Then and now

 I posted this quiz/survey thingy on my facebook January 15 of 2009. I thought it would be neat to re-post it, and to put my current answers in italics beside the old ones. A few years can change a lot!

Then

Now

ONE - Spell your name without vowels: Sd   Still Sd

TWO - Are you single? Yes  I am not! I have been very happily married for 7 months now.

THREE - Whats your favorite number? 2, 8, 15   2, 8, 15, 9, and 12.

FOUR - What color do you wear most? Pink  I think probably black, or green.

FIVE - Least favorite color? Black   I still don't really like black.

SIX - What are you listening to? My oldies playlist, right now it's playing "September" by Earth Wind & Fire
I'm listening to my iTunes. It's playing "Love You out Loud" by Rascal Flatts

SEVEN - What do you smoke? Nothing   I still don't smoke. Though I think it would be awesome to learn how to smoke fish. I had an amazing smoked salmon wrap at a restaurant once and I would love to make one.

EIGHT - Are you happy with your life right now? Yes!   Yes!!

NINE - Anyone ever said you resemble a celebrity? Yeah, I really don't know who though.   Yes I have. I think my brother said I look a bit like Natalie Portman. I don't think I do.

TEN - What is your favorite class in school? I'm not in school right now :D  I'm not in school.

ELEVEN - Do you shop at hollister/abercrombie/American Eagle? Nope. No I don't. I'm too much of a cheapskate :)

TWELVE - How do you make money? Babysitting, I occasionaly sell a painting.  I haven't made money in a while! Last time I did was from baking a cake.

FOURTEEN - Where did you go to school? Home-schooled  I was home-schooled.

FIFTEEN - Are you outgoing? It depends on whether I'm online or in person. I am online, and in person it depends on if I have had sleep or not.  I'm still not very outgoing, but I am a lot more than I used to be.

SIXTEEN - One word to describe you? Complicated  Right now? I think "hopeful"

SEVENTEEN - Favorite pair of shoes? flip flops  My high heeled black boots.

EIGHTEEN - Do you own big sunglasses? Nope  I don't! I don't think they look very attractive, especially on me!

NINETEEN - Where do you wish you were right now? I'm actually happy where I am...honestly... it would be cool to have some friends join me though    I am so happy where I am right now. Although, it is getting late, perhaps I should move to bed?

TWENTY - What should you be doing right now? Nothing else. I already finished my chores :D  Sleeping, hehe.

TWENTY ONE - Do you have a crush on anyone right now? Eh, nope  A huge crush!!!


LOVE SECTION:
Q: How many times have you had your heart broken?
A: None really  I have only felt heartbroken for other people, and that has happened a lot...but I'm pretty sure that's not what this question was trying to ask.

Q: Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd die for them?
A: I think so. I would rather be dead than try to live without the people I love.  Indeed, I can honestly say that I would be quite willing to die for my husband. And for my God, if it ever came to that.

Q: Has anyone besides your friends and family ever said 'I love you' to you?
A: Umm, not that I can think of.  Who would say it besides friends and family? I think that it is still a no.

Q: Does the person you like know you like him?
A: Ha, my friends? I wouldn't be their friends if I didn't like them. I should hope so! I love telling him just how much I love him. I'm pretty sure everyone else knows it too.


LOOK AT ME:
What is your current hair color? Dark blonde, it'll get lighter come summer.  My hair is still dark blonde. The other day I matched it to a box of hair dye that was called "Latte".
Current piercings? One in each ear  Still only one in each ear.
Have any tattoos? Nope  No tattoos
Straight hair or curly? Straight   My hair is very straight. Apparently, I'm not much into changing my natural looks.


HAVE YOU EVER:
Hugged someone? Absolutely  Often! I love hugs :D
Been on the phone until the sun came up? Nope  Hmm, I still have not. I have however, spent 6 and a half hours on the phone with one person.
Laughed so hard you peed in your pants? Nope  Thankfully, still a no.
Laughed so hard you cried? Once, I think  A few times!
Got in a fight with someone? Yeah  I have. I didn't admit last time that I have been in physical fights with my brother. I haven't been in a fight for quite some time though.

THE LAST:
Person you talked to in person? Heidi  Alex
Person you talked to online? Elisabeth maybe, it might have been Tanner... That would be Heidi :)

THE DOS:
Do you know how to swim? Not very well.  Nope, not any better than I used to.
Do you like roller coasters? love them!   I very much enjoy roller coasters!! I haven't been on one in ages!
Do you own a bike? nope  No
Do you think you could handle the stuff they eat on those reality shows? *shrugs* I'm not sure. I've eaten some pretty weird things just so I could say I have.

THE HAVES:
Have you ever been on a plane? Yes  Quite a few times, actually.
Have you ever been asked out by someone? Nope  I have! Can you guess what my answer was?
Have you ever been to the Ocean? I might have when I lived in VA, I don't remember that far back.  Once that I can remember. It wasn't that great of a trip. I hope Alex and I can go sometime so I can have happy memories of the ocean.

