I am . . . Mandy

A fun tag...I think that I am going to take this one and run with it. The next few times I post, I'm going to fill this in for one member of our family. Just a fun spotlight kind of thing! Since I'm the voice of the blog, I shall start with ME!

I am . . . deeply blessed.

I think . . . everything to death!

I know . . . I have a purpose.

I want . . . my family to be happy.

I have . . . wonderful parents, fantastic siblings, a sweet and patient husband, beautiful and spirit-filled children, and a sort-of-nice cat.

I wish . . . I could be on top of everything all the time and doing all the things for my family I want to be doing NOW (instead of in five years when I will have more time for things like gardening, cooking from scratch, sewing, scrapbooking, etc.)

I hate . . . dishonesty.

I miss . . . being spontaneous.

I fear . . . not giving my children and husband what they need.

I feel . . . empowered by knowledge.

I love . . . when my husband makes me burst out laughing suddenly.

I hear . . . Vanilla Ice. I don't know how that happened . . .

I smell . . . an office-y smell. Pencils, tape, wood, leather...

I search . . . for the perfect red shoe.

I wonder . . . if my past trials were meant to prepare me for something yet to come or if they stand alone as their own learning experiences.

I regret . . . hurting others.

I care . . . about taking care of what Heavenly Father has given us.

I always . . . laugh when I see pictures of deer jumping.

I am not . . . perfect.

I believe . . . truth is simple.

I dance . . . and feel like time and all my worries and stressors stand still.

I sing . . . along with the 'Wicked' soundtrack when I'm alone in my car (rare) and usually get choked up and dream of the day when local theater takes it on and I can be Elphaba. (hoping they wait until my kids are older so JC will not...hate me...)

I don't always . . . know the right answers. But I do know how to find them.

I write . . . and feel like the truest form of myself.

I win . . . whenever I play a new game. Beginner's luck runs through me!

I lose . . . and I'm secretly happy. I don't like the attention that comes from winning a game. In fact, I usually avoid games in general for fear of said attention plus fear of competitive people.

I never . . . allow anyone to treat me as an inferior.

I listen . . . to my kids laugh so hard they can hardly breathe and it makes me so very very happy.

I can usually be found . . . with at least one little one on my hip, in my arms, hanging on my leg, climbing up my back, tugging on my hand, stepping on my feet and/or giving me kisses and hugs.

I read . . . a lot more board books than anyone I know.

I am happy about . . . the life that stretches before us. Even on the days when I feel like all I can do is work, work, work, keep my head down, grit my teeth and hope I don't mess anyone up in the meantime, I still get butterflies in my stomach thinking about our future. So much good is yet to come! And so much good happens every day now that I'm trying not to miss. With a love like ours and three amazing and wonderful children who have the brightest futures to look to, I have SO MUCH to be SO HAPPY about.

I tag . . . everyone that reads this and thinks it would be fun to do. It is!