to get out of anything. I still do not believe this, but he gave me a written warning. I had kept myself composed until he said that, then I just got choked up and muttered a "Thank you, sir."



So, thank you, Mr. Kind Officer for not giving me a ticket. That would have put a damper on my upcoming vacation and birthday!

High Heels: Friend or Foe?

Ah, shoes. How I love thee. Those of you who know me well know that (cheap) shoes and purses are my weaknesses. I love purses more, but shoes are a close second. I am sure it is because no matter what, they both always fit.

When I was teaching, I never wore high heels much. I was on my feet too much to wear them everyday. Instead I would wear them to dinner, to church, to a movie. I have never been a big spender when it comes to shoes or purses, which is why I have a lot of both. I learned the hard way not to spend too much on something trendy, as it will probably be out of style by the next season. I usually stick to shoes and purses that are on sale from Target, Kohl's, and TJ Maxx. I also go through my shoes and purses several times a year and donate the ones I no longer use to Goodwill.

I actually have a notebook in my closet that says, "Some people live to work. Others work to live. I work to expand my shoe collection." 'Tis true. I clean my parents' house as well as their friends' house just to have some extra cash-ola for my shoe (and purse) collection!

Holly and I have often dreamed about buying a pair of Manolos and splitting the cost, as we wear the same size shoe. However, this is just a dream. Even if I won the lottery I don't know if I could spend that much on one pair of shoes, especially now that I am not teaching. After all, there is no way I would clean a house in Manolos! I did, however, buy a print of his designs off of Ebay. This is the closest I will come to ever owning Manolos:

Remember when Carrie registered for Manolos while her friends were registering for baby gifts? I kind of wish I could have registered for those as WELL as the stroller, crib, etc. EVERY new mama should be rewarded with nice shoes, don't you think?

Anyways, as you all know I hurt my back in May. The cause? High heels (so my chiropractor says). Yes, heels. I finally broke down and wore a pair of heels to a wedding on Saturday (for about 20 minutes) but only put them on once we got there and took them off immediately after the wedding. It was SO nice to finally wear them again. However, my days of wearing them for 10 hours straight are over, I'm afraid. I just can't risk getting hurt again- especially when it has taken nearly two months to get better. I will keep my heels but only pull them out when I know I won't have to wear them for a long period of time. Most of the time it will be flips and flats for me.

Purses, on the other hand, are still just fine. Yes, I will definitely stick to purses.

At least for now.


p.s. For those of you thrifty shoppers who still like to be trendy, my friend Jessica told me about a site called Sam Moon. They have cute purses, wallets, and jewelry and their prices are reasonable! Do you know of any other good, cheap sites?

If You Give Your Sisters Your Camera...**

...They're going to take some pictures.

And after they take some pictures...

...They're going to run out of ideas.
When they run out of ideas, they're going to pray.
And after they pray they're going to realize that their sister can easily upload their pictures to the internet,
...then they are going to wish their sister had never given them her camera.

Love you, girls! (You thought I'd forget, didn't you?) :)

**Adapted from "If You Give a Pig a Party."

We Love You, Jason-Davey!

Could it be true??!!

"Hello, Ty. My name is Holly and I'm going to be your new mommy. "

Three Things

Three Things......

THAT SCARE ME: heights, spiders, and flying

...I LOVE: God, my family, and my friends (Sorry, Kel, I stole your answer)

...I HATE: cold weather (really just in January and February), when the Colts lose a game, and olives

...I'M DOING RIGHT NOW: doing this meme, “working,” and sippin’ on my Polar Pop (with crushed ice)

...I CAN DO: memes. No really - I can bake (kind of), work 3 jobs, and I am very good at reading gossip magazines

....I CAN'T DO: sew, walk slowly (I obviously can, but it is hard for me), and cook things on the grill

...THAT ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS: cookie dough, ice cream, and chocolate. All 3 together are lovely.

....SHOWS I WATCHED WHEN I WAS A KID: Little House on the Prairie, Today’s Special, and Guiding Light

Whorrible

Oooops.....I meant horrible. Have you heard Heidi Montag's new track? Thanks to my stalking of People.com, I did. I really, really wish that I hadn't. I can't ever get those 2 minutes and 50 seconds of my life back. Trust me, I could have done a whole lot with that time. Seriously, I just don't think you've got it, Heidi. So sorry.

