Monday, September 22, 2008

Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one

Who was your childhood hero? Who is your hero now?

Courtney: I don't really remember having one hero growing up. I looked up to a lot of people. I wanted to be just like my cousin Jamie for a long time. She was so cool, and pretty, and had a lot of friends. I, of course, was envious. I looked(and still do) up to my Grandma H. We have so much in common, and she was always there to encourage me to be the best I could be. In the cartoon world, Raphael from The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle could rescue me anytime. And I fell in love with Robin Hood at a very young age. So I think I had it all...a person to imitate, a person to grow up to be, and two dashing heroes for when I became a damsel in distress. =)

And now...

Now, my hero is my younger sister! She is amazing...her strength is inspiring. She has a huge heart with a giant desire to love the people around her. And she has courage to stand up for what she knows is right, and forgive those who have hurt her. I endeavor to be like her.

Matt: During my younger years my hero was Luke Skywalker form the movie Star Wars. As it tells a story of a young man who it comes from humble situations, and rises up to help lead the rebel rebellion. I thought that I could become like that.
and now
Rush Limbaugh, as he helps keep me informed on all the liberal media hype, and lets me know that I am not alone in my conservative ideas.

Friday, September 12, 2008

I'm not nervous. Well, maybe I was a bit...concerned but that's not the same thing.

What do you do when you get nervous?
Courtney: I call my mom and dad. Or any member of my family that will actually answer the phone! I talk about what's going on with my parents. With my siblings, I talk about silly and random things, teasing them, and goofing off with them. And while I talk, I pace...Up and down the hall, around the kitchen, I have to be moving. And when in a situation where pacing is not the best idea, I fidget. I have to have something in my hand that I can play with. Like a rubber band, or a pen, or clothing. Movement, in any form, is my coping mechanism. I have to be doing something.

Matt: I get scared and embarrassed that I have already made too many mistakes and that I have failed , like when interviewing for a new job or taking my 6 Mo check ride..my job is on the line. I just want to get away from the situation, or the people that I am around. And do something fun to take my mind off of that situation, like working out or watching a movie.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Bah Hum Bug

The leaves are starting to turn yellow and orange. And as the air is cooling down I've been thinking about the holidays.

Describe your favorite holiday tradition?

Courtney: In my family, a lot of traditions center around food, like making Pumpkin Roll, Buttermilk pie, and Reindeer Droppings. It's not really Christmas or Thanksgiving with out it. But I think my favorite tradition would have to be our Christmas sibling gift exchange. As a kid we would draw names and would have 20 dollars to spend on that person. It's like a Secret Santa. Only the tradition really is how you buy the present! See, we would all pile into the car and go shopping together. We'd go into Target, get 2 carts, and start shopping. Mom would have one basket and Dad would have the other...and you'd shop for your person. The trick was that they were there too! And you had to do a cloak and dagger thing to get it into a basket without the others knowing who you had, and what you got them! Imagine having 7 people running around trying to keep everything secret. After everything was paid for, and stored safely and secretly in the back, we would go out for a nice dinner.
It's kind of hard to do it with just two people. But this is a tradition that we will do with our children. I have so many wonderful memories, and I want my children to have the same chances of creating their own magical memories!

Matt: One of my fondest memories during my early years was carving pumpkins. I loved to clean out the insides, puling out the seeds and "guts" of the pumpkin. And help my mom wash the seeds, place them on a cookie sheet, and bake them. Yumm, they are so good. We had to wait until dad was around so that we could use the sharp knives to cut out faces in the side of the pumpkin. It was always a challenge with my siblings to see who could come up with the scariest or goofiest face, and place it on the pumpkin.