THE HOWS:
How many of your facebook friends have you met in person? Ummm...*counts* 89 of 101  *Goes to do a re-count* 193 of 214

How tall are you? 5' 2.5"   Last I was at the doctor I measured 5 feet and 2 and a quarter inches.
How long have you liked your someone? I don't think I have a someone  Romantically? Since about the beginning of November2009.

THE WHATS:
What are you listening to? It's now playing "The Wanderer" by Dion  "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw
What is the weather outside? *sings* "sunny with a high of 75" Actually, I have no idea.  Probably a bit chilly since it's nighttime.
What radio station do you listen to? 102.7 or 88.7   It changes often. Every time commercials start I change the station.

Yesterday...

 Monday night I tried out a new recipe. It was for a peach cobbler coffee cake. Sounds amazing, right? It is yummy, but very time consuming, and when it was done I realized that Alex and I would never eat the whole thing by ourselves! Having just made a blogpost and mentioning that I should make more of an effort to see how elderly neighbor is doing, I got up yesterday morning and put some of the cake in a container. I took a deep breath and walked across the patch of grass in between apartment buildings, and I rang the doorbell. No one answered so I walked down to grandma's and gave her the container. I stayed and chatted with her for a few minutes. Later Mom and I went shopping and I decided I wanted to get my hair cut. Since I love having hair almost down to my waist, it wasn't an easy decision. But at the same time, the ends looked terrible, and I have been wanting to make sure I don't ever get stuck in a rut being content to just stay the same forever. So, I got almost 6 inches cut off from what is now the longest part of my hair, and about 12 inches cut off from what is now the shortest. I got side bangs and short layers around my face. I'm still getting used to not being able to just tie my hair in a knot to keep it off of my neck. Where did I store all those hair ties?

 As Mom and I got home I saw that my neighbor was just arriving home too. So, after visiting a bit more with Mom and Grandma, I went home and made up another dish of the peach dessert. I walked across the yard again and tried again ringing the doorbell. I ended up being invited inside and chatting for almost 20 minutes. For those of you that know me, you may realize what a huge thing this is for me! I pretty much never talk to strangers, I am terrible at small talk, and I am super shy. I think that this lady gets lonely though, and she was very sweet. On top of all that I was even able to mention to her that Alex and I are Christians and that we believe that the Bible is the absolute truth.

So, yesterday was an adventurous day. I'm thrilled that Alex likes my new hair (he didn't know I would be getting it cut, he was at school all day) and I'm happy that I made the decision to go visiting.

It makes me smile.

Sometimes I have the tendency to dwell on the bad things I am dealing with and I've noticed that it affects my attitude in a negative way: I start getting grumpy and depressed, I lack motivation, I lack energy, I start getting annoyed at small things, I get frustrated and cry a lot...and so on. I don't want to be like that, so I have been trying to pay more attention to what I do, say, and think -and how it affects my attitude. Anyway, when I really take the time to stop and think about it, it becomes more than clear to me that I have no room to be ungrateful, no room to complain, and lots of room to improve my attitude and how I deal with things.  Here are a few things that have made me very happy lately :)

* My husband. Maybe you get tired of hearing it, but I haven't gotten tired of saying it! I have been so blessed by the man I married. He's a Christian man who is strong in his faith, he teaches me things I had never considered or even really thought about before. He's kind and considerate and sweet. He's super smart. And he's really handsome. I'm still amazed that I get to spend the rest of my life with him.

* Our home. It's cozy, and warm, and yes -maybe the door has gaps at the bottom that let in cold air, but I'm very grateful that Alex and I have this wonderful place to live.

* Good news! Our elderly neighbor right across the yard was very excited to tell Alex and I that she is now cancer free! She mentioned that it has all been God's working. Now I feel a bit ashamed that I am such a homebody and never really introduced myself to her, or knocked on her door just to say hi or anything. Perhaps it's something else I can do in my spare time?

* KitKat. Really, he makes me smile often.

*I started sketching again. Just for fun I designed a few dresses for a dear friend.

Copyrighted. Please do not use without permission.

What about you: What makes you smile? What are you grateful for lately?

Bad kitty!

The past week or so I have been getting woken up by the sound of KitKat chewing on something. I open my eyes and he's right by my bed standing with his back legs on the end table stretching his front legs and head up to my dresser, and he's chewing on something! Usually I smack him a little and he gets down, but I hadn't been able to figure out what he would want to chew on. Today I caught him again, and he was definitely eating something, so I immediately got up and looked and found out that he had been eating the fake ivy off of the candle I carried for my older sister's wedding..he has now eaten enough of the leaves that there is a small bare path on a branch. Really? Why would he want to eat fake leaves?? I have a crazy cat.

"No need to let me know.."

 I had to laugh today. Alex and I went to visit our landlord and get the lease changed, and he is a very talkative older man with a great sense of humor. We got everything taken care of in a few minutes but stood on his porch talking for another five minutes or more about the weather, our neighbors, neighborhood robbers who had just been arrested, then Alex and I got in the car to leave. As Alex was backing up to pull out the landlord stopped him and had him roll his window down. He leaned down so he could see both of us and said (with his thick accent) "I know that the lease says you can have two people living in your apartment, but if you plan to have a third join you, that's fine...if you know what I mean. No need to let me know if that happens."
I think it was sweet of him to make sure he let us know it wouldn't be a problem, hehe.

