A few weeks ago I asked Jeremy to write a list of things about me that other people might not know after seeing it on the From Mrs. to Mama linkup. I thought it was a fun idea, but had to wait on the man to finish comps and finals before saying, "Oh, hey write a blog post." I peeked at this list while he was working on it and it was all so serious, I had to get him to lighten it up.
So, without me rambling further, here is a little list of things about me from Jeremy's perspective. (everything in bold is Jeremy's doing...you've been warned)
1. Only white girl in history to have the nickname “Tyrone”.This is true. My Dad called me Tyrone growing up, come to think of it he still doesn’t call me Emily. I’ve been Emma the majority of my life. I can honestly tell you I’ve never heard my sister or Dad call me Emily. Until I moved away for college I was Emma, funny enough it is weird to be called Emily. Since most family and close friends call me Em or Emma it is hard to think that someone really knows me when they still say Emily.
2. She cooks. I would say she cooks great---but after that “prison slop” incident with the cauliflower, she has sometrust to regain. Hey now, I won many a 4-H cooking competition in my day…and not long ago my little cousin won a big competition with a recipe we came up with together. Yes, the healthy stuff isn’t as good, but one has to choose between fried and healthy. That prison slop was a cauliflower “baked potato” soup recipe from Iowa Girl East that I thought was really good and he just couldn’t get past the fact that I was trying to tell him it was a wanna-be potato soup.
3. Super talented. She created this blog and booked one of the nation’s leading writers to make a top ten list about her.This is exactly why his mother always says he doesn’t lack in ego. He has done very well in graduate school…but he is no Stephen King.
4. A great encourager. I fail miserably in this category, but she picks up the slack. He is just quiet, the man just doesn’t say much and it took some getting used to considering just how much I talk. I don’t view myself as an encourager, but with the stress he is under (and mostly done with) during graduate school, and knowing that he has to keep a certain grade to stay in really made me focus on keeping his spirits up. You can only be so confident for so long, everything wares on you eventually, so if I don’t try to build him up no one will.
5. Fun on dates… at least at the end of the date!
I refuse to acknowledge this. I told him he could be funny, not raunchy.
6. Works well with others. If I don’t feel like talking with other people, she is right there to fill that void. It is simply because I don’t like weird silence. I’ll definitely talk if no one wants to get a conversation going…and it might not always be something you want to talk about. I will pull random junk out of the clouds to keep from awkward silence. No lie, moving here was hard simply because awkward silence seems to be the community M.O. No offense, but standing face to face with someone saying nothing and seeing no way to potentially leave the conversation is so uncomfortable! I could talk to a wall though, which is probably why I like teaching…40 or so little people are forced to talk to me and listen to me every day, conversation heaven (most of the time).
7. Great provider for our family. Works hard every day and brings home the bacon. Thanks dear, I often joke that he married me because he was looking for a sugar mamma to support him during graduate school. We have taken turns with money making over the years, when we were first married he made more, then we were basically equal, after that was graduate school where I am the only one working (for an income), and next year it will be an even playing field for the rest of our lives. While he hasn’t brought home “bacon” in the past two years he has worked much harder than I have. Between a graduate program that is so intensive it doesn’t leave room for a job-job and being the youth minister at our church (for free), he doesn’t have much time left over. When we first moved here and he told me he was offered the youth group position and it was a paid thing…but that he turned down the money I nearly lost my financial marbles. You’re telling me I am taking a pay cut to move here, the cost of living is increasing big time, and you’re turning down money? You’re nuts! After a bit of time I understood where he was coming from, I can even appreciate what he is doing now, even though for a time I wanted to hurt him. I’m super excited to see the light at the end of the school psychology tunnel finally and for him to start getting paid again though:)
8. Great sense of humor. She’s usually the one to take things too far. Yeah, she’s that guy. I grew up with guys; all of my best friends were guys, so I developed a rough sense of humor over the years. I can definitely hang with the fellas and don’t get offended easily. Jeremy appreciates my sense of humor most of the time, but I have seen him cringe (along with a few other guys) when I get one over on them. I don’t see the world through rose colored glasses, and tend to get annoyed with those who do (it’s my cynical side that creeps out), so I just make jokes about everything. People sometimes see it as an act, or that I’m fake…nope, it’s all me, all the time. Everything is a joke outside of work, I just can’t be grown up Mrs. B all day to be a stick in the mud after 3pm.
9. A desire to follow God. God has developed in her a servant’s heart. She is willing to step out of her comfort zone and do anything that is asked of her. Thanks babe. Jeremy has a tendency to drag me out of my comfort zone kicking and screaming. Take youth group for example, he has worked with youth for years and after all week and all day with kids the last thing I want to do is more children. I did my best to escape it forever and then after a few years of not being around Jeremy much I realized I better suck it up and jump in. Don’t take this the wrong way; I wanted to work with him for more reasons than to be joined at the hip. It just took several years for me to quit fighting where I was consistently being asked to go. Not long into helping him with youth “officially”(I was behind the scenes for a good year) he started asking me to teach onemorning…then it led to one Wednesday night. Somehow I ended up being asked to share my testimony at a Christmas Women’s event at church.
One thing God has taught me, you can run but you can’t hide.
10. A great butt; seriously though, that thing is good. Again with this Jeremy? If you are around us in person you probably think we are the least touchy feely couple on the planet, I just served enough detention in high school for PDA to work that out of my system. We’re a sneaky pair, that’s for sure. However the fact that Mr. Private wants to air out his feelings about my butt on a B-L-O-G that is P-U-B-L-I-C just baffles me to death. Could be worse, at least he likes me.