And yes. I am 32 years old and I watch The Hills. I read the following on Eonline:

In case you had forgotten why The Hills is routinely the highest rated show for the 18-34 female demographic, we can’t figure it out either. Is it the margarine-thick tension you could cut with a breeze? Is it the way that the cast tells you what emotions they are feeling, since you can’t deduce it from their creepy, expressionless faces? Or are young women just really into watching other young women move food around the inside of their mouths? Please explain yourselves.

So there ARE people in their 30s who watch The Hills. Whew! I'm safe...

What's Up With That?

A few nights ago I went to my friend Emily's house to watch The Bachelorette. After a not-so-dramatic rose ceremony (and lots of chatting in-between), I left and stopped at Wal-mart on the way home. When I walked in the door it was close to midnight. Here are some questions I asked myself, and the answers I thought of as well:


1) Why are there always 32 people in each line at Wal-mart, even at midnight?


Um, I don't know, but I should: I worked there for 3 summers during college.


2) Why do I always manage to find 17 things I don't need, but forget the one thing that I stopped there for?


I don't know, but I do it at every store. It's not just at Wal-mart.


3) Why is there a 3-year-old shopping with her mom at midnight on a Monday?

I really, really have no idea. I promise I wasn't dreaming!

4) Why is it that when I'm just going to run in "real quick" I don't come out for an hour?

See question 2.

5) Why is it that I talked to my sister yesterday and she said, "I went to Wal-mart to get 4 things today. When I was walking out I looked at my receipt. I bought 33 things".

See, it is NOT just me!

My Father, The Hero

For Father's Day, I attempted to find a nice poem that would sum up the appreciation I have for my dad. One of the Google searches resulted in this:

Father poems from daughter
father poems from daughter, dancing daughter father, daughter father mother relationship ... stories mom " special mom son time " father poems from daughter ...www.aproxis.com/ebuvideo=425 - Cached

Now, if I tell you not to go to this site, of course you'll want to. But seriously. It is no where near the sentimental father/daughter poem I wanted. Let's just say that. I shudder to think of the little girls who are frantically surfing the net for Father's Day, and happen to stumble upon what I did. In any event, I chose to scratch the quote search and decided to write my own little thing for him. (err...not so little. Sorry!)

So, I know I'm not the first daughter to call her dad the "best dad in the world," but mine REALLY is. He performs SO many acts of kindness, most of them at random. His joy comes from making others happy, especially those in need. Whenever I catch him doing something for someone, I always want to go out and tell everyone how wonderful my dad really is. He doesn't like it when I do that, I think because he is such a humble person and doesn't want to be put up on a pedestal. But I'm gonna anyway.

Aside from being a Stephen Minister, doing volunteer work, and picking up trash when he runs 5 days a week, he still donates so much of what he has to others. My sisters and I always joke about him spending our inheritance..."Dad, are you sure giving to those nuns in Central America is what you really want to do???" Of course we are kidding. We love nuns. And I hear Central America is quite nice, too. But he TRULY is an example of how all of us should be more giving, and not just with money.

It is funny to walk out of the RCA Dome with my dad after a Colts win. He's obviously overjoyed, but he always finds some way to console a fan of the other team in the crowd. Sometimes the people look at him as though my dad is mocking them (more along the lines of something his youngest daughter might do), but it's amazing to see the look in their eye when they figure out, "Wait...this guy is for real." Then I stick my tongue out at them.

What really amazes me is how accepting my dad is of others. Black, white, gay, straight, Jewish, Christian, Reds fans, even Cubbies fans.....he will truly accept anyone. I have made a few monumental mistakes in my day, and my dad will always just give me a hug and tell me, "It's okay." There's no lecturing (at least not at first), no shaking his finger....just, "It's okay." I think this is what children want the most from their fathers, just to know that they will always be loved and accepted no matter what. So, even if I were to do the unthinkable - convert to a Cubbies fan - my dad would still love me anyway.

God has blessed me with not only the best dad in the world, but the best man. And don't worry, dad. I would more likely convert to Hinduism than to a Cubbies fan.

Happy Father's Day, dad!

Walk Much?

I don't really consider myself a clumsy person. Sure, I've fallen once or twice- always at the wrong moments. Once, I tripped into an elevator while I was trying to impress some guys. At our wedding, I tripped over my dress while walking down the aisle. Luckily both times I didn't fall, but it was pretty obvious that I have trouble walking!

