More About Me

Some things you may not know. Some things you should know. Some things you already know. Some things I don't like. Some things I do like. All in all, More About Me! I may be sharing too much information for some of you, so read at your own risk.

I love ice cream, favorite flavors vary by the day. Often times, I would rather be taken out for ice cream than out for dinner.

I love salads. Potato salad, spinach & strawberry salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad, garden salad with ranch dressing, Jell-O salad. You get the idea. My favorite part of going to a pot luck dinner, is the variety of salads I usually find there.

I usually use disposable disinfectant wipes when I clean the bathroom, because I am usually just too grossed out at the thought of rinsing out a rag and using it again. The same thing goes with baby wipes and dirty diapers. What did mothers do before baby wipes?

I hate to listen to other people eat. It doesn't bother me as much if I am eating at the same time. On the same note, I don't like people to have to hear me eat either. It definitely helps to have some music in the background, or a movie, or just anything else to break the silence besides the sounds of chewing. It drives me crazy when I can hear the doctors eating as they are dictating a note for me to transcribe.

I have to wear socks at night or my feet get cold.

I hate to cry in public. My face gets all red and blotchy and I just look awful. I don't want anyone to see me when I look like that.

I get some kind of major social phobia when it comes time for Relief Society enrichment night. I don't know how to explain that really, other than maybe being worried that I won't have a friend to sit next to. It's really kind of silly, since I know most of the ladies in our ward and would consider most of them friends.

I hate my handwriting. I try to type notes as often as possible, to keep them looking neat. I will even take the time to create a "template" in Word so I can type and print on an invitation or thank-you card.

I Hate fundraisers, especially all the ones at the elementary school. I will usually only let the kids participate in one fundraiser a year, as to hopefully not annoy the neighbors. I just hate it when the kids come home all excited about the current fundraiser, telling me about all the prizes they could win for being top sellers. I know the schools need money, but there are very few fundraisers that seem non-intrusive enough that I will allow the kids to participate.

I am not much of a fan of baby showers or bridal showers. I guess it's mostly the silly games that I don't really like. I don't mind going to an "open house" type of shower, where we just bring gifts, visit and eat yummy snacks or a light luncheon.

I love the mountains in the summertime. I wish we could spend more time there.

I love to drive. And, if I might add, I have a very good sense of direction and a very good memory for going places. It is only a very rare occasion that Ryan will drive, if I am too tired or not feeling well. He doesn't mind though. He usually just sleeps on the way to wherever we are going. I have loved driving ever since I got my license. I was quite depressed when I was not allowed to drive for a MONTH after I got my first ticket.

I have never been in a serious car accident, thank goodness, though that was one of my biggest fears growing up. In high school my dream car was a Volvo, because it had such high safety ratings.

I don't like massages. In general, I don't like anyone touching me very much. I usually don't let the kids lean on me in church for any significant period of time. I don't like being poked or tapped multiple times to get my attention.

I don't like sad movies. Even if it has a happy ending, if there is too much drama throughout the movie I don't want to watch it. Example: Pursuit of Happyness - way too much drama for me. However, it did make me realize how lucky I am that I have so many close friends and family members that I would never end up in that situation.

I love to laugh. However, I HATE to be tickled. I love to laugh at the funny things my kids do and say. I love to watch funny movies. I like to make other people laugh as well, or at least smile. I hate to bring people down, so I try to be positive or funny, even if I am not really feeling that way.

I love it when someone else makes me dinner, though it's not as fun to go to a Relief Society dinner when I have to make dinner for my own family before I go.

I love to do crafty stuff, but I usually don't have time to do it. I don't scrapbook. My goal is just to get pictures in an album, in a somewhat chronological order, with hopefully some sort of description on or near those pictures.

I am not a decorator. I am happy with just plain white walls, though I enjoy seeing the creativity in the homes of others.

I am not a beach person, or much of a water person at all. I have been sunburned too many times and even a little burn will have me itching for days. I do enjoy watching the kids play at the beach, but I hate cleaning up all the sand afterwards.

I have become a bit of a germ freak, especially when my kids are sick, mostly because I do not want to catch whatever they've got. I wash my hands frequently or use hand sanitizer, which is in most rooms of the house. I also have to have hand sanitizer in both vehicles.

I don't really like shopping. I go to get what we need, but I don't go for fun.

I would much rather stay home and watch a movie, than go to the theater. I like to be in my comfy clothes or PJ's. I like to have the option of pausing the movie for breaks and I like to eat ice cream while I watch.

My favorite candy bars are Peanut Butter Twix and Symphony. I also really like Junior Mints, Reeses Miniatures and Red Vines.

I would rather go out to dinner than receive flowers, on any special occasion.

I like to play games with friends mostly to be able to visit with friends. I really don't care if I win or lose.

I know how to jump start a vehicle. I know how to change my oil and my fuses.

I like to read, but rarely have time to read more than the newspaper or the Ensign. When I was unable to work for a couple of months during my last pregnancy, I read the first six Harry Potter books. Thus, I had to read the seventh one when it came out last summer.

Another thing, when I am reading books, I usually can't read straight through without skipping to the end to see the final outcome. I don't like the suspense or drama in a story, unless I know there is a happy-enough outcome.

I usually cut my own hair. That way, when I decide I want a haircut I can get it right away and I don't have to wait until I have a babysitter.

I hate it when a hairbrush is full of old hair. I just have to clean it out immediately, even if it isn't my brush. I also throw all the old hair in the toilet, as it will usually just "float" out of the trash can if you aren't careful.

I like my clean laundry to smell clean and I will often go through the laundry detergent aisle and smell all the detergents and fabric softeners to find the smell I like best. My favorite detergent was Arm and Hammer - Clean Burst Scent. Unfortunately, they changed the "Clean Burst" scent a couple years ago and I don't like it as much. It's still okay, though, so that is usually what I get.

Last for now, I love music. I really like a variety of music, old and new, fast and slow, from country to rock. I have several compilation CD's that I have created, so I can listen to different music, depending on my mood and my company. When the kids are around I play "Ashley's Favorites," which consists of Hannah Montana, soundtracks from High School Musical 1 and 2 and the soundtrack from Aquamarine. My "Energy Mix" is what I put on when I am cleaning, or walking on the treadmill, and I need the upbeat music to keep me going. If the kids are getting to crazy in the car, I put on the Classical music station, which usually helps to calm the excitement a little. On Sunday we like to listen to "Soft Sunday Sounds" on the radio, which plays a lot of uplifting music appropriate for our Sabbath day.