ABC's of Me

A: Anxiety. I hate to start with this one, but "A" comes first :). I am not diagnosed with anything, but I think since completing my degree in counseling I have a much better idea of my own mental health. I for sure have specific things that cause me anxiety....where I feel out of control and freak out a bit. This includes packing for trips, being late anywhere, and sometimes the mess in my house completely overwhelms me. Nothing to debilitating, but something I am much more aware of! Xanax has been my friend here and there!

B: Betsy. My name is just Betsy. Not Elizabeth. I get this question a ton!

C: Cricket. Yes, I have a sister named Cricket. People always give me an odd look when I talk about her if they didn't know and then I have to explain. Her real name is Krista, but when she was born she was little and had big eyes, so the nurses and my dad started to call her Cricket. It has stuck ever since! Her business cards even said Cricket on them.

D: Dutch. In more ways than one! Although I am Dutch as far as blood, I am also cheap. Most things I am more than fine with the off brand and I don't usually like to spend large sums of money at once. When I do, it usually comes along with that anxiety I mentioned before.

E: Evelyn. My newest daughter. She is my 11-11-11 baby. We joke that she is such a good baby now because she was so naughty in the womb. I had morning sickness the entire pregnancy, awful heartburn, and then she surprised us by being breech resulting in an emergency c-section. Good thing she is so cute or she would have been grounded when she came out!

F: Forgetful. My husband says I have the memory of an elephant, and in many instances I do. However, when it comes to things I read in emails or if I have to bring something somewhere I just forget.

G: Green. My favorite color. I'm obsessed. The entire main floor of my house is "dill pickle.". I would paint every room green if it didn't look excessive!

H: Huizinga. My maiden name. I still use my emil address I had before I was married: bhuizinga@gmail.com. I figured it was one small way I could hold into my good ol' Dutch maiden name just a bit :)

I: Isabelle. This is my oldest daughter. We call her Belle for short. She is just over 2 and a pile of energy! I really think she is one of the coolest people I know ( and cutest!)

J: Jesus. Yes, He is real and I believe in Him. Thank goodness too, because without Jesus I would be a hot mess.

K: Kalamazoo, MI. My hometown. I lived there all of my life in the same house until I moved to Grand Rapids for college.

L: Loser...as in I lose everything! The joke in college with my roommates was that they knew they would hear "where's my....." "have you seen my..." "I can't find my...." from me on a daily basis. This must go along with the forgetful part of me.

M: Music. I love it! I sing in a group called Alive. It is one of my favorite parts of my week to meet with this group and sing, but to also worship together. I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing group of people. I also sing at Cornerstone Church. If you live in Grand Rapids you should check it out! (shameless plug)

N: Napper. I am huge napper.....when I get the opportunity. I think that naps in the middle of the day are the best!

O: Opinionated. I have an opinion about most things, and I tend to be very vocal about my opinions. The one thing I shockingly could care less about is politics. I have really no thoughts on most issues, nor do I care to debate them.

P: Paul. My good looking, supportive, hard working hubsters. He is my best friend, even when we really annoy each other :). He is a saint for being with me!

Q: Quick. This is a hard letter, but I can say that I am quick when it comes to crocheting...which I guess I better be, right?

R: Reality TV. I love, love, love reality television. I'm a sucker for Teen Mom, The Real Housewives, Bachelor/Bachelorette, etc.....

S: School Counselor. I am not a school counselor right now, but I just completed my masters degree in May. Someday I will go back to work. The joke is that I am quite the educated stay at home mom.

T: The Cheesecake Factory. Hands down this is my favorite restaurant. Such a huge menu and everything is amazing. I wish Grand Rapids would get one!

U: Unorganized. Terribly. I might organize something one day, but it is inevitably a mess in a week. My mom swears it's part of my A.D.D. (although I'm not officially diagnosed). I like to have my house fairly picked up, but if you one my cupboard and closets you will find a cluttered mess. Out of sight, out if mind, right?

V: Vacation. Who doesn't love vacations? I don't need anything elaborate. I love to camp, or even just a quick weekend away. Michigan makes it easy with all of the lake towns and Chicago so close. As long as I am with my family or just my hubs, I love hanging out doing something different than the every day norm.

W: Wine. I love wine. I have wine almost every night. Oddly enough I have to eat popcorn with my wine. I know it's kind if weird, but I make one amazing bowl of popcorn. So, usually I watch tv, eat popcorn, drink wine, and crochet every night.

X: eXercise Phobic. I couldn't come up with a good word for X, so this is my substitute. I hate to exercise. Too much work. It hurts and then the whole work if the shower, hair, and make up after is just too much work. I wish it was easier to be healthy.

Y: Youngest. I am the youngest if four. I have a brother, Steve, and then my two sisters, Jill and Cricket. We are all two years apart from each other and surprisingly get along very well! We actually truly enjoy each other's company.

Z: Zoo. Paul and I love zoos. It helps that Belle is really into animals right now too. We are hoping to swing by Shedd's Aquarium in Chicago with Belle in the next year. Grand Rapids has a great zoo that is big enough to have some cool animals, but not so big that it takes all day. I love it there!