Dear Sadie

 I know it's a little bit cliche, but have you ever thought about what you wish someone would have told you (or that you wish you had listened to) when you were younger? Do you ever think about the mistakes you made? the small or unimportant things you obsessed over or worried about?  Now, don't get me wrong! Even given the chance to erase the pain and struggles, to skip the hurt, to change the past; I wouldn't. The risk of not having learned those lessons, and not ending up where I am now is too great. However, I think I'll share some of what I have been thinking about, perhaps it will help someone else out there who happens to stumble across my blog.

Dear younger Sadie,
 * Don't rush. You will grow up in normal time, you will learn, and have responsibilities...and if you hurry through it, you'll wonder why you didn't stop and take the time to enjoy life without all that stress. Maybe you were made to grow up too soon, but you can still take opportunities to be carefree. Take a walk in the sunshine...a slow walk with no destination in mind. Stop and watch the bee that's crawling around on that bright yellow dandelion. Get dressed up for no reason. Find your favorite song on the radio and sing along without caring what you sound like, just have fun with it. While it is mostly a learning and growing process, childhood is meant to be enjoyed!


* You know those other kids in school/ youth group/ Sunday school? The ones who everyone seems to like, or that everyone wants to be? They most likely have times when they think you have it better, and wish they could be more like you. And you know what? If the reason they don't talk to you or invite you as part of their group is because you dress a little different, or are a little bit overweight, or maybe have drastically different interests than them? They're really not the people who would be good friends to you anyway.


* It's really not true that everyone is always just waiting for you to slip up. It's okay to try new things and mess up, to say something that everyone doesn't agree with. It's okay to just be you, it's a fact that not everyone will like you, but there's no need to hide or try to change who you are. 

* You know how badly you think you want a boyfriend even though you're only 15 or 16? Well, it'll be a few more years. Don't waste your time obsessing over it, and the guy with the cute smile? Stop wondering if he's "the one" because if you aren't careful you'll suddenly realize that you wasted a year or more worrying about it, and that he's not even the kind of person you thought he was. Besides, being married now and knowing that your husband is the only man you ever truly loved this way, the only one you ever dated, the only one you ever said "I love you" to, the only one you ever kissed or held hands with: it's one of the most amazing feelings you'll ever experience. Yes, crushes are normal, interest in the opposite sex is normal -but enjoy the time you have a single person. Use it as a learning time, and spend it becoming the best person you can be on your own. 


 * You're watching the siblings again today, that doesn't really make you their mother. Just this once maybe you should stop nagging about the chores. Take a break from "mini-mother" mode and be their sister. Believe me, you have a lot of fun when you all just relax, you'll laugh more than you have in months. And don't forget to tell them how much you love them, how special and wonderful each of them is in their own way. It'll only be a short time before you move across the country and you'll miss them so much it hurts sometimes.


* As much as you are going through right now, as hurtful as things seem sometimes, as bad as you think you have it: it'll be alright. Later on you'll have such a heart for wanting to help others who are hurting, and you know what? It'll seem like every time someone talks to you when they're struggling you'll honestly be able to tell them "I know what you mean.", "I've been through that.", or "I know how that feels" and be able to give them even a small piece of advice, or just the comfort of knowing they are talking to someone who has been through it.


* Never forget: even when you feel alone just turn to the One who created you, He knows what you're going through, He also is right there with you, ready to help you and guide you as you lean on Him. He has an amazing plan for you! You'll see what I mean...

Scattered thoughts

 I haven't really written much lately, maybe because I don't really feel like I have much worthwhile to say right now. I have been really happy that the weather has been starting to feel like spring, and yet unhappy at the same time. Spring is my favorite season! I love the warmth, the new growth, the flowers, baby birds, seeing more people out walking and enjoying the sun, the occasional thunderstorms and how it smells afterward. So I know what you're probably thinking "So why is it making you unhappy too?" Well, the fact that it is April and I still haven't gotten my driver's license makes me feel like I have been quite lazy. I'm a procrastinator, and I do not like driving. However, I need to get an I.D. with my married name on it, and I know that it would be a good thing to be legally allowed to drive myself should the need arise. Also, I put on weight over the past year...enough weight that none of my summer clothes fit anymore. Yes, I have been trying to lose weight, but as slow as it's going I feel like I'm going to spend this coming summer reverted back to how I was when I was in my early teens. Hiding in long pants and skirts and t-shirts all summer because of how I feel about my body. Not a happy way to spend those warm sunny days. But..enough rambling on that subject.

It's getting rather late and I should be headed to bed. This college term Alex has classes a few hours earlier than last term, so we aren't able to sleep in as long...which means we shouldn't stay up as late. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a better idea of how to put things I have been thinking about into words.