Sunday morning I woke up around 5 to take some medicine for my back. It was still dark outside, so I carefully walked to the bathroom. On the way back to bed, I must have gotten off-track and ended up tripping over the laundry basket and falling into our bed. Actually, not the bed- the wooden bed frame. My arm ended up between the mattress and the frame. Needless to say, it kinda hurt. Keith immediately jumped out of bed and asked if I was okay. I'm sure I scared the living daylights out of him with all of the racket I made! Anyways, I was fine but my arm felt pretty sore. Yesterday I woke up and saw that I had a slight bruise. I really thought it would be bigger, and secretly hoped that it was bigger than that to prove just how hard I had fallen!

Today I went to the chiropractor who had asked if I had done anything unusual the past couple of days. I had told him my back felt great Saturday night after my adjustment, but last night it was really tightening up. I told him that I couldn't think of anything different that I had done. Then he asked, "What happened to your arm?" I mentioned that I fell into the bed yesterday, and said maybe that was what was making my back sore. His response: "You think?" Haha! Okay, so maybe that was a dumb thing to say. On my way out the door, he told me to ice my back, do my stretches, and oh, yeah- don't fall or get hit by any cars. Check, check, and check!

Anywho, I decided to take a picture of the bruise just because it actually looks quite terrible today:

Here's to hoping I can stay on my two feet at least until my back is healed!

Belated Shout Out

Sorry this is a few days late, but I just wanted to thank everyone for a wonderful birthday! I loved all of my gifts, my singing phone messages, and most of all spending time with my f & f. And I ESPECIALLY loved having 3 cakes on my birthday - YUM. I still feel a little sick from eating so much. And last but not least, special shout out to my sistahs for braving it on a Wednesday night and coming out to celebrate! Love you guys!

The family at OG - why is Papa Stan all by himself?

What's up with the scary eyes, D? Special props to Darren for picking out a dress for me ALL on his own from my favorite store......what more could a girl ask for???!!!

Kelly decided to go all sassy on us.

The Bachelorette

I don't think it is a secret that my sisters and I (and our mom, too!) love watching The Bachelorette. It's funny how reality t.v. can get you all fired up! We enjoy discussing who will go home each week, or who we think would be a perfect match for DeAnna, this season's bachelorette.

Lately we have been hanging out with the WINOS to watch the show. It is fun to hear everyone's opinions on the guys and to predict who will be eliminated. I don't think we were shocked when we found out who was sent home during this week's episode. I can tell who a couple of her favorites are, so it will be interesting to see who ends up as the final two.

I've put a poll on the blog to see who everyone thinks DeAnna will pick at the end. Will it be the WINOS fave, Jason-Davey? Or perhaps the guy that she seems to have the biggest connection with- Jeremy? Perhaps it will just be fun-loving Jesse. Who knows? It WILL be interesting to see what everyone is thinking, though! Go ahead and vote for who you think will be the one to get the final rose at the MOST DRAMATIC ROSE CEREMONY EVER!

My Linda-ism

In our family, we have a saying for ditzy comments: Linda-isms. Here's mine for the week.

Two exectives, named Scott and Dixon, often call for my boss, Laura. They actually work for the company that owns Marsh, and they are based out of Florida. They are both like "Oz." Most of us haven't met them; we just know who they are. Anyway, Dixon called for my boss and needed her ASAP. I proceeded to go upstairs and found her talking to our CEO and CFO in the hallway. She can be a bit "Miranda Preistly" at times, so I interrupted them very nicely.

H: "Um, Laura? Scott Dixon is on the phone for you."

She looks at me as though I'm nuts.

L: "Who?" she asks.

H: "Scott DIXON." I pronunciate very clearly, like I do with the elderly who have bad hearing aids.

Our CEO laughs and pipes up, "You mean the Indy 500 winner?"

YEAH. Scott Dixon was the driver who won the race last weekend. Smartie here combined the two guys' names. If my boss had a better sense of humor, I would totally have put a "Helio Castroneves called while you were out" note on her desk.

Survey Answers--Kristy's Turn

Gosh, it's going to be tough to follow Holly's post, but I'll try...

Favorite childhood vacation: Our first trip to Florida was great, though getting pooped on by a seagull was not my most memorable time. I loved going to Disney, though, and trying to "surf" (boogie board) the waves.

Favorite childhood TV show: Little House on the Prairie. I think I've seen every episode and believe all children should have to watch it. I am not a crier but will will bawl like a baby during certain episodes.

Most memorable fight: Probably when my friend Natalie and I got into it at the bus stop and I kicked her in the shin with my Eastlands. I got in huge trouble for that!

Something that you thought in childhood you'd have as an adult, but you don't: A recording contract and a job as a leading lady on a daytime drama!! Seriously, I really thought I was destined to be a star. Then I realized you have to have a little thing called talent...or at least be an heiress like Paris Hilton.

