99 Things About Me

Reagan's list on her blog inspired me and made me wonder if I could name 99 things about myself. Of course, some are more interesting than others, but here goes...

1. The Dr. told my Mom I was a boy (due to my heart rate). I was supposed to be “Jason James Chesser.” Aka “JJ”
2. My Dad chose my name, because he liked it and “Lisa” wasn’t very common…..HA!
3. I look a lot like my Mom and my brother, Jerry.
4. Jerry is an amazing person and I really wish my boys could grow up knowing him.
5. Noah is Jerry’s mini-me. He has the exact same personality and tastes and it makes me smile every day to know I have a part of my brother living in my home.
6. When I was little, I wanted blonde hair and blue eyes, and my name to be Cindy….as in Cindy Brady.
7. Now, you couldn’t pay me enough money to change my hair color.
8. I love the smell of Lilacs, Crayons, and Play-Doh, they remind me of my childhood.
9. I’d rather eat my Mom’s cooking than eat out.
10. I knew from the age of 4 that I wanted to do something in medicine when I grew up.
11. I was the 6th grade spelling bee champion.
12. My biggest fear as a child was my parents dying.
13. It’s still one of my biggest fears, because I know they love me unconditionally like nobody else does.
14. My favorite drink is Cran-Grape juice. Jordan Valley Hospital got me addicted to it after I had Noah.
15. I can only focus out of one eye at a time, and do not have 3-D vision.
16. One of my biggest dreams is to be in an F18 during a carrier landing. Yes, I know it will never happen, but I can dream!
17. Every night I lay in bed and think of all the ways I should have been a better mom that day.
18. I have never watched “Mary Poppins.”
19. I know my parent’s aren’t perfect, but I truly believe God blessed me with the best.
20. I hate ketchup, mayonaise & mustard.
21. I have a hard time relaxing.
22. Joel has taught me that there is an alternate solution to every problem.
23. Noah teaches me humility.
24. Eli teaches me to give of myself.
25. Jack teaches me humor.
26. Logan teaches me unconditional love.
27. I sucked my thumb (only while I slept) until I was a teenager.
28. Every 2nd child on my Dad’s side of the family is left handed, I’m my Dad’s 2nd child.
29. My feet are so big I usually have to buy men’s tennis shoes.
30. I want to go deep sea fishing.
31. My favorite food is bread.
32. My favorite dessert is regular ol’ birthday cake with buttercream frosting, the more frosting the better.
33. Since giving birth to Logan, I am suddenly allergic to bananas.
34. I learned to water ski at age 9, behind a john boat, in the Des Moines river.
35. My favorite place to be is my parent’s house on the Lake.
36. I gave up the flute because my band instructor made inappropriate comments to me. I wish I would have reported him, and kept playing.
37. I was an Iowa Math and Science Scholar and had my first two years of college paid for.
38. I hated History classes in High School and College.
39. Now I find history fascinating and wish I would have paid more attention.
40. I believe what matters most in this world is how you treat other people.
41. Relationships are extremely important to me.
42. I am completely comfortable if I have “average” kids.
43. What I want most is for them to be happy.
44. I wish I was better organized.
45. I danced ballet, tap, jazz and pointe for 15 years. (That was many, MANY pounds ago!)
46. My mom claims I was the only child she knew that never wanted band-aids for an “owie” or medicine when I was sick.
47. My Sr. prom date is now gay.
48. My husband makes me laugh a lot.
49. My weekend curfew in high school was 1:30 am. Are those some trusting parents or what?
50. After several months, I realized my parents never remembered me waking them up to tell them I was home at 1:30 am, so I started coming home whenever I wanted.
51. My brother used to pay me $5 to flush the toilet so my parents wouldn’t hear him sneak out the back door late at night.
52. Clowns creep me out.
53. I average 4 ½ hours of sleep a night.
54. I miss Iowa thunder storms.
55. I really don’t have any childhood scars.
56. “To Kill A Mockingbird” is my all time favorite book.
57. Joel used to write me hilarious love poems in college, I still have them.
58. The smell of ketchup gags me, I can smell it from the other end of the house.
59. However, I love barbecue sauce!
60. I remember Jacque and I greasing ourselves down with CRISCO to layout and sunbathe.
61. Jacque is by far the strongest person I know. If it’s true that God only gives you what you can handle, it speaks volumes for her. I adore, respect, and miss her.
62. I worry that my kids drive other people crazy.
63. I have some OCD tendencies.
64. I miss my friendship with Julie B and think about her often.
65. Joey and I could do a weekend in Chicago for $60 + gas when we were in college.
66. Chicago is my favorite big city.
67. I love my job and never dread going to it.
68. I’ve always thought it would be fun to work in a flower shop.
69. Growing up, we would take out of town visitors to Nauvoo, do the tour, the whole nine yards, but I was clueless about the Mormon Church. Ironic that I later joined it.
70. Once I saved a baby that was choking on an ice cube in Liberty Park on Pioneer Day.
71. I still love hugs from my Dad, and pep talks from my Mom.
72. I have a fear of prisons, yet I am not breaking the law.
73. Growing up, my mom always told me my mouth would get me in trouble.
74. I was once punched in the face by Jacque’s ex-boyfriend and knocked out. (Please refer to #73)
75. I spent half my weekends at my Aunt Bev’s house. She let me make mud pies, paint things, and go through her jewelry box.
76. I hope I can be as good and fun of an Aunt to my nieces and nephews as Aunt Bev was to me.
77. Some nights, Joey and I lay in bed talking and laughing hysterically into the early morning hours. We’ve even been known to wake up the kids from laughing so loud.
78. I could easily go without a TV.
79. When I was 8 months pregnant with Noah, I put new brakes on my Honda by myself.
80. I love a good challenge.
81. Although sometimes I feel like God takes that previous statement WAY too serious.
82. I know the Gospel is perfect, and people in it are not.
83. When it comes to the Gospel, I believe that often times people get too caught up in the letter of the law and miss the entire spirit of the law.
84. Every year on Noah’s birthday, I cry.
85. Every day I laugh a lot.
86. When it comes to cleaning products and toiletries, I will only buy certain brands.
87. If time, money, and child care were no object, I would go to culinary school.
88. I was accepted to PA school in Washington, then found out I was pregnant with Noah a week later and gave up my spot.
89. The six months after Logan’s birth was the darkest and hardest time of my life.
90. The feelings from that time still haunt me.
91. It’s difficult for me to ask for help of any kind.
92. I stink at being the tooth fairy, I have forgotten FOUR times!
93. My Grandma Chesser visited me the day after she passed away. Then again about seven months later. She was young looking, beautiful and had perfect skin. This was not a dream.
94. I can juggle.
95. I often times have great ideas and poor follow through.
96. When there are no other adults in the car, I sing along with the radio REALLY loud.
97. There are many skills I still want to learn: gardening, photography, baking, upholstery, sewing and foreign languages to name a few.
98. I always cheer for the underdog.
99. When I was four, all but a corner of my bottom lip had to be sewn back on.
100. I felt a great need to name 100 things instead of 99 (Please see # 63)