Something you never thought you'd do, but now you have: Attend an NFL football game...and love it! I used to DESPISE football and never watched a game until college. Joel finally took me to a Colts game and explained every play to me. I seriously was always so annoyed in high school that someone would run with the ball and not get very far, then they'd take more time setting back up. Then it seemed like they would repeat this a million times during the possession. It seriously frustrated me to no end. Once Joel explained the first down, second down, etc., it all made so much sense! Now I would have to say that football is one of my favorite sports. Who knew?!?!

Something you were scared of in childhood, but now you aren't: I'm still scared of everything!! I was just telling my class the other day about my phobias. I guess the one I've outgrown the most is my fear of storms and bad weather. I used to fake being sick if the weather forecasters said we'd have severe thunderstorms with the threat of tornadoes.

Best childhood game: I'm with Holly on the tie between "Life" and "Mall Madness." We used to play each one for hours on end!

Best childhood toy: My Nintendo game system. We had so much fun staying up late playing Super Mario Brothers.

Best song from the 80's: Boy, there are tons that I could choose! My favorite ballads are "Africa" by Toto and "Lights" by Journey. My favorite songs that put me in a good mood are "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince and anything by Bon Jovi.

How many kids you wanted then? Now? I really thought I was going to have 12 and if not 12, at LEAST 6. Now I think we're done with 2. I'm so disappointed in myself.

Any scars? One by my eye. My friend's boyfriend was doing the drive and stop; drive and stop while I was running to catch up with the car. My friend reached back and flung the door open and when her boyfriend stopped the car, the door came back and hit me in the eye and knocked me out. Luckily I only needed the butterfly stitches.

Three words to describe Holly: Spontaneous, hilarious, and generous

Three words to describe Kelly: Compassionate, thoughtful, and intelligent

Best lie/prank you ever told/pulled: I can't really think of anything...isn't that sad? I'm not saying I never lied--just can't think of something.

What you love most about having a sister: I love having friends that I can call regardless of the time of day. I know they'll always be there for me and have to love me unconditionally, so I can really let my guard down around them. (Maybe sometimes too much!)

What you like about your personality, and what you'd change: I like that I'm approachable and people can open up to me. Sometimes I talk too much when I really should be listening.

One thing your sisters might not know about you: Mom and Dad told me I'm the favorite. Sorry, girls! (I'm totally kidding, by the way. Don't want to start any sibling rivalry.) Oh my...My life is an open book, so they have to know just about everything!!

Great survey, Holly! Did you make up these questions?

Sordid Survey. Just kidding. Kind of.

Okay....so, I know this is v. cheesy, but sometimes I love these cheesy things. (Plus I loved doing this while I was at work). You know how sometimes you get those e-mail surveys from someone you THINK you know well? Like...say...your father? And you find out something that completely shocks you? Like...say...he's not wearing any underwear? Yeah. Well, girls, I hope YOU are wearing your underwear. But there are a few things we might find out that we didn't know before. Feel free to add any extra questions of your own. But remember, this is a FAMILY friendly blog. And pleeeease do it so I have something to read at work. :-)

Favorite childhood vacation: Our first trip to Florida. I was in the 3rd grade, which at the time seemed so old to be seeing the ocean for the first time! I love that I can still remember the excitement of it all. I had no fears of the ocean at the time, and we boogie boarded our little hearts out. Plus, that was the time (I think) Kristy got pooped on by a bird at the beach.

Favorite childhood TV show: Little House on the Prairie. I blame my high sensitivity level on that show.

Most memorable fight: Definitely when Kristy called me out in the parking lot in High School. I LOVE retelling that story in person. Kristy loves it when I do that, too.

Something that you thought in childhood you'd have as an adult, but you don't: A job I love! Ha! That and a Mercedes or BMW. Remember "MASH" and "MATH"? I always had a "Ferrari" or "BMW" or something. I'm happy with my Honda, thank you very much.

Something you never thought you'd do, but now you have: Run a full marathon. I always thought those people were NUTS.

Something you were scared of in childhood, but now you aren't: Spending the night away from home. Seriously. I had SERIOUS homesickness issues! My kids will be spending the night at various relatives the week I'm home from the hospital.

Best childhood game: Tie between "Life" and "Mall Madness". I was always pissed if I didn't get at least 2 kids in "Life!" And I still want to open a store called "The Fashion Bou-tique."

Best childhood toy: All of my baby dolls. I seriously loved playing house until I was way old...like 5th grade or something! Weird, I know. Nowadays, kids that age don't just PLAY house, they....well, you know.

Best song from the 80's: This is obviously very hard, as there are MANY great songs from that lovely decade. I would have to say Belinda Carlisle, Tiffany and the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack bring back some great memories, but I will never forget dancing to "Ghost Buster" (we changed it to "Dust Buster") and "Michael Jackson" (Thriller) on our RECORD player.

How many kids you wanted then? Now? Um, 12-18. I had a friend who had 15 siblings, and it looked crazy/fun (not Crazy/Beautiful). Now, I probably could only afford one, but I'd love 3 or 4.

Any scars? It's kind of gone away, but I did have one on my forehead. My cousin was lifting a dumbbell (10-20 pounds?) and dropped it on my head when I was 4. I remember it hurting SO badly, but then my parents took me to Hardee's when I got out of the hospital and bought me a Pound Puppy. And all was right with the world again.

Three words to describe Kristy: Positive, selfless, and hilarious

Three words to describe Kelly: Bails me out. Ha! j/k (um...) No, seriously - Helpful, funny and talented

Best lie/prank you ever told/pulled: I REALLY wanted a baby sister. I made a new friend, Kristen, in 2nd grade, and told her that I had a baby sister, Amy. I kept this up for weeks, and even brought in a baby picture (of me) to show her "Amy." When Kristen came over for the first time, she wanted to meet Amy. Conveniently, she was sleeping all day and didn't make a peep. One day, Kristen even came over and asked my mom, "Where's Holly's sister?" and my mom said something like, "Oh, she's not here right now. She's at a friend's house." (Thinking Kristen meant Kelly or Kristy). I'd like to think I wasn't devious in nature...I just REALLY wanted a baby sister.

What you love most about having a sister: Built-in best friends! Like mom always told me (and sorry, mom, for rolling my eyes), friends will come and go, but family lasts forever. Plus, I love to borrow their shoes and clothes.

What you like about your personality, and what you'd change: I like that I love to laugh and love to make others laugh. If I could change something, though, I would want thicker skin.

One thing your sisters might not know about you: This is tough! I have a love child. Just kidding. I can think of a few (things you might not know....not love children), but none that are appropriate here. :-) I guess you know all the big stuff, so we'll go for something small that you might not know. I have a spreadsheet that lists all of the people I've been set up with or dated in the last few years. My friend, Molly, and I both did them at work. It's actually pretty funny. As you can imagine, I made some of the columns a bit....um.....unconventional.

What? She Cooks?

Since I have become a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) I have found this new desire to cook. Weird, I know. I have always enjoyed trying new recipes, but after coming home from a long day of teaching I just never felt like whipping something up. Now that I am home I feel more motivated to find new, healthy recipes for the family. Grace is a pretty decent eater and in order to encourage her to try new things and continue her healthy eating habits I enjoy introducing her to new foods. Here is one meal that I made last week and everyone loved (bonus: it is easy and fast!):

Moroccan Chicken

Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) tomato-lentil couscous, such as Near East
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach

1. Stir together the cumin, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle them over the chicken (I used less cumin and more cinnamon when I made this). Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium. Add the chicken and cook about 8 to 12 minutes or until done, turning once.

2. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to the directions on the package. I used plain couscous because I couldn't find the tomato-lentil couscous.

3. Transfer the chicken from the skillet to a serving platter. Then start cooking the baby spinach in the same skillet, stirring it often, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it begins to wilt. Blend in the cooked couscous. Serve the couscous and spinach as a side dish with the chicken.

Mmmmmm....this was tasty! I first had Moroccan food a few years ago when I was in Sacramento visiting family. I just love the flavor that the cinnamon gives to the food, so I usually add a little more. To make it more kid-friendly I don't add as much couscous. Oh, and another bonus? This meal is healthy! Per serving, it has 341 calories, 40g protein, 6g fat, 33g carb, 79mg calcium, and 3g fiber. Try it, and I think you'll agree that it is delish!

Name That Blog!

Kristy and I have recently been talking about how our little sister, Holly, should start a blog. She is witty, intelligent, and would make a good blogger. We finally decided that in order to help Holly get her feet wet in the "blogosphere" we would start a sisters blog. You never know what you will read about here!

Now, as for the name of our blog: When we were at the Indy 500 yesterday we were talking about Julianne Hough, the girl who sang the National Anthem. She is not only a singer but also a dancer and actress. A "triple threat." As luck would have it, Holly can sing, Kristy can act, and I can dance to Paula Abdul's workout video. Again, a triple threat- hence the name of the blog.

Check back often!